16/10/2026
⭐️ Dolly ⭐️
This one has taken a little time to write.
Unfortunately, a few days ago we had to make the most heartbreaking decision to say goodnight to this sweet little pony.
Dolly arrived with a particularly horrid hoof after being neglected in her first home. She had spent the majority of her life tethered to a chain with the original injury infested with maggots and in severe pain.
Her last home (who saved her) worked incredibly hard alongside the vet and farrier to try and give Dolly a chance and by the time she came to us a vast improvement had been made.
She was doing well over the summer and Rob and I were in a good routine with her changing her bandages and packing the wound every few days.
Sadly, as Dolly’s hoof began to grow down she developed an abscess around her coronet band and the new hoof wall was incredibly spongey, not sturdy and stable as it should be.
She was in a lot of pain and we were having to sedate her every time just to treat her hoof. She was even fighting the sedation due to the anxiety around us touching her.
We had to keep her away from the herd to prevent her damaging her hoof anymore.
Based on all of this, Dolly’s extreme anxiety, pain, advice from more than one vet (and the fact that we are coming up to winter with the wet and mud which), we felt that we would be fighting a losing battle trying to heal an already incredibly weakened hoof.
Her quality of life was lessening and that spongey hoof was never going to give her the support that she would need to walk around soundly and pain free.
So, gut wrenchingly, we decided that the kindest thing would be to let her go. 😭
It pains me to think that this all started because of one human neglecting her. She was only around 4 years old. 😢
In the last 6 months Dolly has known nothing but love, compassion, (food!) and she has enjoyed living as part of a herd.
We are so sorry that we couldn’t save her but we take some comfort in knowing that she knew love and we know she was becoming a firm favourite amongst our volunteers.
Farmers Cash and C**t gave her one last cuddle and I was with her right at the end.
We love you Dolly. Sleep easy beautiful girl. 💔💜
