Two heartless men violently attacked an exhausted horse by kicking it in the head after she collapsed under her cart.
Kieran Ashley Hodges, 40, and Haron Reginald Cooper, 28, of Crewkerne, Somerset were spotted attacking "traumatised" Dy, a piebald cob, on April 2 last year.
An eyewitness who passed them on the B1368, between Ilminster and Curry Rival Road, described how the pair were pulling the horse from "side to side" - hitting her when she refused to move, Somerset Live reports.
The eyewitness said: “They were pulling the horse from side to side very aggressively from her bridle. From owning horses myself, I knew from the body language of the horse that she was traumatised.
"The horse’s feet were planted firmly on the floor, her legs were straight, her head was positioned to the sky and her eyes were bulging and she looked totally exhausted and appeared like she would not move another step. I pulled my car to the side of the road and watched in horror as these two men beat this poor horse.
"Both were pulling at the horse trying to get her to move and both were hitting the horse and were very angry with her. They were shouting at the horse whilst they were hitting her with their hands.
"I saw the horse rear up in the air and come down on the road, collapsing onto her right-hand side. The horse stayed on the road, and didn't move nor did she return to her feet. Both males started to kick the horse really hard in the body and head whilst screaming aggressively at her to get up."
Following the attack, a specialist equine vet discovered DY had suffered a cut between her front legs, approximately two centimetres long and another deeper, larger cut on her left elbow. There were abrasions on the corner of her mouth on both sides and bruising on the lower gums on each side of the mouth and a dark mark and swelling over her ribs on her right-hand side.
The injuries were consistent with falling to the ground, rough rein handling, and bruising from the shaft of the cart, the vet said.
Cooper and Hodges were sentenced at Yeovil Magistrates' Court last week after being found guilty of going against section four, sub-section one, of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 following a RSPCA investigation.
Cooper was disqualified from keeping all equines for 10 years, ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days. He must also pay £800 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.
The court also deprived Cooper of the ownership of Dy, who has been cared for by the RSPCA since she was seized by police in April 2021. She can now be rehomed.
Hodges was disqualified from keeping equines for five years and ordered to carry out five rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days. Hodges was also ordered to pay a £180 fine and a £95 victim surcharge.
