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Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Original poster

How was Sarah Moulds found not guilty?

167 replies

DarkAndWild · 25/08/2023 18:50

The local Look North news has just repeatedly shown the video of her kicking and hitting her horse whilst saying she was found not guilty.
She was on the news reading her statement saying the footage was taken out of context.
What context would be correct to treat any animal that way??!!
Its absolutely sickening that she wasn’t found guilty.

OP posts:
OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 26/08/2023 07:34

HaveYouHeardOfARoadAtlas · 25/08/2023 19:27

Would be interesting to know what the verdict would have been if the jury had been horsey people! Maybe none horse people just assume as a horse/pony is big then that level of violence is ok?

I am a non horsey person (and to honest a bit scared of horses), however let me assure you that no I don't think violence to any animal is OK no matter how big they are. It is disgusting she has got away with this.

Ollifer · 26/08/2023 07:35

I can't believe the verdict. What message does this send out to people who are violent to their animals? That it's perfectly fine!

I hate the way they keep using the term 'disciplining' the horse, as If she was training it or something. She was beating it! This is not a form of discipline that is appropriate with a horse or any other animal.

Sadly, I used to own a lovely horse and whenever I used to ride him at the local stables some of the owners of other horses would be quite casual about a slap or using the whip or tugging on the headcollar far too harshly. I don't understand why but I hated a lot of the horsey people and much preferred just hacking out on my own.

Saschka · 26/08/2023 07:42

Narnien · 26/08/2023 00:36

The best we can do is to speak out against abuse/abusive training methods whenever we see them and campaign for change.

And publicly shaming someone and causing them to lose their job. Is that also the best you can do?

I don't think this woman covered herself in glory but what she did is apparently not a crime.

Lots of things aren’t crimes, but are incompatible with retaining your job if you are a teacher.

Would you put this woman in charge of a bunch of four year olds, and trust her not to lose her shit with them?

bellac11 · 26/08/2023 07:43

Narnien · 26/08/2023 00:36

The best we can do is to speak out against abuse/abusive training methods whenever we see them and campaign for change.

And publicly shaming someone and causing them to lose their job. Is that also the best you can do?

I don't think this woman covered herself in glory but what she did is apparently not a crime.

Something doesnt have to be a crime (and thats debatable) in order to be morally wrong but also in particular jobs it would call your competency and safety around vulnerable people into question

Almondmum · 26/08/2023 07:49

I've been following this story and was really surprised by the verdict. Some of the comments on the news stories justify it as, if you're not a horse person you shouldn't judge/don't understand.

However, my daughter has riding lessons but I'm not a horsey person. I've never, ever seen anyone at the stables treat a pony like that.

It's not acceptable is it?! I know they're big animals so a punch is less likely to hurt them but it must scare them? It doesn't teach them anything surely?

NottsNora · 26/08/2023 07:52

7eleven · 26/08/2023 00:01

It’s literally impossible to think of a reasonable explanation, given we’ve all seen the video.

ETA I wonder if that’s true, about the hunt, or they wanted to disassociate from her? I would imagine it’s a small world?

Edited
Show quote history

Phone ran out of battery so I went to bed. Didn’t mean to ignore you.

They know her. But they publicly claimed not to because she isn’t officially a member so she isn’t in the subs list. It’s a technicality. Will read the rest of the thread now to see if anyone else has commented.

Nemesias · 26/08/2023 07:57

I was having a look at the hunt website as I didn’t think you could follow a hunt on horseback on a whim. You certainly can’t just turn up unannounced.

Anyone wishing to hunt on horseback regularly must subscribe. Visitors must pay a ‘cap’and hunt by invitation of the Masters. Intending subscribers and visitors should contact the Secretary.

so if they’re saying she was nothing to do with them and they didn’t know who she was etc then that’s probably not true. As I’ve said before I think that a lot of the people who hunt will have traditional views towards how you should handle horses and probably breathing a sigh of relief the camera wasn’t on them that day - because hitting and physical “chastisement” is not unusual among a lot of horse people. Bloody cruel.

also it appears this hunt do flush foxes to be killed by a bird of prey as well as drag hunting.

The Cottesmore Hunt

The Cottesmore Hunt - one of England's premier hunts

https://www.cottesmore-hunt.co.uk/chsubs.html

Abhannmor · 26/08/2023 07:58

Exactly @thedancingbear. We had corporal punishment at school. For the most part ' there was no lasting damage'. Doesn't make it right.

I know some lovely people who are into showjumping and genuinely love horses. This person seems to have a different motivation.

7eleven · 26/08/2023 08:01

I sat on a jury once.

The majority of the jurors didn’t want to discuss the evidence when we were deliberating and just seemed happy to believe the defence barrister (who was the last barrister to speak).

They were also impressed that the defendant had worn a suit. I wish I was joking about that, but I’m really not.

I, and a couple more jurors, insisted we look at the evidence.

I left this experience realising a couple of things. A lot of people aren’t very bright, if you’re raped make sure you loudly and clearly say no (might get you killed, but hey ho) and the jury system is outdated and should be abolished.

I expect the (male) jurors saw a smartly dressed and well spoken lady teacher, listened to her expensive barrister and thought “This lovely lady can’t be guilty of animal cruelty.”

NottsNora · 26/08/2023 08:05

Have caught up.

