A plucky pony that was given just a 10pc chance of survival following his rescue from the Bodmin Moor a year ago is now enjoying a happy and healthy life at Redwings Horse Sanctuary.
Arthur was one of seven ponies removed from Bodmin Moor in June 2016 that were found in an emaciated state and suffering from severe worm burdens.
Last spring, native ponies on certain areas of the Moor had found life extremely challenging due to relentless poor weather that affected their grazing. This, coupled with overstocking of the Moor as a result of indiscriminate breeding and some owners seeing the land as a dumping ground for unwanted ponies, had simply led to too many horses trying to live off the land.
Without help, Arthur and his six companions - Dozmary, Blisland, Helland, Long Tom, Newell and Temple after points of interest on the Moor – would not have survived.
Not long after arriving at the Sanctuary, Arthur – who was thought to be between six and eight months old at the time – took a sudden downturn and was rushed to the Redwings Horse Hospital. He was given antibiotics and received blood and plasma transfusions to boost his immune system but he was so weak he had to be manually lifted day and night by dedicated members of the vet team who stayed by his side 24/7.
Despite being given just a 10pc chance of survival, Arthur fought back to health and miraculously was strong enough to rejoin his friends just six weeks later. Although, the group has recovered from the hardships, they still have a long way to go in trusting human contact.
Welfare Veterinary Surgeon, Nicola Berryman, who led Arthur's care, said: 'I called Arthur my 'miracle pony' because there were a couple of times when I thought we were going to lose him, but despite being incredibly ill he had this feistiness about him which made me think he could pull through.
'Looking at him and his friends now, you wouldn't think they were the same of group of ponies we rescued back in June last year. And although their training is ongoing, they've come such a long way.'
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