Sarah Moulds: Woman's life 'torn to pieces' by pony-hitting case

A woman has told a court her life has been "torn to pieces" over footage of her striking a pony during a hunt.

Sarah Moulds lost her job and said she had received death threats after images emerged of her kicking and slapping the pony in Lincolnshire, in 2021.

A veterinary surgeon who analysed the footage said the pony "was desperately trying to get away" from the blows.

At Lincoln Crown Court on Wednesday, Ms Moulds said she intended only to "briefly shock" the animal.

The 39-year-old, from Somerby, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, denies causing unnecessary suffering to the grey pony and not taking reasonable steps to protect the animal from pain, suffering, injury or disease.

The court heard after a number of hours riding with the Cottesmore Hunt - one of Britain's oldest foxhound packs - on 6 November 2021, near Gunby in Lincolnshire, Ms Moulds was starting to put the animals in trailers.

One, called Bruce Almighty, was being held by a child before the pony unexpectedly "took off" and moved about 25 metres down the road.

Ms Moulds told the court she instructed the child to let go of Bruce's lead rope, as she believed there were "a number of horrific things" that could have happened had the child attempted to hold on.

As the pony returned, Ms Moulds "immediately chastised him".

She said she had intended to "briefly shock" Bruce but denied losing her temper.

She said: "In that moment [Bruce] has done something incredibly dangerous and, in that exact moment, I decided that the right thing to do was discipline him quickly.

"In reality, in that moment, it was four seconds.

"My intention was then, and always was, to discipline Bruce in the moment so that he does not do it again.

"There was minimal contact and it was so quick and so short."

She rejected suggestions Bruce had been badly affected.

"I don't believe I inflicted pain on him," she said. "I did not hit him with any degree of force and I don't believe Bruce was afraid."

Bruce suffered no ill effects from her actions, she told the jury, and had returned to his "idyllic life" with the family.

A video of the incident was posted to social media by Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs, and the RSPCA brought a private prosecution.

Ms Moulds added: "I certainly will never strike a horse, discipline a horse, in that manner because my life has been torn to pieces as a result of that four-second decision."

She told the court she had to go "into hiding" due to the reaction to the video.

She said: "Four seconds does not capture the relationship between a pony and its owner."

Giving evidence, Dr Suzanne Green, an equine veterinary surgeon who analysed the footage frame-by-frame in court, said Bruce "was desperately trying to get away" from Ms Moulds' blows and would have been left bruised.

She said: "The overall conclusion I have reached was that Bruce was caused unnecessary suffering by the actions of Sarah Moulds in that video.

"The actions she gave to Bruce were not proportionate, not appropriate and not in response to anything."

She added: "By physically kicking a horse that hard, it is obviously inciting fear into that horse as it is an unpleasant experience.

"You have only kicked a horse like that to deliver pain because it will hurt it."

Dr Green's evidence was disputed by defence witness vet Dr Clive Madeiros, who said he saw "no real evidence" of pain or fear from the pony, which he said went into the trailer "as if nothing had happened".

Ms Moulds was sacked by the Mowbray Education Trust, based in Melton Mowbray, in December 2021.

She was charged in January 2022 with two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The trial continues.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].