A severely neglected and emaciated horse that was on the verge of death has recuperated thanks to its rescuers.

The foal, with maggot-ridden gaping wounds, had been seized by Animal Welfare in June and taken under the wing of RMJ’s Horse Rescue.

The NGO has managed to slowly nurse it back to health after pledging to do everything to give it the best chance possible.

Named Baby, the 10-month-old horse had arrived “literally on the brink of death, let down by humans but still with the gentlest of characters”, RMJ’s president, Korin Farrugia said.

“All the odds were against him, yet, he gave it his best shot,” she said.

A shadow of himself, the horse was heavily undernourished, underweight and

underdeveloped – his legs were still bent despite his age. He had two deep injuries, one roughly the size of a fist, that were infected with maggots and required serious medical attention.

Baby the foal was so weak it could not get up. Photo: RMJ Horse Rescue

RMJ Horse Rescue maintained it must have taken months of severe neglect for the foal to reach that state.

Baby was so riddled with ticks and lice that professional pest control had to be called in to help and make sure the infestation did not spread through the stables.

Volunteers at the organisation, which struggles to save and care for every abandoned horse that comes its way, could not bear to refuse him, despite being full and having so many pending bills.

Baby has required significant care since, to the tune of around €1,500, including vet bills.

His wounds were cleaned and bandages replaced every single day and, sometimes, even twice daily. The summer heatwaves did not help his tiredness, weakness and heavy breathing and he was given multiple drips to keep him hydrated and give him a boost.

In the first month, it was “touch and go”. Often he did not have the strength to get off the floor.

However, three months down the line, and despite having had zero body fat and muscle mass that hindered not only walking but merely lifting his head, the “little fighter” is standing tall, jumping up from the floor unaided and running in from the paddock for his food, while the alleged perpetrators are facing justice.

Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina had told Times of Malta that the authorities were trying to track down the horse’s owners. Yesterday, she said they had been arraigned on Thursday and the case has been deferred. No further details were available.

Currently caring for 75 horses, RMJ is the country’s only horse rescue sanctuary, facing running costs that have exceeded €20,000 a month.

Its aim is not only to save and care for severely neglected horses but also to find them their “forever home” once they are ready.

What you taught us, no other horse ever will

Very few horses arrive in the same pitiful condition as Baby and many are retired racehorses, in a fairly good state and needing to be rehomed, mostly overseas as adequate premises to care for them here are lacking, Farrugia said.

In the case of the recovered one-year-old, he has been offered many homes, but one, in particular, also has other horses adopted from RMJ.

“Nevertheless, it is going to be hard to let him go,” Farrugia admitted.

“No words can describe how much we love you and how proud we are to have had the honour of nursing you back to health”, the horse rescuers said in one of the many Facebook updates in which they reiterated that they would fix him up.

“What you taught us, no other horse ever will.”

Donations to support the costly care of the rescue horses are accepted through Pay Pal on rmjhorserescue@gmail.com; through the BOV app on 9994 7633; or via bank transfer to IBAN MT53VALL22013000000040023793448.