A man has been banned from keeping animals for three years after failing to properly look after a pony with a fractured skull.

Anthony Walsh, 23, admitted failing to properly ensure he met the needs of his pony Spike, which he kept in a field behind Santa Monica Road, Idle, Bradford Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.

Prosecutor Nigel Monaghan said an RSPCA inspector visited the field in January this year when she found several horses and ponies – of which only Spike belonged to Walsh – and noted there was a lack of food and water provided for the animals.

A later inspection of Spike by a veterinary surgeon revealed he had a fractured skull, Mr Monaghan told the court.

There was no suggestion Walsh had caused the injury but he had not contacted a vet, the court heard. The pony, which was aged under six months when the inspector made the visit, has now made a good recovery and is in the care of the RSPCA.

Chairman of the bench Colin Robinson fined Walsh £100 and ordered him to pay £150 costs.

Walsh, of Bradford Old Road, Bingley, was disqualified from keeping any animals for three years.

The court was told the offence meant Walsh had breached a suspended sentence imposed by Bradford Crown Court last year for burglary.

Mr Robinson said the crown court would be contacted about the mater.

In mitigation the court was told Walsh had been visiting his pony at the field four days a week and was under the mistaken impression other horse-owners had been feeding him on days when he did not attend.

The court heard he said in an interview that he wished he had called a vet about the head wound. Walsh said the RSPCA had attended on the seventh day after the wound had been noticed.

Walsh’s girlfriend, who was taking a college course in animal management, had advised him to bathe the wound for seven days before phoning a vet.

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