NewsUK NewsRSPCAGeoffrey Williams said he had used the method to "break in ponies" but had also accepted that training styles had moved on and that he had not repeated the behaviour13:36, 19 May 2026Pony tied up with rope and dragged behind moving vehicleA man who tied up a pony and dragged it behind a moving vehicle said he used the method for years to "break in ponies."‌Geoffrey Williams, of Aberbran, Brecon, pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act after he failed to meet the needs of a pony that suffered from pain, suffering and injury though an "unacceptable and inappropriate method" of handling. Distressing footage showed the moment the black and white pony was dragged behind a vehicle as it moved down a slopped field on April 2 last year.‌In mitigation, Williams said it was a method he used to "break in ponies" but he accepted training methods had moved on and said he had not repeated the behaviour. He was sentenced on Wednesday, May 6, and was ordered to pay a £1,000 fine as well as £400 in costs and a £400 victim surcharge.‌READ MORE: What to do if your neighbour's dog never stops barking - legal rights explainedREAD MORE: Ants 'can't stand the smell of' 66p spice when sprinkled over lawnMerthyr Magistrates' Court heard RSPCA staff had obtained three video clips that showed the pony being abused. Animal rescue officer Rohan Barker, who previously visited Williams and showed him the clip, said: "He [Williams] confirmed that it was him in the video and explained that the method he was using was a method he had used for years to break in ponies."‌A vet from another charity said said the clips showed a black-coloured young cob pony attached by a headcollar via a length of rope, to the back of a quad or gator-type vehicle that moved down a sloped field. He explained the pony and the vehicle moving from left to right in each of the three videos and showed three different times it was carried out, reports WalesOnline.The vet said the pony was likely left with a physical legacy of harm and a lifelong fear of handling. Their written statement read: "Everything exhibited in the videos indicates that the driver of the quad vehicle exposed the pony to a series of harmful physical and mental experiences that caused distress, fear and risk of physical injury and lasting harm.Article continues below"Fearful learning experiences are generally not erasable and therefore the pony has in all probability been left with not only a likely physical legacy of harm from the experiences seen in the videos; but also a lifelong fear of handling that could be triggered by exposure to any number of stimuli (like another similar vehicle) in the presence of an unsuspecting future owner / trainer."Following the setencing, RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben said: "The RSPCA believes that all animals should be trained using kind, ethical and science based methods by appropriately qualified and regulated professionals. Equines need calm, consistent and sympathetic handling by competent people. A consistent gentle approach should be used, and training should be based on a reward-focused system."Documents presented at court did not state whether the pony had been seized or rehomed.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌RSPCA