Bognor Regis man receives suspended sentence after video shows him attacking horses with hands and whips

Jack Woods, of Cosens Way, Bognor Regis, was handed the sentence at Bostons Magistrates Court on July 17. He was also banned from keeping horses for 18 months.

The young man, aged 22, pleaded guilty to five counts of causing unnecessary suffering to horses by infliction of physical abuse, and one by the infliction of psychological or emotional abuse. He also admitted to failing to avoid the use of inappropriately harsh, potentially painful and frightening handling, training, or control measures on all four horses.

Woods was given 26 weeks suspended prison sentence for 18 months and ordered to carry out 10 RAR days, as well as 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also made to pay £2,100 in costs.

The RSPCA was alerted to Woods’ conduct, which took place on a farm in Lincolnshire, after a video was shared on social media in which he attacked the four horses. An equine vet who examined the footage said his methods were ‘nothing short of barbaric and cruel’.

"The horses in these clips are no less than absolutely terrified,” they said. “The horses desperately try to escape from him and display severe fear, escapism and avoidance behaviours - equines are flight or fight animals as they are prey species these horses in these videos are displaying complete flight behaviour. His actions are nothing short of barbaric and cruel and are used due to the lack of his own ability to both handle and ride horses.”

The vet made clear that Woods had brutally attacked the horses using both his hands and a whip. The Bognor Regis resident is shown to beat the horses around the head, neck and body. Since there is very little soft tissue on horses’ heads, the blows would have landed directly on their bones, causing intense pain.

"The attacks on the horses are sometimes frenzied and are always unprovoked; this is unacceptable and completely unnecessary and has caused the horses to suffer from both physical and psychological harm. The abuse falls far below what is expected of a human dealing with horses,” they added.

The defendant apologised for his actions and said he is no longer involved with horses.