Hamish is a miniature Shetland pony who was dumped in a field in Bedfordshire. He was found alone and in agony by an off-duty RSPCA Animal Collection Officer. It was clear on arrival that Hamish had sustained a serious injury so was rushed straight to The Horse Trust for immediate treatment.

In any of our welfare cases suffering with injuries or severe illnesses we would always refer them to the specialist care of The Royal Veterinary College (RVC), but it was decided that it was not sensible to travel Hamish any further in his condition. Instead, Professor Roger Smith (Professor of Equine Orthopaedics) and his expert team came immediately to The Horse Trust to treat Hamish. Poor little Hamish was lifted to the ground by the team, given a general anaesthetic and was given an x-ray along with all the necessary tests. Results showed that Hamish’s injury was not a new one and was one that he had for quite some time. Professor Roger Smith could see that in his past, Hamish had suffered with a severe fractured pelvis but where it had been left for so long, the joint was beginning to re-fuse. At this point the decision was made to leave Hamish’s injury to heal for itself under very close monitoring. Professor Roger Smith and his team thought that if they attempted to fix the injury by operating, there was a very high chance the pelvis could shatter completely, leaving Hamish in a worse state.

Hamish spent a year on stable rest under the watchful eyes of The Horse Trust team and the RVC team. Everyone fell head over heels for Hamish and his loveable character whilst he was confined to the stable and it was a time when his personality really started to shine through! After his box rest period, Hamish began to go out on grass for short periods of time in a restricted area and gradually after time, Hamish began to get stronger and stronger! He really did have a heart of a lion and never gave up fighting.

Today, Hamish is fully recovered but his injury has left him with scarring that will affect him for the rest of his life. Hamish’s pelvis fused back to the joint in the way that now he has one hind leg shorter than the other and because of this, he now suffers with arthritis that is closely monitored by our vet. However, none of this stops Hamish from getting up to mischief with best buddy Bear and always being first in the queue when our grooms bring their morning hay rations!

Hamish is the heart and soul of the yard and is ever so popular with visitors! He has a home here at The Horse Trust forever and he will never have to endure pain or suffering again. He has captured the hearts of many and we love him dearly.