“Sharny”, the Hanging Horse.

Peter Rix, 59 of Appledore in Kent was found guilty in Hastings court in February on two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a horse. He only received a five year ban and a £4,500 fine. He admitted to not visiting “Sharny” for 14 months and boasted that he had never called out a vet in 20 years!

Our Charity received an urgent call last May to a field in Westfield where the very emaciated mare was located. She was a seven year old trotting mare of 14.2hh and furthermore was still feeding a 13 month yearling that was also poor and also in urgent need of rescue as was another youngster in the same field. The RSPCA had been called out previously on numerous occasions to check on animals in these fields.

Ted \Barnes of the World Horse Welfare arranged an immediate rescue for all three however, by the time transport arrived Sharny had collapsed and was close to death. The field was not close to the road so there began a long and difficult operation including help from RSPCA officer, Steve Craddock, Adrian Collins of Senlac Vets, John Button and Vanessa Sayer. Altogether seven people managed to lift Shaney to her feet and coax her to the rescue vehicle which eventually arrived at the Centre at 8.30pm.

Sharny had battled to stay alive through the winter despite starvation, worms, and a massive lice infestation which was the worst Adrian had ever seen. No rug or shelter to protect her from prolonged wet and cold had been provided.

Now began an extraordinary battle that was to tax all our human resources as Sharny spent the next five and a half weeks suspended in a sling with 24 hour supervision. On arrival she weighed 299 kilos and eventually, when she was able to rise on her own she spent the next few weeks in a small paddock. When fit enough she was then moved to WHW's Hall Farm, Snetterton in Norfolk where in October she weighed 448 kilos.

The full story of this amazing feat of equine and human endurance is yet to be told.