Travel agent Alison Crawshaw wept in court as she was banned from keeping horses for five years.

She admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Winston, a 26-year-old bay gelding and was fined £450 and ordered to pay £250 costs by Thame magistrates.

Prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, Robin Gates said the horse was found in a poor condition, so thin its ribs and pelvic bones were showing He added that it had an asthma-like breathing condition, its hooves were overgrown and it needed worming.

The magistrates heard that Crawshaw, 30, of Fleetwood Way, Thame, made no special arrangements for feeding the horse when she went on holiday, believing a friend would look after him. The paddock it was kept in alongside Thame ring road did not have enough grass or other food. The RSPCA took the horse to its Quainton depot and it was later rehomed.

Crawshaw told RSPCA inspector Nick Ridley that she had had the horse nine years but had only recently moved it to the Thame paddock.

She said that she had recently changed her job and did not have the time to look after the horse properly. Sobbing as she gave evidence in court, Crawshaw said: "I am so cross with myself. I should never have let it get to this stage.

"I changed my job to work in a travel agent's and had to travel into central London daily and just did not have suffient time."

After the hearing, Crawshaw, still sobbing, added: "I am so sorry. I am not a cruel person. It was all down to time and my changing circum- stances."

Inspector Ridley said the case was not the most serious he had dealt with and said he understood how it happened.

"She is not a cruel woman - she visited the horse regularly while it was at Quainton. I have never known anyone else do that in my eight years as an inspector.

"But people who change their lifestyles or jobs must think about getting their animals rehomed if they cannot look after them properly."

Story date: Wednesday 02 February

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