TINA HODGE'S HORRIBLE HORSE CRUELTY IN RUSPIDGE AND BREAM REVEALED

Tina Hodge, a riding school owner from Ruspidge, has been at the center of a series of serious allegations and convictions related to the neglect and mistreatment of horses under her care. Born in December 1966, Hodge resides at 11 Cullimore View in Ruspidge, a village within the Forest of Dean district. Her involvement in horse welfare issues has garnered significant attention from animal welfare organizations and local authorities alike.

In 2014, Hodge was convicted of failing to meet the basic welfare needs of two horses, a case that highlighted her neglectful practices. She owned Forest Trekking, a riding establishment situated at Court Farm on Coleford Road in Bream, Lydney. Following her conviction, she was ordered to pay fines exceeding £1,400 in total, covering both fines and legal costs. Despite her conviction for cruelty, she was not legally barred from owning animals, allowing her to continue her activities in the horse riding business.

The charges against her included neglecting a dark bay horse named Star, who was found with an untreated rug sore, and a piebald pony called Lucky, who was suffering from severely overgrown hooves and had been confined to his stable for approximately seven months without proper care. The RSPCA intervened in March 2013 after inspector Pippa Hodge discovered Star with a neglected injury that required veterinary attention. The situation with Lucky was uncovered three months later, in June 2013, when inspector Suzi Smith found the pony with his feet curled into what was described as “Aladdin’s slippers,” a clear sign of neglect due to overgrown hooves. Lucky had not been exercised and had been kept in his stable for an extended period, with no hoof care provided.

Despite previous advice from the RSPCA and the World Horse Welfare organization on proper horse care, Hodge failed to take appropriate action. Inspector Suzi Smith expressed her satisfaction that the case had been resolved, emphasizing that there is no justification for neglecting basic horse welfare needs, including veterinary care and farriery. She stated, “The defendant said that Lucky was difficult to catch and that’s why his hooves were in such an awful state, but we managed to catch and load him onto transport, as well as trim his hooves, quite easily. There can be no excuse for someone who keeps horses not to provide them with the most basic care to meet their needs and that includes ensuring they receive veterinary care and farriery when they need it. If they can’t cope with this they need to seek help.”

World Horse Welfare’s field officer, Phil Jones, commented on the broader issue, noting that cases like Hodge’s are unfortunately common. He explained that many owners struggle to care for their horses properly due to overpopulation or lack of resources, which often leads to welfare problems. He advised owners feeling overwhelmed to seek early assistance to prevent such issues from escalating. Both Lucky and Star were eventually rehomed after their recovery, highlighting the possibility of rehabilitation for neglected animals.

In the aftermath of her conviction, the Forest of Dean District Council refused to renew Hodge’s riding establishment license. The decision was made after council officials visited her premises at Court Farm and observed the conditions firsthand. Hodge’s attempt to reapply for a license to offer riding services was met with strong opposition from the community and animal rights activists. A campaign against her licensing application quickly gained momentum, including online petitions and printed handbills circulated around the Forest. The handbill accused her of “horse neglect” and urged the public to oppose her continued operation, claiming she still owned 35 poorly maintained horses.

Despite the opposition, Hodge’s reapplication was considered, but the licensing committee received multiple emails and letters urging them not to renew her license. Animal rights groups, such as Forest of Dean Animal Rights, publicly supported the decision, stating, “We applaud the decision of the Forest of Dean District Council to deny convicted animal abuser Tina Hodge a licence to run her trekking business. Her continued trading was another stain on the Forest of Dean, that she will be no longer allowed to trade is a step in the right direction.”

However, by November 2021, reports emerged suggesting that the ban was later overturned, and Hodge’s Forest Trekking business continued to operate. Allegations surfaced that she continued to neglect her horses, with reports of animals standing knee-deep in mud and a dead yearling being found on her premises. Critics accused the local authorities of turning a blind eye to ongoing cruelty, raising concerns about the welfare of the horses under her care.

Further legal issues arose in May 2022, when Tina Hodge was ordered to pay nearly £4,000 in court costs after admitting to endangering nine horses by improperly unwrapping hay bales, which posed a risk of plastic ingestion. She pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on May 11, 2022, to failing to ensure the horses’ needs were met on land opposite Court Farm, Bream, on March 5, 2021. The court ordered her to pay £3,900 in prosecution costs, a £22 victim surcharge, and imposed a three-year conditional discharge. The charge was brought under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, specifically citing her failure to remove plastic wrapping and netting from hay bales, which caused the horses to rip and swallow small pieces of plastic, risking their health.

Hodge denied two other similar charges, which were dismissed after the prosecution chose not to proceed. These included allegations of failing to muck out the stables, resulting in four horses standing in excessive faecal waste, and neglecting the needs of three horses by not providing clean bedding or access to water. The magistrates noted that her credit for pleading guilty was reduced due to the lateness of her plea, but her admission to one charge was accepted as a sign of remorse.

Overall, the ongoing issues surrounding Tina Hodge’s care for her horses continue to draw criticism from animal welfare advocates and the local community, highlighting the persistent challenges in enforcing animal welfare laws and ensuring proper care for animals in private ownership.