THREE members of the same family have all admitted causing unnecessary suffering to horses.

Sylinia Harney, 37, of Lynndale Avenue, Cross Hills, along with Christina Miller, 62, and Antonia Miller, 18, of Cawder Road, Skipton, pleaded guilty at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court to four counts of neglecting the animals in October 2019.

The first count involved causing the unnecessary suffering of a chestnut gelding in their care, the second related to a chestnut mare.

The third and fourth counts were for not taking steps to ensure the needs of their horses were met to the extent required by good practice in that they didn’t ensure the horses had a suitable environment.

The court heard the charges related to a 20-year-old gelding called Sidney and two mares called Daisy and Ivy.

They were found to be underweight, with Sidney in a “particularly poor condition”, with “basically no nutrition provided for a number of months”.

Ivy also had extensive dermatitis all over her body, which was “extremely painful to touch”.

The field where they were kept also had a number of hazards to the horses.

The court was told this was “not a case of deliberate cruelty, but it has led to the animals’ suffering”, caused by the women’s “inexperience and over-enthusiasm” after obtaining the horses.

The three women have been ordered to appear for sentencing on November 24.

The were granted unconditional bail until that date.