AN ANIMAL charity is appealing for help to cover the veterinary costs for an abandoned horse who was found with a fractured leg after protecting a foal from being attacked by a stallion The RSPCA is making the appeal after the 12-year-old gelding, nicknamed Dancer, was found in North Hampshire in a herd of around 14 other horses on 12 July, one of which, a stallion, was galloping across the field, frightening the mares and foals.

Poor Dancer had attempted to intervene to protect a mare and foal, but in doing so, he suffered a kick to one of his back legs Police were called and a vet said Dancer was suffering, so placed him into the care of the RSPCA so he could be treated urgently.

Dancer has been receiving treatment for his injuries for the past few weeks at a specialist boarding yard where.

RSPCA inspector Nicola Denham who was first on the scene to find Dancer said: “We have still been unable to trace Dancer’s owners, but in the meantime we have been caring for this beautiful boy. An x-ray showed that poor Dancer suffered a splint fracture in his leg and infection was already setting in, so we had to call in urgent vet treatment to give him the best chance of survival.

“If that wasn’t bad enough, he also tested positive for strangles, a serious bacterial infection that is extremely contagious between horses and must be treated with extreme caution, so he was quarantined and received specialist ‘flushing’ treatment from the vet to tackle the virus.”

Dancer’s treatment has been paid for by RSPCA Hants and Surrey Border branch with generous donations from the RSPCA Alton, Haslemere and Petersfield branch, however RSPCA Hants and Surrey Border branch are appealing for donations to help fund the rest of the gelding’s treatment.

Inspector Denham added: “Dancer is such a lovely horse with a great future ahead of him, but we really need the support of the public to help continue to fund his treatment. We have already incurred costs of nearly £6,000 for treatment on Dancer’s fractured leg, antibiotic treatment for his infection and specialist treatment for the strangles virus with visits from the vet every other day - and as a charity, our branches are really struggling to keep up with the ongoing costs to get him fully back to health.

"We are appealing to horse lovers who might be able to spare some funds to help us get Dancer over this big hurdle so he can be found a new home. We would be so grateful for any contribution people can spare.

“Sadly, situations like this with large groups of horses including stallions which are carelessly left to breed is a recipe for disaster. As inspectors, we see this sort of situation far too often, and owners should never leave stallions in a herd like this. Thankfully we managed to trace an owner of the stallion and strongly advised them to remove him from the field due to the risk he posed to the other horses, and I’m pleased to say they followed our advice. I have also been to check on the mare and foal several times since and they are doing well.”

Those wishing to donate towards Dancer’s treatment can do so via mydonate.bt.com/donation/start.html?charity=68649.

The RSPCA declined to disclose the exact location of where Dancer was found.