Elderly mare found in ‘miserable’ conditions had to be put down as ‘kindest option’

An elderly pony found skinny and struggling to walk in “truly miserable” conditions had to be put down as “the kindest course of action”.

The RSPCA is appealing for information on the pony, who was abandoned in a “barren” field in the East Riding of Yorkshire. A member of the public raised concerns about the mare, who was on land near East Cottingwith, a village between York and Howden.

“Further checks found that the elderly pony was struggling to walk and did not have adequate shelter,” an RSPCA spokesman said. “She was in a poor body condition, with hips, ribs and spine clearly visible and she was suffering with significantly overgrown hooves, some of which were curling up towards her legs.”

Bransby Horses contacted the RSPCA and a vet was called out on 7 December.

“But the pony’s health was so poor that, sadly, the vet decided the kindest course of action was to put her to sleep,” the RSPCA spokesman said.

The pony was not chipped and the RSPCA is trying to find her owner, or “anyone who may have information on how she came to be left at this rural location in such a poor state”.

RSPCA inspector Tom Hutton, who is investigating the case, said: “It looks like this poor pony was abandoned in a remote and barren field which had previously been used by a local farmer to keep pigs, although it hasn’t been grassed for some time.

“She had nothing to graze on and no other source of food and she was sadly in a very poor condition suffering with horrendously long hooves.

“I have made enquiries locally and no-one knows how she came to be there, including the landowner. The foot gate into the field, which is quite a large piece of land, isn’t secure and it looks like it could have been pushed back by a vehicle.

“Perhaps someone might know who her owner was or has some idea of how she came to be left at this location. Someone has chosen to cruelly leave her in what were truly miserable conditions.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the RSPCA appeal line on 0300 1238018.

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