'˜Shocked' Blackpool nan finds pony in backyard

But that is what happened to one grandmother after her grandaughter answered an online plea to save an unwanted horse.

Realising they could not look after the animal, they called in the RSPCA and now the pony is being nurtured back to health in Blackpool.

The horse was delivered to an address in Stoke and abandoned after a 13-year-old girl answered an online advertisement saying he would be put to sleep.

The young colt, now named Melvin Andrews after his rescuers, is being cared for by World Horse Welfare at their Penny Farm rehoming centre on Preston New Road.

RSPCA inspector Charlotte Melvin said: “A 13-year-old girl responded to a plea on an online free ads site where a lady said she didn’t want the pony anymore and that he would be put to sleep if no one had him.

“She gave her nan’s address and the next thing was a man just came along and dumped the pony there, leaving a very shocked nan.”

Groom Katie Grimshaw said: “Melvin was understandably subdued when he arrived but he’s come out of his shell and shown he’s a very sweet little pony who has a bit of a cheeky side.

“He’s already popular with visitors to the centre, everybody seems to have heard his story and love his name. Our first priority was giving him a thorough bath and clipping his hair so we could properly assess his condition and treat him for lice.

“He was infested with them and had clearly been badly neglected as his skin was in a terrible state.

“He’s also very underweight so we will be building him up slowly to help him regain his strength.

“We’re looking forward to working with him over the next few months to get him fit and healthy so that he can find the good home that all horses and ponies deserve.”