A TEACHER who lost her job after she was filmed striking a horse has been cleared of animal cruelty.

The criminal charges Sarah Moulds (39) faced came after the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) brought a private prosecution against her when footage of her disciplining the animal after a hunt in Lincolnshire, England, went viral in 2021.

Moulds and her supporters wept as she was cleared of two charges at Lincoln Crown Court last Friday.

Speaking outside the court, Mrs Moulds said the verdict was “a testament to the importance of due process” and showed “there are two sides to every story”.

She also criticised the RSPCA, saying it had been “pressured” to act by “online bullies and ill-informed high-profile individuals.”

The RSPCA said it respected the jury’s decision but denied it had been pressured.

Moulds said: “The jury’s decision today has vindicated me, however, the damage from the last 20 months’ trial by social media is irreversible.”

The viral video was shared by the Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs campaign group, which claimed it was evidence of ‘violence running through the veins’ of hunting enthusiasts, however Moulds maintained she was merely chastising the horse for misbehaving while being led by a child.

“A snippet of video was taken out of context, and manipulated to paint a picture of me that is entirely at odds with who I am,” she said.