Owner James Smith has been banned from keeping horses for a year after RSPCA inspectors found Bertie the pony in extreme pain, with blood pouring from his eye.
Mr Smith, of Cottingham, East Yorkshire, had cruelly tied Bertie in such a way that the pony had wrapped the chain around the tree several times, limiting his movement and resulting in him injuring his eye.
After he was freed by RSPCA and police officers, a veterinarian found that Bertie's eye had been ruptured would need to be removed.
Inspector Hannah Bryer said: ‘Bertie suffered immense pain and distress as a result of the way he was tethered.
‘The fact of the matter is, had he been tethered in a correct and safe fashion, this injury would not have occurred. The pony had an injury to the right eye, which was bleeding.
'The pony was at full stretch in attempt to get away from the tree, with the neck strap tight to his head. He had his head down and he was shaking.
‘I immediately called a vet to the scene and set about trying to free him with the help of some police officers.’
Inspector Bryer is now warning horse owners to ensure they tether their animals properly.
She said: ‘The current animal welfare legislation does not make tethering horses illegal. However, people who chose to tether their animals must ensure that it is done safely and appropriately.
‘The consequences of not heeding that advice can be devastating, as this case highlights.
‘Thankfully, Bertie has adapted well to only having one eye and is doing well in his new home.’
Smith pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the pony at Beverley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
He was banned from keeping horses and ordered to undertake 30 hours at a Humberside probation attendance centre.
(Daily Mail - Sept 20, 2013)
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