An abandoned foal that was stranded in a river had a lucky escape when it was spotted by a member of the public.
The colt, which rescuers believe was abandoned by its owners, was rescued from the River Lea in Edmonton by 14 firefighters who worked to carefully pull him from the water.
The chilly horse was named Shaking Stephen as he was shivering from the cold when he was rescued on Friday, April 19.
Firefighters wrapped him in blankets to warm him up before he was taken to the Galley Hill Equine Surgery in Waltham Abbey, where he was treated for hypothermia.
Vet Andrea Smith said: “The river ran by a waterworks. We have no idea how he ended up there, but there was no sign of a broodmare, so we suspect that, sadly, he may have been put there.
“He is doing very well, considering. He’s a really sweet foal and we hope he’ll be able to go on and have a lovely happy life. He certainly deserves it, he’s an absolute delight.”
Although the surgery tried him with a surrogate mare, Shaking Stephen could not be convinced and was given a home at Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Norfolk, where he will be hand-reared.
Senior welfare coordinator at Redwings, Rachel Angell, said: “More and more often we are seeing young colts like Stephen being deliberately abandoned as their value is so low and yet so many continue to be bred who are just not wanted.
“In Stephen’s case it is looking increasingly likely that this was deliberate as no owner has come forward. It is heartbreaking that anyone could do something so cruel.
“His rescue really was a case of teamwork and we’d like to thank everyone involved for bringing him this far. We will give him the best start in life we possibly can, and hopefully get him recover from his ordeal as soon as possible.”
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