65-year-old woman able to own horses despite animal neglect

Karen Parry, 65, left two of her 15 horses without food or water for more than nine months at a stable in Ebbw Vale.

When interviewed by police, Parry admitted that she knew it was bad and had planned to sort it out but had been ‘too tired.’

One of the horses, Ryan, was found wearing a head collar and attempting to eat his own faeces by ‘a concerned member of the public’ who contacted various horse charities.

The other horse, called McCoy, was found wearing a rug in summer temperatures with overgrown hooves and no evidence of clean water.

The 10 and 14-year-old horses were in ‘wet stables, covered in faeces’ and were ‘nervous’ when found by police.

The charity Welsh Pony Rescue & Rehoming Charitable Trust visited the animals with a vet, who scored their body condition a 2/9 and said their heart rates were raised and that they appeared to be in significant pain.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that they were at serious risk of developing fungal infections and abscesses.

The costs of medical care for both animals came to over £22,440.

At the time of the neglect, Karen Parry owned another 13 horses, and she currently looks after four dogs.

The court heard that Parry had owned horses “on and off for most of her life” and was a well-known person to the horsing world having “appeared in events for many years.”

Her defence barrister thought it was punishment enough that “she has lost her good name.”

“The horses survived with no particular diseases. This lady does have the ability, if she wishes, to have a horse in the future,” he said.

Judge Timothy Petts decided that Parry neglected the animals due to her poor mental health, financial difficulties and a divorce. He believed she is unlikely to reoffend.

He sentenced her to nine weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, gave a £2,500 fine and banned her from ever re-owning those two horses.

“It was not deliberate cruelty,” said Judge Petts.