A foal found too weak to stand is spending his first Christmas with new foster family after making a full recovery.
A woman out feeding her horses called the RSPCA after she found the emaciated youngster in a field in Ashford, Kent on 4 December 2015.
Little Jingles, as he’s been named, was taken to a local rescue centre and then moved to the RSPCA’s centre in the Midlands for treatment.
The pony was starving and riddled with lice.
He has now made a full recovery and is living with new fosterer Julie Kirkbright in Romsley, Birmingham.
“We took him on in August with another pony, Bruno, who was rescued from a canal,” she said. “It’s lovely having them.”
The ponies, both 13hh, are living with the family’s two horses, Cal and Spice.
“It’s fun having the ponies around, we are learning a lot,” said Mrs Kirkbright, who looks after them with her 19-year-old daughter Maya and her sister.
The family are going to foster the ponies until they are ready for bringing on and can go to forever homes.
“Jingles is the one we would worry about,” admits Mrs Kirkbright. “He is quiet and introverted, he just wants a happy life. I know I will worry about him when he goes.”
The RSPCA is asking anyone who could consider giving Jingles a home for life to contact the equine rehoming team on 0300 123 8877.
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This year the charity has “been inundated with calls about horses” and is expecting more over the winter months as the weather worsens.
Overbreeding and the recession are blamed for the ongoing horse crisis, which is affecting all rescue centres.
The falling prices for horses is another cause for concern.
Most rescue centres are full to capacity and need more rehomers to be able to take on new cases.
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