Primary teacher filmed kicking and hitting horse found innocent

[SushiSuave]

I never start threads about things in the news but this has shocked me. How on earth has this woman been found innocent when she was filmed kicking and hitting the horse?! I don't believe she caused lasting injury but surely being found innocent is condoning treating animals in this way?

@twistyizzy I'm sure you're not a thug, but hunting does attract some who are. I speak from my personal experience of the people who hunt and follow the hunt on and around Exmoor.

It doesn't need sabs to endanger the lives of horses, I've witnessed scant regard for the animals from the people who work them. Riders on horses all over the road on Porlock hill when the hunt has gone through, hounds and terrier men carrying dogs across the road into the woods with traffic descending on sharp bends.

I'm glad there are good people like you, but you only have to see the treatment Chris Packham has received to know that all people who support blood sports are not like you.

I’m not sure she’s done herself any favours doing her sad Daily Mail face. I don’t think the reaction to her article is going to go quite the way she expects it to.

She smacks the horse 4 times around its muzzle. She lost her temper and got satisfaction from it from seeing it flinch. If you're chastising (which I don't buy) you might hit once.

I would be very unsurprised if she is violent to her children or other vulnerable people.

Unfortunately there are a small minority who act like this but I would love to invite you to observe our hunt. We follow the law and hand on heart I've never witnessed the scenes you are describing. Maybe because we are a smaller, family friendly hunt? Not high profile or a big name hunt but just a bunch of people having a good morning (or day) out with our horses. We have excellent relations with the landowners and liaise with the police etc to ensure we are acting within the law. The welfare of our horses and dogs is paramount.

hawking her entirely self inflicted tale of woe in the daily mail

the phrase where there’s muck there’s brass seems entirely appropriate in this context.

even the fail readers see her for what she is: an animal abuser.

I really really hope this video follows her around forever. Not only is she cruel to animals, she is absolutely unapologetic and arrogant about it.

I hope her horse has been removed. She clearly can't handle it and its terrible to see such brutality to such beautiful animals. Probably reacts badly to her now as well.

@twistyizzy I can completely understand the fun and the thrill of your days out with good friends both human and horse. Sounds ideal and such a pity that all hunts can't have so much harmless joy. Please do have a look at the Mendip Sabs page and you will very definitely see the other side of the coin.

The bullying thug element on Exmoor may be a minority, but not a small minority and the whole hunt set up there is hand in glove and dependent on them. It's an insular place where the hunt rides just how it likes and corporate idiots are helicoptered in to blast apart fat birds in valleys.

Sabs aren't blameless, but I think some are desperate after having witness some shocking things.

@MerryBeard oh yes I'm not ignorant of the way some hunts behave but I would never associate myself with them, in the same way as I would never associate myself with anyone who showed so much contempt for their animal as the subject of this thread.
As horse owners/riders we are immensely privileged to share our lives with these amazing animals and it is our duty to treat them with respect at all times.

@twistyizzy "As horse owners/riders we are immensely privileged to share our lives with these amazing animals and it is our duty to treat them with respect at all times."

On that we totally agree. Same for all animals. Dogs are my thing and even, when the most maddening dog did the most maddening thing, the worst thing I've ever done is throw my cardigan at it. I've never forgiven myself. 😀How this woman excuses her behaviour is beyond me.

And that is one of the primary reasons that if jury trials happen, then it should be experts that have knowledge of different aspects of the case, so they can offer a qualified analysis.

Absolutely disgusted by the verdict.

This woman is now boasting about her behaviour

Wow. Fight crime with crime.

Disgusted with this verdict. However, as she well knows, the video footage clearly shows she’s an animal abuser and that will be in the public domain forever. Perhaps the public vilification has been a more severe punishment anyway than whatever the courts would dish out, although I personally think she should be banned from owning animals again.

She won’t be the only member of the Cottesmore Hunt who has treated her horse like that. They are disgusting human beings. They don’t care about their animals. I’ve never seen people like them and the worse bit is they think they’re a cut above everyone else.

I’ve a good idea where she took the horse to to be checked over 10 days later too, the hunt put a lot of business their way. We used to take our animals to the small animal bit and on the back of this I’d move them if we were still local.

We’ve all seen what she did to that poor horse. There’s no excuse for it. You wouldn’t punch a child in the face if it ran off and get away with so I don’t know why you do when you do it to an animal.

I have been around horses for nearly 30 years and that pony was not in the least bit distressed

Bruce had his ears pricked as she took his rein , then she kicked him and slapped him FOUR times in sucession. His head was up , his eyes were closed as he tried to avoid her blows .

He was a trusting animal who she abused .

I don't think you can quantify this by saying it happens in other spheres of animal .sports ( and there have been loads of debates about the National on MN )

He was distressed .
But even worse I think he was accepting . From the way she repeatedly smacked him, it was a vile loss of her temper and I'd suspect not the first time .

She said she had intended to 'briefly shock' Bruce to 'discipline him quickly' for running off, which she believed could have had severe consequences for both Bruce and the child riding him

Bruce was in a headcollar and no saddle or bridle or child on his back .

So maybe my eyes have lied to me all along

Ah, I didn't realise she was part of the hunt. I can't watch the vidoe or read too much about it, as I find it too upsetting. The hunt people I have come across do seem more aggressive with their horses, their dogs, and livestock if they have them. They see it as a virtue to be unsentimental, I think, and have a harsh attitude that extends to their general behaviour. Just going on my own local, rural area. Must be cultural. People who just ride seem much more aware of working with their horse, rather than seeking to dominate the animal completely.

No horse or pony I've ever owned would understand why they were getting a whack to their head after they have wandered off.

Nor would it stop them from walking or trotting off again.

It was completely inexcusable to slap, punch or hit the pony.

Ex hunting / horse person here. I'm in two minds about this because while I agree she obviously lost her shit and should not have done it, it seems extreme what's happened to her.

What are people expecting that they should put her in prison and throw away the key?

The pony is clearly very well cared.

Totally agree. I’m really saddened by this verdict. And I read the horse is still living with her too!

A horse that is regularly smacked round the muzzle is by definition not well cared for

It can be well fed and mistreated at the same time

If she was rougher than a badger’s arse and lived on a council estate you can bet your life she’d have been found guilty.

My point is this was probably not a 'regular' thing. The pony buggered off, the sabs were hounding her (excuse the pun) and she just lost her shit in a very stressful situation.

For all I know she could be a complete psycho but I'm not really seeing that for sure here.