A WOMAN who found a horse left to die trapped in a muddy field has slammed its owners for neglect and said they should be punished. 

Laura Abbot, 25, of Caerleon, was walking with a friend through fields near Caerleon on Friday, when she found the struggling animal.

Ms Abbot called the RSPCA, but they were unable to save the horse after arriving at the scene. South Wales Fire Service confirmed they were also called, but were stood down after it became clear they couldn’t assist either.

Ms Abbot said: “The horse was looking at us and making a soft crying sound. 

“There were builders next to the field who said some people had already been to see the horse that morning. They told us the horse had been standing up at that point, and three people had tried to free it from the mud.

“We called the RSPCA anyway because we didn’t know how long it would be before they came back or how long the horse had been stuck.

“But almost as soon as they arrived the horse’s breathing changed. 

"They made an assessment and said they were going to have to euthanise it. 

"A vet was called and they tried to make the horse comfortable. But as they were explaining what was going to happen the horse died.

“The RSPCA said they were going to have to track down the owners because they didn’t have the power to take the body away. I just feel so angry that someone left the horse like that.

"I hope they find the owners and at least fine them if not give them some kind of sentence. 

"If this was done to a person, they would be thrown in jail. 

"If it had been looked after properly it could have had a nice, long life.”

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: “RSPCA Cymru is very saddened that a horse has died in the Caerleon area. An RSPCA inspector attended the location and requested a vet’s assistance, however, sadly the horse died before the vet arrived. 

“The horse had become very unwell after getting stuck in mud. A fire and rescue crew attended and sadly the horse’s condition was so serious that any attempts of rescue from the mud would have caused the animal extreme distress.

“We would like to reassure people we will always look seriously into people’s animal welfare concerns and, if necessary, investigate complaints made to us about animal welfare.”