Donation appeal for neglected pony

Thursday 29th March 2012

A horse charity is appealing for donations to help care for a pony, which it says has been the victim of the worst case of animal neglect it has ever seen.

The Horse Trust has given emergency care to an 18-month-old bay colt after he was found by the RSPCA in a field in Bedfordshire on March 21.

Quest, named by Horse Trust supporters after the unusual question mark shaped stripe on his nose, was delivered to the charity late in the evening. He was barely able to stand and crawling with lice.

Jeanette Allen, chief executive of The Horse Trust, said: "How anyone can do this to an animal beggars belief. He arrived in a worse condition than the Spindles Farm ponies which made such dramatic and widespread headlines in January 2008 when they were rescued from their own horrors of neglect.

"We are doing everything we can to save him but it is going to be an incredibly long road for this poor little chap and right now his fate still lies in the balance; no-one here has ever seen a pony so thin yet still alive and standing."

A full veterinary assessment showed that Quest is in need of serious medical treatment and special care and, due to the severity of his condition, it is still unknown at this stage if he will survive. He is chronically underweight, very weak and has several limb deformities but he is able to move slowly.

Jeanette added: "Poor quality breeding can often mean there is little incentive to provide good standards of care and subsequently these animals are often neglected or abandoned."

For more information or to donate to The Horse Trust visit http://www.horsetrust.org.uk or telephone 01494 488464.

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