Dead horseRSPCA has a cruelty case pending against Sue Jenkins, who allegedly starved 16 horses to death in Spain. A vet told her in January she was not feeding her horses enough

A WOMAN who allegedly allowed 16 horses to starve to death in Spain could be extradited to the UK to face separate charges.

The RSPCA confirmed that Sue Jenkins – the owner of the horses – is being prosecuted for eight alleged offences of cruelty or neglect to 15 other horses in Britain.

HorsesShe has been ordered to appear at Coleford magistrates court, Gloucestershire on October 13.

Jenkins, who moved to Spain from her home of Gorsley, Gloucestershire last year, allegedly allowed the thoroughbreds to die from hunger on her estate in Cadiz.

Too thin

Another 36 are still facing a death sentence from the Spanish authorities.

While she denies the mistreatment, a local vet who treated another horse that died in January, told the Olive Press she was not feeding her animals enough.

The vet in Medina Sidonia, where Jenkins lives, said: “After one of them died I was diplomatic but told her in my opinion they were not getting enough food. They were too thin.

“I wish I had notified the authorities then.”

The vet continued that Jenkins had ‘incredibly’ not called him until the horse had been lying on the ground for 24 hours. “I tried to save it by giving it fluids and anti inflamatories but it wasn’t working. A few hours later the horse died.”

The vet, who claims he is owed money by Jenkins, said: “She was clearly having a difficult time with money. She started telling me all her problems. She said she was having a baby and that I would get my money from the UK.

“I suppose she has not been feeding them properly due to a lack of money.”

Meanwhile a woman, who sold Jenkins 40 of her thoroughbred horses in the UK claims she still owes her thousands of euros.

Marleen Fewtrell owner of The Singing Stud near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire sold the Trakehners for around 5000 euros each.

Jenkins took the horses on interest free loans most of which are still outstanding.

One of the horses she bought, Herbsttanz – a horse seen hardly able to stand in photographs – is a full brother to the main breeding line and worth at least 400,000 euros.

Fewtrell told the Olive Press: “I wasn’t happy about Susie taking the horses out of the country but by the time I heard about it a vet had signed the export papers and they were gone.”

She continued: “The Jenkins family didn’t seem like bad people. There were a couple of occasions when Susie didn’t pay and I got in touch with her mother Gaynor and it was straightened out.

“I bred many of these horses and it’s heartbreaking to think of them suffering. Also it’s a huge investment on my part.

“I am now coming to Spain to see the horses for myself and try to get them back.”

“If she couldn’t feed them why didn’t she tell someone. I would have fetched the horses back!

“You can’t just sit back and watch your horses starve to death”.

“If what people say she’s done is true she deserves to go to jail”.

When approached last night Jenkins denied mistreating the horses in Spain and insisted they had died from contaminated food or saline water.

She said: “I have a contract for all those horses. On the court matter I can’t comment. You’ll have to speak to my lawyer Nigel Weller in the UK.”

Meanwhile Antonio Moreno from equine charity CACMA continues to spearhead a campaign to save the horses.

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17 COMMENTS

  1. Whilst I appreciate the anger that Caroline Bell has regarding this issue it should be borne in mind that Spain is not the only country in the EU that continues to be cruel to animals. In the UK (an alleged nation of animal lovers) there have been reports of similar situations within the last year of such cruelty to horses. Indeed in the last month or so there has been a report that increased numbers of dogs and cats that are being abandoned as people do not appreciate the costs involved in keeping them. Whilst these images shown on this site are shocking and quite frankly the English woman involved should be severely punished, I think that is the important point, it is an English person who has subjected these animals to such cruelty. Whilst I am sure there are Spanish people who also treat their animals badly, there are also a great number of people who treat their animals extremely well. So if we’re kicking Spain out of the EU for this, surely the UK has got to be next?

  2. I hear Jenkins faces court next week back in the uk for horse cruelty charges. This woman is obviously a serial horse abuser and should be locked up. How the hell can she get away with killing so many horses here in Spain. She is ill and needs help, but probably not as much as her animals do.

  3. Sue Jenkins is in court from today, if she’s bothered to turn up. If she doesn’t, then I’m led to believe there is a warrant out for her arrest. We are one of the lucky few, who managed to rescue our horse from her yard in the UK before she ran off to Spain. Our horse is now fit and healthy after a year of being built up slowly and lots of good advice from our Vet. She’s now enjoying life to the full once again and is in safe hands once again. I just hope this woman rots in hell for what she has done.

  4. I think the only thing anyone can do is wait and listen, there is certainly no solid information anywhere on the net really and although things certainly sound terrible there may be a chance that this has been blown way out of proportion. There may also have been other issues that haven’t been reported that may have led to this awful situation.

  5. I have had first hand experience of this womans so called horse care skills. She is a serial Horse Abuser and is not fit to own any animal. It would not surprise me if she manages to squirm her way out of the charges she is currently facing in the UK. If this were to be the case then in all probability the Spanish authorities will be loathed to take any action against her with regard to the horses known to have died in her care. In all likelihood those still alive in Spain will suffer the same fate as would the horses subject to the UK prosecution.

  6. I take it you have not been at Court this week then?! We have, and the stories coming out are not pretty. Take it from me, this woman still needs to rot in hell, at the very least be sent to jail for some considerable time.

  7. I absolutely agree with you but as we know from many past cases of horse neglect and cruelty, justice for the horse is not always forthcoming. I’m sure the case against her is unquestionable but that does not guarantee that the horses will not be returned to her. What if she is found guilty but allowed to keep the horses to sell them on to pay for costs? Or what if she gets a ban in the UK, will the Spanish authorities really be interested and how will that help the surviving horses in Spain. It’s never as straight forward as it should be.

  8. Caroline Bell says: “I can’t believe that this situation is allowed to continue. 22 horses dead now. Spain should be kicked out of the EU for this”…

    What a stupid thing to say! The woman responsible for the horses neglect and suffering was ENGLISH, not Spanish. Notwithstanding that, animal cruelty is a world-wide problem, and not limited to one country/culture or another…so such a sweeping condemnation and generalisation is extremely unfair and unhelpful.

  9. I hope she is jailed with people that love animals that do nothing but beat the hell out of her in shifts, non-stop, morning noon and night year after year. I know from my own experience that starvation is agony, even moving one limb a little bit puts the starving individual in shear body-wracking painful agony. A Nazi concentration camp is too good for her. These horses even had to watch each other die, even the babies. Horses feel for each other too. At the end of her jail term she should be starved and then face execution by blow torch and chain saw.

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