Renee Stone, 49, of Kialla pleaded guilty at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to four acts of cruelty to animals by failing to provide veterinary treatment for a sick or injured animal and failing to provide sufficient food, drink or shelter.
RSPCA prosecutor Graham Hambridge told the court he went to a Numurkah property on January 3, 2020, after receiving a report from a member of the public.
He said there were 22 ponies on the property housed in different yards or paddocks.
Some of the yards had a large build up of faeces, limited or no shade or shelter and no grazing available.
Mr Hambridge said there were two mares, one which was pregnant, and two stallions with extremely long hooves.
One of the mares was unable to walk due to pain or discomfort and he doubted whether it could easily access the water placed some distance away.
Stone was issued with three notices to comply; to get urgent veterinary treatment for the horse which was unable to walk, have all the overgrown hooves treated and provide appropriate shelter.
Mr Hambridge returned a week later and found shade sails had been erected and a farrier had trimmed all hooves.
He visited again on March 24 and saw stallions in small yards with heavy faecal build up and one had no shade or shelter.
Another pony was standing uncomfortably and was unable to walk due to pain or inflammation, and her feet needed a trim.
Lawyer John McNamara told the court the horses had been Stone’s mother’s and she’d taken over their care in late 2019.
He said Stone had vast experience with horses, having been involved in a pony club as a teacher and participant, and deeply regretted the condition of the horses at the time.
He said Stone advised him she had received advice to trim the horses’ hooves slowly so not to “put them into shock”, which she later realised was the wrong advice to follow.
Stone also advised him there had been a significant windstorm and some of the shade covers had blown down before the RSPCA’s first visit in January.
He said Stone was trying to rehome as many of the horses as possible and was down to 12 horses with another three to be rehomed the following week.
Magistrate Ian Watkins was shown photos of the condition of the horses’ hooves and said the condition was “appalling”.
Given the first visit was in January, he said it could be inferred the horses were being exposed to the heat of summer with nowhere to move around.
While he acknowledged the horses hadn’t been in her care for long before the first visit by the RSPCA, he said they were generally kept in appalling circumstances.
Magistrate Watkins convicted and fined Stone $1200 and made an order preventing her from owning or being in charge of more than five horses for a period of two years.
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