A country NSW trainer has received a six-month suspension after being found guilty of multiple horse welfare breaches. Gundagai-based trainer Michelle Teale faced a Racing NSW inquiry this week, where she pleaded not guilty to three of the four charges laid against her.
Racing NSW officials conducted inspections of Teale’s stables on July 7 and again the following day, when they assessed the condition of a paddock used to house racehorses. On both occasions, officials determined that the facilities failed to meet the regulator’s minimum equine welfare standards.
Following the inspections, Teale’s licence to train was suspended on July 17. Investigators reported that the paddock housing racehorses Cab Pierro and Rockin’ Shamus was littered with general and stable waste, including wooden pallets, discarded furniture, tin sheets, plain and barbed wire, rubbish, barbeque equipment, and various debris.
Teale admitted guilt to one charge, which requires any registered owner, trainer, or responsible party to ensure horses in their care receive adequate nutrition and water. She was also found guilty of three further welfare-related offences, resulting in the six-month suspension being imposed.
