Spindles is incredibly lucky to be alive. His mother, Michaela, a beautiful grey donkey, had been rescued from certain death after being abandoned in the desert. Blind, emaciated and with a broken leg, no-one knew she was about to have a baby – Spindles was a surprise to everyone. But the neglect she suffered meant his legs hadn’t formed properly.

Spindles, was born prematurely, before his legs had the chance to form properly. They began to collapse under his weight until he could hardly stand. You can see in the picture how badly his legs were deformed, and twice a day, they are cast and bandaged to encourage them to straighten. Spindles has been making progress, but still has a long way to go before he’s out of the woods – and he needs all the support he can get.

Wish him good luck in his recovery (and thank the team at Pegasus for their dedication to helping all donkeys and horses in need) by signing his virtual cast.