Friday, 24 February 2017

Poorly horse found covered in faeces


A young, poorly foal covered in faeces has been found straying near Rugby.

The RSPCA was contacted on Saturday, February 18 by a woman who found the young colt in Millers Lane, in Monks Kirby near Rugby, after he nearly got hit by a vehicle while straying on the road.

The horse, thought to be around six months old, was underweight, lethargic, in poor body condition and had an infection on his genitals when he was rescued. He is also being treated for redworm burden, a parasite which can be fatal in horses.

RSPCA inspector Nicky Foster, who is investigating, said: “The poor horse was covered in faeces all down his rear legs and his tail was thick with it.

“He really was in a very sorry state. It is worrying that he was wandering down a road, vulnerable and near to traffic. At this stage we can’t say if he was abandoned or was straying, but either way he was in a bad state and is possibly even too young to be away from his mum.

“The foal had no form of identification and clearly hadn’t been kept very well at all. He is now recovering at our equine centre in Shropshire, where he has been called Blackjack. He will be cared for there until he’s made a full recovery.

“We are very keen to find out where he came from and how he came to be in this way.