A NEGLECTED Shetland pony was so sore it barely moved for up to seven days, a court has been told.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And when the pony did move it did so in a stilted manner and was in continuous discomfort.
It was suffering so much discomfort it was reluctant to move and had stayed in the same area for an estimated five to seven days, a court has heard.
A veterinary surgeon’s report tendered to Holbrook Local Court said the pony was suffering from a prolonged period of neglect from a failure to provide routine hoof management.
The vet suggested the horse would need long-term intensive treatment to resolve its problem.
But the success of treatment would depend on the amount of chronic damage that had already occurred.
The vet’s report was tendered in the case of Culcairn farmer Warwick Adrian Balfour.
Balfour, 65, of “Carabobala”, pleaded guilty to failing to provide veterinary treatment for an animal with two other charges being withdrawn.
He was fined $400 and $83 court costs with a moiety going to the RSPCA.
The court was told in tendered facts the RSPCA received a complaint in August last year about a horse with overgrown hooves.
It was in the front paddock on the Culcairn-Holbrook Road.
RSPCA inspector Lionel Smith attended the property on September 1.
He saw the horse had four long overgrown hooves and took video footage and photographs of it.
Mr Smith formed the opinion from the amount of manure in the area that the horse had not moved for five to seven days.
It had difficulty walking and Mr Smith spoke to Balfour at the homestead.
He said the horse belonged to another man who left it there in October, 2010.
It was suggested by Balfour that he had only seen the overgrown hooves that day.
A vet from Holbrook attended the following day and treated the pony.
Photographs of the horse’s overgrown hooves were shown to the court.