RESCUE UPDATE
Ever wondered what happens to the rescued horses and ponies you read about in the news? Wonder no more…
LAST SUMMER, DANCER, a 13-yearold gelding, was abandoned in a field in Hampshire with 14 other horses. He was struggling to walk after being kicked by a stallion. Dancer was seized by police and placed into the care of the RSPCA. Closer inspection revealed he’d actually suffered a splint fracture in his leg and infection was setting in. What’s more, he’d tested positive for strangles. Dancer was moved to one of the RSPCA’s specialist boarding yards for treatment and placed under isolation. Along with treatment for strangles, vets cared for his fracture and administered antibiotics for the infection. It was a long and expensive recovery but, thanks to donations from the public and several branches of the RSPCA, Dancer is now back to full health. After his treatment, Dancer was relocated to RSPCA Lockwood for rehoming. It was here that he met Lynn Rasburn. Hailing from Hampshire, Lynn was looking for a companion for her horse, 18-year-old Rico, and when she spotted Dancer she was smitten. “I knew I had to have him as soon as I laid eyes on him,” says Lynn. “I wasn’t fazed by his former leg injury as Rico had suffered something similar. “Dancer has all the time in the world to settle in and enjoy the summer with Rico. I’ll wait and see what he wants to do. If I can ride him and he’s comfortable with that, then great. I just adore him and he’s a pleasure to be around, a true gentleman.”