In April Bobby was discovered by RSPCA Inspector Wilkins in a field in Slough, opposite Wexham Park Hospital. In this field was a dead pony, Bobby and another mother and foal. The two ponies were both bay yearlings and it was clear that the dead one had been dead for at least a couple of days. It was a miracle the Bobby was alive at all, and he barely had any energy. After helping him in the lorry and getting him back to the yard he was so weak that the vet didn’t think he would make the night.
His red blood cell count was just 15% (it should be 45%). He was given plenty to eat and drink and a comfortable bed for the night. It was a miracle to see him alive the next morning and he was given plenty of TLC that day. It was so sad when on that night he laid down and couldn’t get back up again. He was hand fed and turned regularly but after a few days we really felt he had given up and was not going to survive the day.
In one last bid to get him up we left the stable door pen so he could see the lush green grass in the paddock. This was just the motivation he needed and this poor pony crawled out of his stable onto the grass to feed. He stayed out there during the day grazing on the grass and at night had to be pulled into his stable on rugs. After 3 days we finally managed to get him standing, with plenty of man power, and he managed to stand for the day. At night he would lay down and in the morning he could not stand. This went on for a whole week, with all hands on deck to get him up and standing each morning. At the end of the week we were all so pleased when he stood for himself. He is now doing really, really well, although he is still very thin. He can even be seen running around the field, bucking and playing with thank to the dedicated care of the RSPCA staff and volunteers.
No owner has come forward to claim responsibly for these two emaciated ponies or the mother and foal, and Bobby alone has cost the Society £2,000 to date. He will cost the Branch a minimum of £1,000 a month. The mother and foal are also in the care of the Branch and we urgently need your help in raising the funds to look after these animals until they are fit and well enough to be re-homed after a number of months.
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