A pony who came close to death on more than one occasion has found a new home just in time for Christmas.
Little Bert, a blue and white Fallabella Shetland stallion, was very thin and had a wound with maggots growing inside it, when he was discovered by Bransby Horses in the summer of 2022.
He was suffering from a serious infection called Strangles and had terrible, maggot infested wounds which needed immediate attention.
Despite an appeal by the RSPCA to find who was responsible for Bert, no one came forward and so his only chance of survival lay in the hands of our expert teams.
It took over a year of intensive care and veterinary treatment to get young Bert back to health.
Due to the nature of Bert’s illnesses, his lifelong needs were complex, making the possibility of finding him a long-term foster home extra challenging.
But it turned out miracles do happen and following a short appeal, little Bert was able to be placed in a foster home where he would be with other equines and showered with love and affection from his ‘Perfect Partner’ who understands his needs.
Welfare manager Rachel Jenkinson said: “We all kept everything crossed that little Bert would find a foster home, as he needs quite a lot of specialist care. He has been rehomed with an owner who works for the RSPCA and understands the complexities involved in his daily routine, which is just fantastic. I have it on good authority he has settled in very well and has everyone wrapped around his little hooves.
“Bert was unusual in that his microchip details had not been kept up to date so we were unable to trace his most recent owners or anyone willing to take care of him and provide the medical treatment he needed.”
Owners struggling to meet the basic needs of their equines should not be afraid to call our welfare phone line, where our experts will be able to offer advice and suggestions to help ensure the animal’s needs are met.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 requires any horse, pony, donkey or mule for which a person is responsible (whether on a permanent or a temporary basis) has a suitable environment to live in, has a healthy diet, is able to behave normally and is free from pain or injury.
What the law says about horse ownership
Since 2020 it has been a legal requirement for all equine owners to make sure their horses are microchipped and the details of ownership are up to date.
Microchips are important as they allow owners to be traced through the Central Equine Database- check www.equineregister.co.uk.
If you have a horse make sure your details are up to date with the Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO) and the microchip is properly registered with them. This will help lost or stolen horses to be reunited with their owners.
