An elderly mare, which had recently given birth to a foal and was then abandoned in Ross was well-cared for during the last few days of her life.

Ross Barnett, age 17, was walking towards his home in Upton Bishop on December 1st when he heard a strange noise from a field near to the Travellers' Rest. He investigated and discovered the horse in a pitiful condition.

He contacted his sister, Fern, who immediately set out to help. After realising the mare could hardly stand she rallied her parents and a friend, Fiona Lloyd, and between them they managed to coax the horse to their home. Luckily they keep their own horses so they were able to offer shelter and help to the distressed creature.

They called a vet, the police and the RSPCA, while they stabled and fed her, and gave her lots of love. The vet who treated the mare told Fern that the horse had a body score of 0.5 out of 10 and it was unlikely she would survive. The vet scanned her for a microchip to no avail. Her teeth were in an appalling condition and she was covered in cuts which could have been from beatings or from falling. They were fresh cuts as they were still bleeding when she was found.

Sadly, though, on Friday, December 5th the vet had to be called to put Mistletoe down. She went down in the stable and couldn't get up. The vet said that her organs were shutting down and her heart was just too weak.

Fern is very grateful to friends who rallied round with offers of help and warm rugs. They wanted to tell Mistletoe's story, even though it did not have the happy ending they wanted, to try to raise awareness of the increasing number of horses being starved and dumped around the country.

They are glad to have given her some comfort in the last few days of her life.Read the full story in this week's Ross Gazette