Luckily, he was rescued by the SPCA Horse Care Unit after children had ridden on his skeletal frame until he collapsed.

"Had we not found him then he would have died of starvation during the night. He was just skin and bones", said the Unit's Janice May.

He is slowly recuperating at the Unit, where he has been given heavy doses of antibiotics and vitamins and fed protein-rich food.

It is the third horse in two months which Janice has had to confiscate from a single owner. He faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison or a R5 000 fine, as well as the stripping of his ownership rights for any kind of animal.

In the past six months the Unit has rescued over 150 cart horses from the Cape Flats areas. Most, like Bones, were malnourished and too weak to pull their owner's homemade carts usually piled high with scrap metal and people.

Donations are needed to help put flesh and muscles back on Bone's frame. If you can help, please call the Unit at +27-82-659-9599.

Webmaster's note:
This kind of abuse has been happening for far too long. It is cases like these which clearly indicate the necessity for sound legal protection for animals in South Africa.
Coming soon: the complete Animal's Protection Act online