Blyth teen’s rescue horse fighting for life as family launch urgent appeal

In March, 15-year-old Katie Hall and her mum Joanne became owners to Whispa who was recently rescued from a life of severe abuse.

Whispa was an incredibly traumatised horse who, following months of dedication and care from Katie, has now built up a strong bond with the teenager and learnt to trust again.

However, just as she began to feel safe, Whispa suffered a fracture in her leg which has resulted in an aggressive infection.

"When we first got Whispa, she hated men and was so nervous,” Joanne explained. “She has done amazing in such a short period of time

“Whispa keeps Katie grounded and calm with no care in the world. She is like a therapy horse for her. It’s heartbreaking. I just can’t say how much she means to her.”

Because her previous owners did not provide Whispa’s horse passport, the family have been blocked from getting the insurance she needs.

Single mum Joanne has now spent thousands on vet bills. She just had to find another £500 for a final round of antibiotics but if these do not work, Whispa’s only remaining chance is an emergency operation costing between £4,000 and £6,000.

The family are therefore appealing for the public’s help to try and save Whispa’s life.

“After speaking to the vet this morning, she’s not responding in the way they would like her to,” Joanne added.

“They’re wanting to get her up to Edinburgh to get her a CT scan to see where the actual infection is and then they can operate on that to flush it out.”

Through GoFundMe, the family have managed to raise almost £3000 in 48 hours however this is not enough to fund the life-saving operation Whispa needs.

“By the sounds of it, it just keeps going up and up and up. She was in the vets last night overnight and that’s going to be at least another thousand.

"Katie starts year 11 in September and losing Whispa would just have a massive effect on her. I can’t be the one to break her heart.”

Donations to the fundraiser can be made here.