Horse Puncher sacked from teaching job

Blondiescot

I can't believe anyone is actually attempting to defend this! I've also been around horses all my life and there is no way you could ever excuse this kind of behaviour. It is utterly indefensible. Would I want someone capable of losing their temper and treating an animal in this way in charge of my child? No I would not.

Nobody has defended what she did . It was indefensible.

It should, however, be dealt with in the courts, not on social media. That way, all the facts would be on the table, and she would have a chance to attempt a defence herself. If she couldn't (as is likely) she would suffer the legal penalty. That is what separates us from vigilante societies and those without the rule of law.

I can't believe anyone is actually attempting to defend this! I've also been around horses all my life and there is no way you could ever excuse this kind of behaviour. It is utterly indefensible. Would I want someone capable of losing their temper and treating an animal in this way in charge of my child? No I would not.

She had hold of the horses reins while she was punching it.
It had got loose, made it's way back to her, and she had hold of it.

Although I am appalled by the death threats and such that she received ( if true, and not just reported for sympathy), I think that being sacked from looking after children is appropriate, I wouldn't want her looking after my children with that temper. I also have a problem with people who hunt for fun, but that is another matter.

I think for the RSPCA to now take up the cudgels seems like a bit of a witch hunt.

The RSPCA were involved from Day 1

I don't think kicking a horse and punching it in the face is 'trying to control' it.

She wasn’t attempting to control the horse Trisher. She already had hold of the reins. She was punishing it for leaving the horsebox.

She was viscous towards that horse. The look on her face was horrible. I would want her teaching any member of my family.

There is unfortunately much cruelty in the hunting and horse racing fraternities. The way she treated the horse is indefensible and I hope she will be prosecuted. Someone who reacts in that way to an obviously difficult and stressful situation should not be working with either animals or children. It’s a very short step from cruelty to animals to cruelty to children.

I agree her behaviour was unacceptable and the woman has been punished. I think for the RSPCA to now take up the cudgels seems like a bit of a witch hunt.

I would remove my child from a school where she was allowed to teach.

Trisher you really are clutching at straws here in your defence of one of your own. Such bias and hypocrisy. I’m sure, as a self avowed leftie, you’d be going in all guns blazing if she wasn’t a teacher. Especially as she’s no doubt a Tory.

Your point about protecting the children being kicked is nonsense. Those children are out hunting and around horses all the time and run the risk of getting kicked/thrown off every time they’re around horses. I’ve spent a lot of time around horses in the past and it’s a dangerous pastime; not necessarily because of the horse but just the fact that you’re sat on top of one. Recently a two yr old died when she came off a pony at a hunt. Yes 2 yrs of age!

I don’t believe this woman was protecting children. She lost her temper and behaved appallingly. The fact that the anti hunt guys were in attendance and filming proves how angry she was. If she had been in control of herself she wouldn’t have behaved as she did in front of them.

I don’t agree with witch hunts but politicians, police officers and all sorts of people are being caught out these days with mobile phone footage so why should she be exempt. She shouldn’t have received death threats and be forced to leave her home but that’s not because of anything posted on here. We aren’t responsible for the nutters out there. We aren’t all Piers Corbyns inciting others to violence are we?

For gods sake trisher, I couldn't give a f... whether she was a team leader, the head or anything else, she was kicking and hitting a defenseless horse and deserves to be sacked.
The circumstances are such, she kicked and hit a horse in a temper, not fit to be near animals, children or anything else for that matter.
There are no excuses although I expect you will come up with some spurious reason!

Her actions towards the horse were unforgivable and unacceptable - but should she have lost her job? Not sure about that. She has been a teacher for several years, is there any record of her losing her temper with or harming a child? Perhaps an unpaid suspension and attendance on an anger management course would have been more appropriate.

