A FOAL who was less than a day old had to be euthanised after sustaining life-threatening injuries near Ringwood on Saturday.

Now the Verderers are looking for information as to how the dun colt sustained these injuries.

The foal’s owner Rebecca Deacon believes he could have been hit by a car and is urging motorists to take extra care when driving in the New Forest where horses may be grazing.

The horses were found on the road from Ringwood, which leads into Linwood.

She said: “At this time of year it is more important than ever that motorists take extra care and are aware of foals running about in the forest.

“I didn’t see the accident. We believe it was a hit and run.”

She told the Forest Journal that when she went to visit the new arrival she found the foal was unable to stand up properly and that “he was not happy to stand on his back leg”.

The dun coloured foal had to be taken to a specialist equine surgery for X-rays to be done, which revealed he had sustained a broken femur.

And the decision was taken to have him put down.

The foal’s mother, Bella, was left distressed by the loss of her foal and is recovering.

Rebecca added: “I want to make drivers aware that the animals have right of way and have no road sense. It is up to us all as drivers to respect them and make sure we slow down to reduce the risk of accidents.”

Rebecca, who has been Commoning for a number of years, is urging anyone who knows anything about what happened to the foal to come forward.

“We just want to know what happened.” she said.

She is also urging drivers to ensure that if they are involved in an accident to make sure it is reported to the authorities.

Anyone who saw the foal or has any information is asked to call Verderers of the New Forest on 023 8028 2052