Animal protection officials are hoping to prosecute the owners of a horse that was found yesterday to be almost 400 pounds underweight.

And the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals chairman Andrew Madeiros called for tougher legislation on crimes involving animals.

He pledged that the society would become "more pro-active'' in protecting animal rights.

An examination of the horse, a four-year-old Racing Pony mare, revealed that it was suffering from severe emaciation.

SPCA inspector Charles Whited and a private veterinarian visited the horse at an undisclosed location in Warwick when they were alerted of its condition by an anonymous caller.

Dr. Madeiros later confirmed the vet's diagnosis that the horse was 400 pounds underweight -- about half its normal bodyweight.

Blood tests revealed the horse did not suffer from any chronic illness -- indicating its condition as a result of malnourishment.

Dr. Madeiros said the SPCA would be seeking to press charges against whoever was responsible for the neglect.

He said: "We would like to see someone take responsibility for the condition this horse is in.'' The private vet, who asked not to be named, said the horse was being housed in a garage and was severely undernourished.

"It is my opinion that this animal has undergone unnecessary suffering as a result of inadequate nutrition and care,'' he said.

According to Dr. Madeiros, only a fraction of the cases involving maltreatment of animals are ever dealt with satisfactorily in the legal arena and the accountable parties are rarely punished.

He said: "Usually in this sort of matter the guilty persons would face a fine. However, the amount of red tape involved and the lack of strong legislation controlling the keeping of horses means that people are often never made to pay.'' In order to counteract this, Dr. Madeiros said the SPCA was going to become "more pro-active''. He added that, right now, the society was the only organisation that really stood up for animal rights.

"People need to realise that owning a horse is a very responsible thing,'' he said. "It's not like owning a car. Horses have tight regimes that need to be adhered to. Any changes can severely affect them.'' Dr. Madeiros said the horse in this case was being inadequately cared for by friends of the owners who had given the horse to them.

"The animal is now being cared for at a private stables and everything is going to be done to bring it back to proper health,'' he said.