A seriously ill foal has been found after being left to die “alone in the cold” under a hedge.

Warning: Distressing images below

The baby horse was found this morning in a field on Swanton Road in Maidstone.

The RSPCA attended the scene and the foal was cut free from a tangle of branches with the help of fire crews.

Despite being rushed to the vet for immediate treatment it is unlikely the filly, who has been nicknamed Clover, will survive.

Thought to be just three months old, Clover is underweight and very weak.

Kirsten Ormerod, an RSPCA inspector who helped to carry out the rescue said: “This poor little foal was in such a sorry state when she was found and barely alive.

"It was incredibly upsetting for us to see that she’d been left there to die alone there in the cold, muddy field.

“She is really unwell and underweight, and although she’s in expert hands at the specialist equine veterinary hospital, her prognosis is poor and it’s unlikely she will pull through.

“However, at the very least she is now warm and safe and being kept comfortable - a huge contrast to the cold, muddy field.

"It is heartbreaking to think someone left her there alone, it’s difficult to imagine how someone could be so heartless.”

After being sedated the equine was transported to a specialist hospital where she is currently receiving care but the staff there are very worried about the severity of Clover’s condition.

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: “Sadly, it’s not uncommon for the RSPCA and other equine charities to be called out to help neglected and abandoned horses.

“The charity fears England and Wales could be on the verge of a ’horse catastrophe’ caused by the deepening financial downturn.

“The ‘first’ equine crisis is thought to have been triggered by the recession in 2008, but now that an even deeper downturn is predicted, the outlook is bleak.”

Rising costs and the continued commitment to care that horses require can lead owners to neglect or abandon their animal companions, the charity warns.

The RSPCA is appealing for anyone who has information about Clover or who may have been involved in dumping her to get in touch.

You can contact the RSPCA in confidence about the foal or who abandoned her on 0300 123 8018.