‘Sparkling futures’ for ponies rescued from industrial estate and edge of major road
Two youngsters rescued within days of each other are facing “sparkling futures”after they were found weak and unwell.
Diamond and Quartz were rescued in February after concerned members of the public called World Horse Welfare.
Field officer Sarah Tucker arrived at an industrial estate in east Middlesbrough, where she found a colt (now named Diamond) tied tightly to railings. He was extremely weak and underweight.
“Diamond was clearly only a matter of months old, far too young to be without his mother and suffering badly from poor nutrition,” she said.
“His bones were sticking out through his thick, fluffy coat and his demeanour was dull and lethargic. He was clearly in urgent need of veterinary attention and as we couldn’t locate an owner, we worked with the RSPCA to post an abandonment notice before transporting him to a safe location nearby.”
Once the pony was well enough, he moved from the safe location where he was temporarily staying to World Horse Welfare’s Penny Farm near Blackpool.
“No owner has come forward so he is now in World Horse Welfare’s ownership and is thriving at the farm, living the life a young pony deserves,” she added.
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Days later, Ms Tucker was called to another pony who had been found loose in a poorly fenced field close to the A1 near Pontefract.
“Quartz was clearly very unwell, scouring badly and appeared to be suffering from worms but he was also unhandled and very nervous so I couldn’t get close enough to properly assess his condition,” she said.
“I was also worried about him becoming frightened and getting onto the A1 so I contacted fellow equine charity Bransby Horses, who attended with their penning system to help us safely contain and catch him.
“Once he was in the safety of temporary boarding stables, he was assessed by a vet who found him suffering, with a dangerously high temperature and a severe worm infestation.”
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She added he is now doing “really well and growing healthier every day” at Penny Farm.
“As with Diamond, no owner could be found so he is now in the care of World Horse Welfare,” she said.
“The plights of these two young ponies within a matter of days of each other, shows the scale of the welfare challenges facing our equine population and highlights the importance of people keeping alert for horses in need of our help.
“As a team of 16 field officers covering huge geographical areas, we rely on the public to be our eyes and ears.
“Reporting welfare concerns is essential in helping ensure we can reach as many horses as possible and in this instance it is thanks to two callers that both Diamond and Quartz are now safe, well and ready to have sparkling futures.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.