A Carmarthenshire man has been sentenced after two Shetland ponies - one of which had died - were both found in a thin body condition.

Sixty-two-year-old Stephen Edward Griffiths of Llansteffan, attended Llanelli Magistrates' Court for sentencing on Thursday, February 13, after previously pleading guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

They were that he caused unnecessary suffering to a male Shetland pony by failing to adequately investigate and address the cause of his poor body condition.

The second offence was that he failed to ensure the needs of animals - a female grey shetland pony and a male skewbald shetland pony - were met which included need for a suitable environment, adequate diet and failing to address their poor body conditions, rain scald and lice infestation.

At sentencing he was disqualified from keeping equines for 10 years and was handed a 16-weeks prison sentence for the first offence and 16-weeks for the second offence.

These will run concurrently and have been suspended for two years. He was also handed a community order for one year, 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and ordered to pay £250 costs.

In mitigation it was heard that he was genuinely remorseful.

The court heard that the RSPCA had been informed that there were two Shetland ponies needing a welfare check in Llansteffan and RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben attended on June 18 last year.

“When I arrived at the location I observed a dead grey Shetland type pony in thin condition, hair loss with a chain attached to a collar around its neck but not attached to anything at the other end,” he said.

He said close to this pony there was a skewbald Shetland type pony in “obvious thin body condition with its spine and ribs easily visible” and this pony “had a skin issue”. He had been sprayed with some purple spray and was tethered by a chain from its head collar to a tree close by.

Inspector Hogben added that there was a bucket of water close to the tethered pony but had been informed the caller to the RSPCA had placed it there.

He then spoke to an equine vet and asked them to attend while he was informed by the owner - Stephen Griffiths - that the grey Shetland pony had been dead for a couple of days and he had not been able to move the body as his tractor had broken. RSPCA Inspector Hogben was also informed that he had only had the ponies in his care for “a couple of months” and had rescued the skewbald pony from Cross Hands.

The skewbald pony was deemed fit to travel by the equine vet and the pony was signed over into the RSPCA’s care.

In a witness statement, provided to the court by the equine vet, it was said that the skewbald miniature Shetland stallion - was tethered on a short chain (approximately eight foot long).

She said: “He was in a very poor body condition. His access to available forage was limited due to the tether as the available space he could access was well grazed. He also had a very heavy lice infestation.” The Body Condition Scoring was given as 0.5 out of five.

The dead grey shetland mare was also in a “very poor body condition” and was given a Body Condition Score of 0.5 out of five. “Her spine and spinous processes were protruding, her ribs obvious to see despite her long coat and a skeletal body pelvis,” the vet said. It was also said that she had been dead for some time (days).

The male Shetland - named Groovy Bob - has improved following veterinary treatment in RSPCA care and has been rehomed.