HE IS the Hedge End pony who could have been put down by the end of this year.

But kind-hearted horse lovers stepped in to save him.

Oscar, a 26-year-old horse, was owned by Sandra and Martin Cook, both retired and in their 60s, from Hedge End.

But for Sandra, who suffers with dementia, and Martin, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, taking care of Oscar as well had just become too much to cope with.

Hoping to avoid the worst case scenario, Martin pinned a handwritten note to Oscar’s yard notice board, explaining his plight.

He said: “It had become impossible for us to give Oscar the attention and care he needed and so deserved. It was with a very heavy heart, having explored other possibilities as much as I could, that we made a decision to have him put to sleep before the year’s end if we could not find a new owner. On top of everything else, this would have been absolutely heart-breaking for Sandra and I.”

But thanks to the help of Katy Firrell, 53, accountant from Warsash and her 15-year-old daughter Victoria Percy, the plea was widely shared on social media and 15-year-old Kacii Robson from Lordswood, stepped in to save Oscar.

The Cantell School student had recently visited the Upper Swanmore- based Helping Hooves, a not-for-profit organisation aimed at helping people in recovery from illness and injury with equine activities.

After a couple of days and a few phone calls, Kacii, Katy and Helping Hooves director, Abigail Withey, agreed that alongside Helping Hooves’ ten other older horses, Oscar would be a perfect therapy pony.

As a result, Oscar was delivered to Helping Hooves on December 23.

A pleased Martin said: "Oscar deserves better. Sandra and I are so relieved and happy he has a second chance to live a great life and it’s just fantastic that Sandra and I will still be able to visit him at Helping Hooves.”