An abandoned foal was “lucky to survive” after he was found dumped in a field.
The six-week-old skewbald colt was discovered on the outskirts of Swaffham, Norfolk on 31 July by the field owners who contacted World Horse Welfare.
A spokesman for the charity said the foal, who has one distinctive blue eye, was immediately collected and brought to a yard where he has been receiving the “care and attention he needs”.
Field officer Jacko Jackson, who collected the colt, said: “At such a young age this poor little chap should still be with his mother. It’s lucky he was found relatively quickly as had he been left for much longer, especially in the extreme heat we have had, it’s unlikely he would have survived.
“Horses are not normally weaned until six months of age but this little foal is clearly a fighter. We bottle fed him for a couple of days and he has now learnt to drink milk from a bucket and is doing very well.”
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The spokesman added the foal will remain with the charity and in time will be introduced to other youngsters at its Norfolk centre so he can learn how to socialise and behave naturally in a herd.
The charity is appealing for information and is keen to hear from anyone who has seen the foal previously or spotted anything suspicious in the area. Anyone with information can contact the charity on 0300 333 6000.
In this week’s magazine, out on Thursday 8 August, read about the British success at the LGCT London and our big hope for an Olympic ticket in showjumping. Check out Mark Todd’s exclusive comment on what eventing must do to survive and our feature ‘What Mark Todd taught me’. In this week’s Vet Clinic we look into preparing an ex-racehorse for the show ring, plus there is all our regular news analysis and reporting.
