Knock-kneed pony to go straight

Rebel underwent a three-hour operation in Bristol on Wednesday Enlarge Image

A rescued Dartmoor pony foal is returning to Devon on Friday after undergoing surgery to correct a problem which left her knock-kneed.

Rebel, who was born with deformed legs, was rescued when RSPCA inspectors found her at a Tavistock market last month.

Rosemary Kind, of the Mare and Foal Sanctuary in Newton Abbot, bought the five-month-old for £40.

Rebel underwent a three-hour operation in Bristol on Wednesday in a bid to correct the problem.

Rebel's rare condition causes the insides of her leg bones to grow at twice the rate of the outsides, causing a splayed appearance.

The response was overwhelming and money is still coming in Rosemary Kind

In a three-hour operation, surgeons at Bristol Veterinary School attached metal plates to the insides of her legs and she will have to return to Bristol in two months' time to see how she is progressing.

Eventually it is hoped the outer growth will catch up and her legs will straighten.

Rosemary Kind from the sanctuary said: 'It would have been so cruel to see this little scrap of life being driven into a big truck. She would have suffered dreadfully.

"Thanks to a tremendous response from so many people we are able to pay for her operation and any further treatment.

"The response was overwhelming and money is still coming in.

"I have had to take two stable girls off the yard to help me reply to them all, the amount raised so far is over £13,000."

The sanctuary, which was founded in 1988 by Mrs Kind, is currently home to 50 horses.