Animal cruelty is never acceptable. I have no knowledge about horses, only what l have read that tells me that they are really sensitive creatures. We need to listen to GG and Zoejory who know about them in detail just what damage this awful woman can cause by her cruelty.
Yes she did deserve to be sacked as she cannot control her temper.
No she didn't deserve death threats.

On the face of it what she did was horrible, but as trisher says, we don't know the full story. I would say that she should definitely be banned from keeping horses (or possibly any animals) - that seems a proportionate response to the offence.

I'm not sure that huntspeople (is that a word?) have any business condemning animal cruelty from others.

I also really dislike trial by media, and social media in particular. It is a very worrying trend. When people do something wrong, they should be dealt with by the courts, calmly, with all the information to hand, and where appropriate a jury of their peers. Punishment should be limited to what has been decided and is on the statute.

Criminals should, IMO, be able to pay the penalty for their offence, learn the error of their ways, and get on with life, other than in very extreme circumstances. For someone to suffer death threats as well as losing their career, livelihood, and reputation is way over the top, I think. Public shaming is barbaric, and saying that is not to suggest that hitting animals isn't. We had moved on from public whipping and putting people in the socks, but in many ways we are returning to that sort of behaviour. 'Cancelling' people with whose views we don't agree, police forces using Facebook to show mugshots of criminals (not to mention the baying for blood in the comments) and attacking the families of those who have transgressed is, IMO, a retrograde step.

This is an interesting read on the subject, and things have got worse since it was written.

Good! I am so pleased to hear this. A nasty piece of work that shouldn’t be allowed near animals let alone children. I cannot abide animal cruelty.

A vile individual.

Barmeyoldbat

So Trish its ok to lose your temper and lash out, I don't think so, there are other ways of calming the horse rather than hitting and kicking it. Would you say this was ok to do to a child who was doing the same thing? Your comment is disgusting.

I haven't said she was right. I have said I don't know. And neither does anyone else. It is highly unlikely that the truth will ever be known. Why? for the simple reason that anyone who suggests that judgement by social media is unacceptable is instantly jumped on and told they would accept all sorts of things.
I don't think that a woman who hunts is someone to be admired. I don't like hunting at all. But neither do like people who equate one incidence of someone attempting to control a horse with child abuse. As I have said many times. She wasn't just a teacher she was a team leader and if she was so bad the Trust needs investigating.

It is never acceptable to hit, kick, punch, or otherwise hurt an animal.

trisher

vegansrock

She was dismissed for bringing the trust into disrepute which is a sacking offence.

And of course she is expensive. Highly qualified, experienced teachers are. NQTs are cheaper.

Why do you keep bringing money into it? Oh she's a good experienced teacher so we'll just ignore this footage of her hitting an animal who won't have the foggiest idea why it's being hit?

What's so sad is that horse was clearly bomb proof and she knew full well it wouldn't retaliate.

Here is more footage you might not have seen Trisher. That lane was not a major roadway. People and horses were milling around. The horse was no danger to anyone.

He trots over to her. He wasn't heading off anywhere. He was under control.

She wasn't.

This is not trial by media, (which I deplore by the way) this is footage of cruelty to animals

She only has herself to blame

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/09/woman-who-appeared-to-slap-and-kick-horse-ousted-from-pony-club-role

So Trish its ok to lose your temper and lash out, I don't think so, there are other ways of calming the horse rather than hitting and kicking it. Would you say this was ok to do to a child who was doing the same thing? Your comment is disgusting.

Oh good.
I do like a happy ending to a story at Christmas time.

Working in a school doesnt mean people can't be arseholes, by the way. (And she is a prize one!)

And it was a Trust

Btw one of the nastiest people I have ever known was a Primary Head. When she took over my old school, 70% of the staff left within a year. That is the God’s honest truth

This was nothing to do with controlling the horse, it was sheer temper. 70 years ago a gamekeeper taught me that hitting animals was wrong and counterproductive (using Lord Halifax and his whip as an example) She seems to have missed out on those lessons.