A MAN who did not seek veterinary treatment for a horse that was so lame it could barely stand has has admitted causing the animal unnecessary suffering.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday (Wednesday, February 11) that the stallion, named Magenta, was deemed to be in so much pain by vets called in by the RSPCA that he was put down on the spot.

The horse belonged to John Watson Harrop, 49, of Green Lane Caravan Site, Bishop Auckland.

Kevin Campbell, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said that when inspectors visited Magenta he was lying in a stable and was unable to stand without being helped to his feet.

His front hooves were deformed and he had difficulty resting weight on one hoof in particular.

A short video shown to the court by the RSPCA showed Magenta struggled to stand straight and had difficulty walking just a few steps.

Mr Campbell said it was the vets’ opinion that Magenta would have suffered for a minimum of four to six weeks and that the lameness would have been present for months.

Robin Ford, mitigating, said that the horse had undergone a procedure in America called ‘nerving’ in which nerves in his foot were severed.

Mr Ford said that Harrop, who had owned the horse for ten-years, was ignorant of the extra level of care and attention that Magenta needed because of that procedure.

He said that Harrop was treating the hoof himself, using his life-long experience of caring for horses, and that the animal’s lameness was down to mismanagement and ignorance rather than wilful neglect.

Mr Ford said: “His (Harrop's) family name is well-known in the local area and there are aspects of his family who regularly come to the attention of the police – but not him.

“He is concerned that that he is going to be tarred with that brush; he has made a mistake and that animal has had to be put down, it has been in the family for ten years.”

Mr Ford added that there were 23 other animals under Harrop’s care when RSPCA inspectors visited and none of them caused any concern to the vets.

After retiring to consider their sentence, magistrates imposed a one-year community order with 150 hours unpaid work on Harrop.

He also has to pay £1,740 in vets fees, court costs and charges.

Speaking after the case, RSPCA chief inspector Nick Welch said: “They (prosecutions) are always hard work but it is what we do, it is what the RSPCA is about.

“We would much rather prevent suffering, but when suffering has been caused we will not hesitate to bring offenders to justice.”