A pony who suffered major injuries after a nightmare collision with a car has made an astonishing recovery thanks to the RSPCA.
At just three years old, pony Molly has already overcome enormous hurdles in her short life, from being abandoned to suffering serious injuries in a freak car accident after straying onto a road.
Thankfully today, she is fully recovered and safe in the care of the RSPCA, ready for a new start in a forever home.
The RSPCA was contacted about poor Molly after an unsuspecting driver crashed into the straying pony on Dene Valley Road in Bishop Auckland, Durham on 31 October 2019.
Inspector Garry Palmer was called to help urgently and arrived at the scene not knowing exactly what state he would find Molly in. 
Garry said: “The car was so damaged it was written-off and the driver taken to hospital, but thankfully, they were not seriously hurt, although extremely shaken up as the collision was very upsetting for all involved. I can’t imagine how terrifying it was for the poor driver to have a pony suddenly appear on the road like that and have no way of stopping in time.
“I was called to attend immediately as it was clear to those involved that the pony was seriously hurt, and I was very concerned. Despite the nightmare incident and obvious bleeding, to my surprise the pony was able to get up on her feet, and she was so loving and friendly, it was unbelievable – wherever I walked she would simply follow me and stand by my side.
“However, I could see some very large and serious open wounds on her neck and shoulder, but I knew we had to give her every chance of survival, and when vets arrived, they got straight to work and transported her to their hospital for treatment. It’s a miracle she has recovered so quickly, and I am in awe of the work the vets did that day to save her.”
The pony was nicknamed Molly, and teams of vets from Oaklands Veterinary Centre worked around the clock to ensure Molly’s condition improved, and rapidly her wounds began to heal.
Once she was well on the mend, she was moved to a private boarding yard in Hull arranged by the RSPCA where she spent Christmas with other ponies her own age and received further treatment from Rainbow Equine Hospital as she grew stronger every day.
Jacqui Wilson, an equine rehoming officer for the RSPCA said: “Molly has been an excellent patient and is a real cracker of a pony, we are amazed at how well she has recovered, she’s a special pony for sure. Both vet practices provided expert care, without which Molly’s story may not have had such a happy ending.
“Sadly, her story is an example of the effects of the horse crisis we have been experiencing in the UK for several years. We weren’t able to trace an owner for Molly, and sadly, there are many more horses and ponies like her abandoned up and down the country and left to their own devices, which puts them in serious danger as we’ve seen in this horrifying accident. It’s hugely irresponsible and totally unfair to put other people at risk too by being so careless and abandoning animals – I can’t imagine how devastating it must have been for the driver to have been in this situation.”
RSPCA equine centres and private boarding yards are bursting at the seams with rescued horses as a result of the horse crisis of overproduction, overpopulation, neglect and abandonment.
Thankfully, the charity continues to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome hundreds of sick and injured horses in desperate need, despite the huge financial pressure and workload this places upon the charity, which receives no government funding and is completely dependent on the generosity of its donors and supporters in order to continue its work.
Jacqui added: “We’re now on the lookout for a perfect new home for Molly. She still has a little more growing left to do and we expect she will make approximately 13.2hh. She loves affection and going out for walks in-hand, is well behaved for the farrier and dentist and when being brought in and out of the field.
“She has some visible scars left, but we hope she can potentially be ridden one day and could possibly make a project pony for an experienced person or family. Understandably, she is quite nervous of cars, but we hope the right adopter will work with her to help her overcome her fears with positive training.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about Molly and offering her a home can contact the RSPCA by emailing [email protected], or by phoning Jacqui on 07825 158255.
