A two-week-old foal found abandoned and severely dehydrated in a field in Tonbridge might have had a hard start to life - but is now being given a second chance.

Jamie Sharp, who owns Jamie Lee Sharp Equestrian in Collier Street, was alerted to the sick baby horse when a stable hand found him, whilst carrying out early morning checks.

The 27-year-old horse dealer said: “I got a call asking if I had bought a foal, and when I said 'no', he told me that one had been dumped in our field.

“The horse was so frightened and very dehydrated and it was obvious he was in shock from being taken away from his mum and he probably had a rough journey getting to us.

“Whoever dumped him would have thrown him over a five-bar gate which backs onto my paddock.

"He was trying to suckle off of one of the other horses because he had been taken from his mum far too soon. It was awful to see.”

Mr Sharp decided the best thing to do was to take the foal - now nicknamed Oli the Orphan - to the vet to see if there was anything they could do to help.

He added: “The vet told us he was riddled with worms and had a very high temperature so they put him on antibiotics.

“I knew I had to give him a chance.

“At the moment we are having to bottle feed him every four hours and, with the help of our neighbour Rachael at Chequer Tree Farm, we have been able to keep a close eye on him.”

At the moment it looks as though Oli is beginning to make a recovery but Mr Sharp has said that it was still very much 'touch and go', saying: “It is so frustrating and this issue is on the rise in the area because we are so rural and we have a lot of country roads and fields around.

"It is so awful and it’s simple, if you can’t afford to breed horses then don’t do it.

“Horses typically should be weened from their mothers at around six to eight months old, so this is really early and it can be detrimental to their health.”

At the moment Oli is being kept under 24-hour surveillance in a stable in Chequer Tree Farm and is being treated with antibiotics.

Mr Sharp added: “We will give him everything he needs and he is going to be with us for a lifetime.

"He is going to become our mascot.”

A JustGiving page has been set up to try and help cover medical bills for Olie and has already raised more than £500.

• If you would like to donate click here

Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here

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