A primary school teacher who was sacked after she was filmed appearing to punch and kick a horse has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty by the RSPCA.

Sarah Moulds, 37, was exposed by the Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs, a local anti-hunting group, with footage of a woman repeatedly slapping a horse when it ran into the road.

Although the incident happened outside of the county, the Hertfordshire-based group helped bring the video to light as it went viral over social media.

Since then, she was fired from her post at the Mowbray Education Trust in Leicestershire and the RSPCA has confirmed a prosecution case has been brought against the former teacher – and she is due to appear in Boston Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

In a statement issued this week, a spokesperson from the organisation said Ms Moulds has been accused of two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 against a grey pony named Bruce.

The RSPCA will allege the 37-year-old woman caused “unnecessary suffering” to Bruce by “kicking and hitting” him, and for not taking reasonable steps to “protect the animal from pain, suffering, injury or disease”.

Both of the alleged offences against the grey pony occurred on November 6, 2021, in the vicinity of ‘The Drift’ Gunby, Lincolnshire. At the time Ms Moulds had been participating in The Cottesmore Hunt – one of Britain’s oldest foxhound packs.

Ms Moulds was also removed from a voluntary position at her local branch at the pony club, while the Cottesmore Hunt said a “thorough internal investigation” had meant a “follower will not participate in trail hunting” with them.