A primary school teacher in the UK has been fired after being caught on now-viral video kicking and slapping a horse (footage can be found below).
Sarah Moulds, who was condemned by the RSPCA | Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals | for alleged animal cruelty after shocking footage of her emerged, has now lost her job at Somerby School after she was suspended last month.
The teacher and mother-of-two from Somerby, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, learned her fate this week following a six-week investigation by education chiefs.
Mowbray Education Trust Chief Operating Officer Paul Maddox said in a statement : ‘I can confirm that Sarah Moulds’ employment with the Trust has been terminated.
Sarah Moulds also was booted from a volunteer leadership position at the Pony Club, which organizes horse rides for kids, the Guardian reported.
“The welfare of horses and ponies is of the utmost importance to the Pony Club, therefore the lady in question has been removed from her voluntary position as a team organiser for a branch,” the club said.
The Hunting Office said it “expects the highest level of animal welfare at all times — both on and off the hunting field — and condemns the actions taken by this individual, who is not a member of the hunting associations,” according to the news outlet.
Meanwhile, supporters of the primary school teacher who was filmed kicking and slapping a horse have said she should not have been sacked from her job.
Taking to social media one person wrote: ‘I don’t condone the kick or the slaps, but the horse ran into the road beforehand and none of us watching the video (filmed by a group that has a motive to present things in the word possible light) knows the full story.
‘To lose her job on the basis of that? I hope she doesn’t read the spiteful comments here. Humans suffer too.’
While another added: ‘Is it right that a woman who may be a very good teacher is sacked for behaving badly with an ill-tempered horse? This is yet another social media witch hunt.’
Meanwhile another person said: ‘A farmer told me I don’t understand country ways and foxes need to be controlled as they kill for fun. Probably. But I don’t like the class divide of ritualistic blood sports.
‘However, I do think that it is an overreaction regarding Sarah Moulds. A witch hunt unrelated to teaching.’
Her uncle David Kirkham from Bonsall, Derbyshire, insisted: ‘She is a very upright person, a fantastic person who absolutely loves her horses.
‘I’ve seen the video but we don’t know what the horse had been doing and if it was out of control. But we know it ran out onto the road and she told it off.
‘She was reprimanding the horse. There was no malice intended. She is very well thought of and respected.’
Footage can be found below:
