A WOMAN kept her horse in filthy conditions causing a severe infection to its hooves and leaving it abnormally weak and underweight.

Kirsty Hamilton, of Martin Street, Bury, admitted four counts of failing to meet the needs of her grey Arab mare, known as Blossom, which was kept at stables at Nook Farm in Astley.

Following a call from a concerned resident, RSPCA inspector Danni Jennings was sent to the scene.

She called a vet to examine Blossom, who rated the horse's body weight as one, on a scale of one to nine, with one being the lowest.

The vet found Blossom had a bad case of thrush in each of her hooves caused by standing in a dirty stable and had overgrown teeth.

She was taken for treatment by the RSPCA and is now in the care of the animal charity.

Inspector Danni Jennings said: “The horse was clearly in an emaciated state and had other problems which had not been dealt with such as overgrown teeth.

“The infection in her hooves was awful and was caused by her standing in faeces in a dark and damp stable block for a long period of time.”

Hamilton, 34, who was sentenced at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court last week, has been banned from keeping horses or ponies for 12 months.

In mitigation, the court was told how Hamilton had personal problems and was also pregnant.