The Cottesmore Hunt is notorious round here. It is in all sorts of trouble. 1) The pony slapping incident 2) the hunt sab who was knocked down by a car 3) the hunt sab who was trampled by a horse. All three cases are in the public domain and have had/will have court cases surrounding them.

The Hunt is a target for hunt saboteurs and the Northamptonshire branch have now said on Facebook that they will increase their actions to make sure the Cottesmore Hunt is closed down. It’s an open Facebook group so you can read it all.

What I have said above is all in the public domain and I have stuck with the facts.

YoBeaches · 26/08/2023 08:05

She said the horse did something dangerous and she decided in the moment to punish the horse, and that's how she punished the horses dangerous behaviour.

She had a good lawyer and two vets that watched the video and ascertained no examination was needed, the horse was fine.

The RSPCA on the other hand did a dreadful job and didn't even visit the horse to ascertain injury. They commissioned a psychological well-being report of the horse and again no visits were made.

Either way - the video demonstrates she was not in control of her emotions and lashed out at the horse violently.

7eleven · 26/08/2023 08:10

I am going to email the Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk. It won’t do any good, but I want to do something.

[email protected]

7eleven · 26/08/2023 08:13

@NottsNora the hunt probably wish she had been found guilty as they now have a target on their head. Action around them will be huge.

Anothershitusername · 26/08/2023 08:13

Is she likely to be able to work in another school
id hate my kids to of ended up with her as a teacher
can she now take her employer to court ,what is likely to happen next
I feel she shouldn’t be around children with that level of violence in her

HaveYouHeardOfARoadAtlas · 26/08/2023 08:17

I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s back out riding with them this autumn.

SheWentWest · 26/08/2023 08:18

we have such shit journalism in this country. No one has actually reported WHY she was not convicted.
I mean surely that is the story here.

Qantaqa · 26/08/2023 08:19

I've had horses for forever. I was in the pony club. My DSs were in the Pony Club. I've had ponies tank off with the DSs on them.

What she did was clearly cruelty. She lost her temper and hit the pony multiple times. There is no way she though that hitting him after she'd caught him would make him think oh I better not run off again. Its nonsense. Most horsey people I know agree.

I can well believe that when the horse was examined by the vet days later he was fine, that he came up to her and was happy to be fussed by her and showed no lasting damage physical or mental. That doesn't mean what she did that day and that time wasn't cruelty.

That being said the RSPCA are a terrible charity and I don't agree with them bring private prosecution cases.

Fortboyard · 26/08/2023 08:19

It might not have been criminal but it seems she lost her temper and violently lashed out in public at a horse for “being naughty”. That isn’t ok.
i am sorry that her life has been blighted by her mistake, but it was her mistake and there are consequences. I can only imagine that as a teacher she would be exposed to far more provocation from naughty children. How can anyone trust her to keep her temper in much more difficult (and less public) circumstances?

7eleven · 26/08/2023 08:20

Anothershitusername · 26/08/2023 08:13

Is she likely to be able to work in another school
id hate my kids to of ended up with her as a teacher
can she now take her employer to court ,what is likely to happen next
I feel she shouldn’t be around children with that level of violence in her

I don’t think she will. There is a strict code of conduct for teachers, which does not need a crime to have been committed to breach. Think doing a moony on a stag do and the photo becoming public. That’s a true example.

What headteacher would employ her? They’d know there would be action taken by some parents. There’s enough good teachers applying for jobs to not need the hassle.

Soontobe60 · 26/08/2023 08:21

bellac11 · 25/08/2023 19:08

Wouldnt a horse feel frightened and therefore be psychologically damaged?

Therefore how can a vet say there is no ongoing damage?

And replacing juries with 'experts' wouldnt work in this case as the vet would be considered an expert wouldnt they?

I can’t imagine how you’d assess a horse for psychological damage.

ReeseWitherfork · 26/08/2023 08:26

BarelyLiterate · 25/08/2023 19:28

She was privately prosecuted by the RSPCA, a politicised ‘charity’ rather than by the CPS and was acquitted by a crown court jury, not a judge. They obviously accepted her explanation for the events which occurred that day.

Her employer sacked her before waiting for the outcome of legal proceedings. She was denied due process. Her career and her life have been destroyed as a result of trial by social media.
Is this really how we want our society to be run?

Definitely not how I want my society run. Not a fan of vigilantism. Disappointing to see so many others happy with it.

MarieG10 · 26/08/2023 08:26

hattie43 · 25/08/2023 18:58

Disgusting verdict . She is on video beating her horse up . In what world is that ever ok .

Because courts basically don't like what they see as set up videos from protest groups coupled with the suggestion of being out of context. I'm unsure if the before and after were visible

Charliebong · 26/08/2023 08:27

The majority of the jurors didn’t want to discuss the evidence when we were deliberating and just seemed happy to believe the defence barrister (who was the last barrister to speak).

Unfortunately my recent experience of jury service was very similar…too many jurors made up their mind before any evidence was presented! It was both frustrating and shocking.

OrlandointheWilderness · 26/08/2023 08:29

It's fuck all to do with her hunting or not. For years I hunted, I was a freelance groom specialising in hunters. I've worked in just about every avenue there is with horses, I've ridden and handled seriously difficult animals. I have never, EVER punched a horse in the face. Yes, big, fit, sometimes bolshy animals occasionally need a reminder to watch their manners a bit for safety but a good horseman would never do what she did. You are working with a large prey animal, basic sense tells you it must trust you are feel safe with you.