School Teacher Fired in England Over Footage Showing Her Kicking Horse

A 37-year-old primary school teacher has been fired after she was identified as the individual who kicked and slapped a horse in Leicestershire, England, local media reported. Sarah Moulds, who was a senior leader and class three team teacher at her local Somerby School was sacked by Mowbray Education Trust following a six-week investigation.

"As a Trust we are committed to ensuring the best standard of education for all of our young people and we look forward to continuing this throughout the 2021/22 academic year and beyond", the organisation said in a statement.

The woman also held a voluntary position at the Pony Club, which claims to be the "largest association of young riders in the world" with 30,000 members in the UK alone. The organisation has condemned her actions and also axed her.

"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 organisation said in a statement.

A neighbour of Sarah Moulds told the Mail on Sunday that the woman was forced to move to another location after she received vast amounts of "vile" abuse on social media as well as death threats.

"I don't know what happened and in what context but what is now happening to Sarah is horrible. She's terrified of being in her own home in case someone targets her or her kids there. It's awful and has got very much out of hand. She fears for her life", the neighbour said.

Mrs Moulds’ uncle David Kirkham described the woman as "a very upright person, a fantastic person who absolutely loves her horses". He argued that the incident captured on the video has nothing to do with animal cruelty and claimed that his niece was berating the animal.

"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", he said.

However, experts seem to disagree. Zoologist Megan McCubbin described Sarah Moulds’ actions as "disgusting behaviour". The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals described the video as "really upsetting" and said it will launch an investigation into the incident.