Lifetime ban for Bolton horse owner who failed to care for six mares

The RSPCA prosecuted Joseph Hamer, 60, of Eagley Road, Bromley Cross, after he admitted to nine charges of neglecting the horses at his Rochdale farm.

This included not providing adequate food, medical attention, or satisfactory living conditions for the animals.

Four of these offences were related to causing unnecessary suffering to the mares under his care.

On November 7, he received an 18-week jail term, reduced from 26 weeks due to an early guilty plea, suspended for 12 months, at Wigan Magistrates Court.

Hamer now faces an indefinite ban on owning equines and will take 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

The investigation by RSPCA inspectors Ryan King and Beth Fazackerley began on January 20, 2025 after receiving reports of animal welfare concerns.

Inspector Fazackerley visited Hamer’s Lumb Farm in Rochdale.

She described the scene she found there in her witness statement to the court: “From my brief examination, I was concerned that at least three of the horses appeared underweight and looked to be in general poor condition.

“One in particular looked very dull and didn’t seem to react to people entering the field, they just stood facing away from the lane with her head down.”

An equine vet was summoned to assess the horses.

The vet’s statement, also presented to the court, revealed the severity of the situation.

They said: “Overall, all six horses within this case were underweight and ranged from moderate to very poor body condition.

“The environment was unsuitable with lack of adequate shelter and lack of grazing present.

“If the horses had continued to be kept in this way, three of the six would almost certainly have died due to malnutrition and poor body condition.”

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The vet also noted that two of the six horses were pregnant, meaning they required extra nutrition, which had not been provided.

With permission from Greater Manchester Police, the RSPCA moved the horses to boarding stables for proper care.

While five of the six horses had made a good recovery by the time the case concluded, one horse, Raj, was put to sleep to prevent further suffering.

The RSPCA will now take ownership of the horses and ensure they find new homes.

After the court case, RSPCA Inspector King said: “This was a very sad case to investigate, and it was difficult to see these beautiful horses were living in poor conditions, in particular those that were in foal.

“Hamer failed to meet the needs of the horses in a number of ways, from failing to provide a suitable environment, hoof care, veterinary care, dental care, as well as failing to address weight loss and lameness within the small herd.

“It’s really sad that Raj couldn’t be saved, but I’m delighted that the remaining horses have a second chance at life now, which highlights the importance of this whole investigation.”