ruscara
Well-Known Member
Seeing him gallop across a field, it's hard to believe that only four months ago Charlie would have been in too much pain to do this.
The six-year-old Shetland pony's hooves were so overgrown they were curling up, causing him to rock back and putting pressure on his lower limbs.
Sparky had become so neglected his outgrown hooves were curling up into his leg
The owner who neglected him so badly has since been banned from keeping horses.
Now, thanks to constant care at an RSPCA centre in Norfolk, Charlie has made an astonishing recovery.
Pony express: Charlie enjoys his new-found freedom
Farrier John Blake said: "His was one of the worst cases I have seen for a very, very long time. I actually had to use a wood saw to trim the front of his hooves."
At one point Mr Blake even gave Charlie a form of artificial hoof to give him something stable to stand on.
His recovery has gone so well that he is to start a new life at a stables in Newmarket, where he will be the yard mascot.
The six-year-old Shetland pony's hooves were so overgrown they were curling up, causing him to rock back and putting pressure on his lower limbs.
Sparky had become so neglected his outgrown hooves were curling up into his leg
The owner who neglected him so badly has since been banned from keeping horses.
Now, thanks to constant care at an RSPCA centre in Norfolk, Charlie has made an astonishing recovery.
Pony express: Charlie enjoys his new-found freedom
Farrier John Blake said: "His was one of the worst cases I have seen for a very, very long time. I actually had to use a wood saw to trim the front of his hooves."
At one point Mr Blake even gave Charlie a form of artificial hoof to give him something stable to stand on.
His recovery has gone so well that he is to start a new life at a stables in Newmarket, where he will be the yard mascot.
