A rescued Shire mare’s essential dental surgery has been postponed owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
Lolly arrived at Bristol-based welfare charity HorseWorld in 2017 as a two-year-old as part of a multi-agency operation to rescue 19 abandoned Shires.
A spokesman for the charity said the 17.2hh mare requires surgery on a tooth that is coming through twisted, and an appeal had been launched to raise vital funds.
“Even in the short space of time this has been happening it has created a gap that becomes packed with food, which is causing infection,” said the spokesman.
“The vet has temporarily plugged the gap with putty but the tooth needs extracting.”
The spokesman said as Lolly is “so young and big” she will have to go to a veterinary clinic to have the procedure.
“Due to her enormous size (which could cause complications with the anaesthetic) and as the tooth is young, it will have a big root so it will likely be around £3,000 for her to have this operation in the safety of the hospital,” he said.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“The public response to the appeal has raised more than a third of the target so far.”
HorseWorld yard manager Sarah Hollister said the plans for Lolly have had to change owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Lolly had been making good progress learning how to load on to our lorry ready to go to the veterinary hospital. However, with the latest government guidelines this has all had to go on hold,” she said.
“The vet will be coming out this week to re-pack the gap the wonky tooth has caused so Lolly remains comfortable until she can have her surgery.”
Sarah said in the meantime the charity is still trying to raising funds to cover the cost of the essential surgery.
“Donations towards Lolly’s operation are very gratefully accepted. Any funds we raise that aren’t spent on her surgery will go towards the care of the other rescued horses here at HorseWorld,” added the spokesman.
Would you like to read Horse & Hound¹s independent journalism without any adverts? Join Horse & Hound Plus today and you can read all articles on HorseandHound.co.uk completely ad-free
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
