Woman charged by RSPCA over alleged attack on horse at hunt meeting

Sarah Moulds is due to appear in court on Monday accused of two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 after video footage filmed by hunt saboteurs of the alleged incident was shared widely on social media.

The charges brought by the RSPCA relate to a report from November 6 last year, at The Drift at Gunby, close to Sewstern, on a day when the Cottesmore Hunt was meeting.

Mrs Moulds is said to have caused ‘unnecessary suffering to a certain animal namely a grey pony known as Bruce, by kicking and hitting the said animal and you knew or ought reasonably to have known that your acts would have that effect or be likely to do so’.

The second charge accuses her of not taking ‘such steps as were reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal namely a grey pony known as Bruce for which you were responsible, were met to the extent required by good practice in that you did not protect the animal from pain, suffering, injury or disease’.

The RSPCA say the defendant will appear before Boston Magistrates’ Court on Monday for a first hearing.