Abandoned filly faces ‘permanent damage’

A ‘severely neglected’ pony may be lame for life after being left abandoned near a housing estate in Essex.

Weeping wound

The 13hh piebald cob was seized by Redwings Horse Sanctuary under the Control of Horses Act (England) after the charity received a phone call from a concerned resident.

Senior field officer Jo Franklin attended the scene with a vet from nearby House and Jackson Equine Clinic.

“We were met with a very sick filly on arriving at the site,” said Jo. “She had been abandoned on a green opposite a housing estate and was extremely thin with a body condition score of 0.5 [normal BCS is 3]. Her back legs were also covered in diarrhoea and she had a weeping wound on her right hind leg.”

Permanent damage

Once the police arrived the three-year-old was removed from the residential area and taken to the vet’s practice for emergency treatment. However, there are concerns she may be at of risk infection or permanent damage due to the wound on her leg.

Now named Liquorice, Redwings chief executive Lynn Cutress hopes the filly will eventually be well enough to live at their Redwings Ada Cole rescue centre in Essex.

‘Irresponsible owners’

“We are really saddened by Liquorice’s neglect and abandonment – in fact, this is one of the worst cases we’ve seen this year,” said Lynn.

“Liquorice’s case further emphasises our battle in the current horse crisis as again we have been called upon to pick up the pieces irresponsible horse owners leave behind. We are continuing in our fight, but we cannot do this alone.”

Following the charity’s campaign to bring in the Control of Horses Act for England and Wales, it is now focusing its attention on ensuring greater enforcement of equine identification regulations and the reinstatement of an equine database.