'Emaciated' horses found at farm

Horses belonging to a breeder in Gloucestershire were found emaciated and living in filthy conditions, a magistrates' court has heard.

It is alleged Suzanne Wynne Jenkins, 33, who looked after 49 horses at her stud farm in Kilcot, let some of them fall into a "distressing state".

One colt was abnormally weak and thin with skin lesions, the court heard.

Ms Wynne Jenkins denies three charges of causing unnecessary suffering and five of poor husbandry.

Concerns were raised in 2007 by a prospective buyer who visited the farm.

Lactating mare

It was claimed that she was so worried about the emaciated frames of the horses that she offered to take some of them home.

Prosecutor David Glass told Coleford Magistrates' Court that Ms Jenkins, who has since moved to Spain, kept the 49 horses at the North Farm stud and stables she owned, in Aston Ingham Road.

The stables were described in court as being "filthy".

Mr Glass said that two RSPCA inspectors visited the stables on 21 June 2007 and said they found one horse severely underweight and several others with poor body condition.

There was also concern about adequate water for a lactating mare.

Mr Glass told the district judge that three horses were kept outdoors in School Field, with no supplementary food, poor fencing, broken panels, protruding nails and plastic wrapping - which the animals might attempt to eat.

The prosecutor added that on 22 June 2007, five horses, which form the subject of three unnecessary suffering charges, were removed and sent to a sanctuary in nearby Leominster.

Suzanne Wynne Jenkins said in interview she had a degree in equine science from Aberystwyth University and had run the stud farm for 18 years.

She said that she did not accept she had failed to provide proper care for the horses.

Mr Glass said : "She gave various explanations, in particular that some had a virus, and others had medical conditions and generally that horses had various 'ups and downs' as they were growing, causing them to be underweight. She said they were all improving at the time of the inspection."

The case continues.

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