The RSPCA have described an abandoned horse, found in a field near Hatfield, as a 'walking skeleton'. The three year old, named Maggie, survived by eating tree bark. She was found badly malnourished in a flooded field and afflicted with mange, lice and other signs of serious neglect. She has since been taken for treatment to The Horse Trust in Buckinghamshire where her chances of recovery are 50-50. Last month five dead horses were found within a few miles from where Maggie was discovered. But many more may not have yet been reported. As these horses are virtually worthless, owners are increasingly abandoning their animals when they become ill or their usefullness comes to an end.
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