A rescued horse found abandoned in a field of mud with an infected face abscess is celebrating his first Christmas with new rehomers after making a full recovery.
Skewbald colt Denny was painfully thin when he arrived at the Blue Cross’s Burford centre 20 months ago.
The three-year-old colt had been seized by police using the Control of Horses Act after being found in a notorious fly-grazing area in south west England.
He was riddled with worms, had badly neglected hooves and his legs were covered in sores.
A rotten tooth had led to an infection to his sinuses and the formation of a suppurating abscess on his face.
But after dental surgery to remove the abscessed tooth the pony started to gain weight.
The pony was wormed, had his legs treated by the staff from the Blue Cross and once had gained strength was castrated.
In April this year the horse found the perfect new home with Ginny and Nick Williams in Wiltshire.
Ginny’s elderly mare had a tendon injury and could no longer be ridden.
Initially she was looking for an older horse from the Blue Cross but when she saw Denny on the website she set off to see him straight away.
“Denny had just been lightly backed when we took him on but didn’t know how to canter. By the end of the summer he was riding out alone or in company confidently,” she said.
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“He’s so comfortable with a light mouth. He is very brave and not phased by anything,” she added.
The pony travels well in the trailer and “loves to be in the middle of everything.”
Since October Denny has been resting so he can grow and will be brought back into work in March to further his training.
“When we open our curtains in the morning he is always the first to look up and come to the gate. We are so pleased we were allowed to have this very special pony in our lives and look forward to many happy years ahead. We can’t imagine life without him,” said Ginny.
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