The owner of a Yorkshire stud farm who was one of the few remaining breeders of Cleveland Bays – a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth – has been banned from keeping equines.

Jane Elizabeth Moore was given a suspended prison sentence by Hull Magistrates Court, which heard she had neglected 36 horses living at Jemoon Stud Farm in Market Weighton, East Riding.

The RSPCA prosecuted the 66-year-old and were successfully granted an order to take 30 equines into their care.

When inspectors visited her yard in early 2023, they found a number of animals in distress, including a stallion called Puzzle Pic n Mix, who had dental issues and a diseased penis. A male Cleveland Bay called Earlswood Traveller had lameness and a lice infestation, and another stallion called Spadge was also lame, had a sinus cyst and ‘obvious ill health’.

Cleveland Bay horses (stock image) - the breed was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth, who was a registered breeder

A bay mare, Henby, had ulcerated cheeks, and five other horses called Hedi, Whizz, Robbie and Nellie were in poor condition and also lame.

Bay mare Cassie was a victim of ‘poor husbandry’, piebald mare Pollyanna was infested with mites, and Basil, JDJ5 and Sammy also had inadequate dental care. Bay gelding Archie and a chestnut mare had not been given pain relief of proper hoof care, and a piebald mare called Lucky had an infected sheath that had not been treated.

Moore was charged under the Animal Welfare Act and pleaded guilty to 10 counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, as well as neglecting her duty to ensure the welfare of 36 equines in her care. They did not have adequate nutrition, a suitable environment, farrier attention, veterinary and dental treatment, and preventative treatment for lice and mites.

Moore was given a 26-week prison sentence suspended for 24 months because of the serious nature of her offending, which resulted in several of the horses having to be put to sleep. She was ordered to pay the RSPCA’s costs of £14,000.

She was disqualified from keeping horses, ponies and donkeys for 10 years.

Jemoon Stud’s Facebook page, last updated in June, advertises that the farm ‘breeds quality show/competition horses including pure/part bred Cleveland Bays. Currently standing five stallions, producing for the future.”

Moore was listed as one of around 30 registered breeders of pure Cleveland Bays by the Cleveland Bay Society in 2022 – one of whom was the late Queen. It is Elizabeth II who is credited with saving the breed in the UK, as in 1962 she purchased one of the four purebred stallions remaining in the country to prevent it being sold to an American buyer. Within 15 years there were 36 males for stud.

Owner of Yorkshire stud farm who bred late Queen's favourite breed banned from keeping horses after neglecting 36 of them