A pony was found dead with a chain. Another was severely neglected. Owner banned from keeping horses for 10 years.
The RSPCA learned about two ponies in Llansteffan. People worried about their well-being. The location was about eight miles from Carmarthen.
An RSPCA inspector went to the land on June 18 last year and discovered one pony dead on the grass. It was a thin, grey Shetland type with hair loss. A chain was around its neck, but wasn’t attached to anything else. Another pony stood nearby.
This pony was skewbald and also a Shetland type. It had a “skin issue” and looked thin; its spine and ribs showed clearly. Someone sprayed it with purple stuff and chained it to a tree. A bucket of water sat nearby, placed there by a worried person, not the owner, says the RSPCA.
Stephen Edward Griffiths, age 62, lived nearby. He said the dead pony stayed there for days because his tractor broke, so he couldn’t move it. Griffiths claimed he owned the ponies for a few months, and that he saved one near Cross Hands.
Vets examined the surviving pony and said it was in bad shape. It couldn’t reach enough food because of the chain, and had many lice. Its body condition score was very low, 0.5 out of five. Vets treated and rehomed the pony.
The dead pony was also in very poor shape, with a body condition score of 0.5 of five. The vet said it had been dead for days. The vet saw the pony’s spine and ribs, which were easy to spot, and the pony’s bony pelvis was also visible.
Griffiths went to court in Llanelli on Thursday, February 13. He earlier admitted two Animal Welfare Act crimes: causing needless suffering to one pony by failing to help its poor condition, and failing to meet the needs of both ponies regarding environment, food, and health.
Griffiths cannot own horses for 10 years, and received two 16-week jail terms, which he doesn’t have to serve. He must do community service for one year, rehab for 15 days, and pay £250 in costs. The court heard he felt truly sorry.