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A seven-month-old Welsh filly who was found abandoned with a devastating wound to her withers has made a remarkable recovery after months of intensive veterinary treatment and rehabilitation.
Olive was discovered dumped on a road in County Durham in October 2025 with a shockingly deep wound to her withers. The injury was so severe that rescuers described it as the worst withers wound they had ever encountered.
After an abandonment notice was served by the RSPCA, Olive was taken to Bearl Equine Clinic, where vets discovered she had fractured her withers and required standing surgery to remove bone fragments before beginning extensive wound treatment.
Equine veterinary nurse Abby, who was involved in Olive’s care, said: “Caring for Olive was both a challenge and a privilege. The severity of her initial injury was concerning, with standing surgery to remove bone fragments from her fractured withers followed by intensive and extensive wound management.”
With her recovery expected to take many months, Olive was transferred to Bransby Horses for ongoing rehabilitation. The charity’s deputy team leader, Mia, said the extent of the youngster’s injuries stunned staff.
“At first sight, Olive’s wound was a shock to us all,” she said. “It was the worst we had seen.”
‘No simple solution’
There was no simple solution to Olive’s recovery, which required a carefully managed treatment plan involving both veterinary and yard teams.
Vets began by surgically removing damaged tissue before packing the wound with sterile gauze. Cotton swabs were tied to the sutures to keep the wound covered, and for weeks Olive’s dressings were changed every day.
As the wound gradually became smaller and shallower, her treatment plan was continually adapted to support healing.
Even the way Olive ate had to be managed carefully. She was encouraged to keep her head as low as possible while feeding to prevent the upper part of the wound from healing too tightly.
Despite the seriousness of her injuries, Olive continued to make steady progress.
“We were very concerned whether she would be able to recover from this, but despite all odds her wound healed very well,” said Mia. “She was such a good patient to treat for a young horse.”
As her recovery progressed, the filly’s playful personality began to emerge.
“Towards the end of her time at the ARC [Animal Reception Centre], her cheeky side came out and she started to play in the field. She was a firm yard favourite,” added Mia.
Covering the costs
Olive is living on Bransby Horses’ main yard with another resident pony, Florence. After months of specialist care, there is now little sign of the serious injury that Olive suffered.
Healing the wound cost nearly £3,000 and the charity is asking for donations towards the filly’s care.
