The horses have been moved to a secret location and some have been sent to be housed in stables.

For months on end, through the winter, 22 ponies were left in the field with no supervision.

The ponies were poorly fed and irregularly watered, picking up a number of medical conditions.

A number of the ponies suffered from worms. Some of them, including a young mother and foal had to be put to sleep.

Claire Brown helped manage the team of volunteers who helped keep the ponies alive for weeks on end and organised their rescue.

She said: “I don’t understand why people have horses if they can’t look after them.” “Five of the horses escaped last night (Sunday March 15) through a hole in the fence.” Volunteers have now found the ponies found another field that is more secure.

Kim White has also been liaising with the landowners and has been instrumental in rescuing the horses.

She said the poorliest horses were taken our of the field last week and then moved to rescue centres.

“They have had to have steroid injections so can start worming,” she said.

“We have agreed to pay initial vet fees for all of them. Some were really poorly and we couldn’t say to some we well help you and not others.” So far the group’s fund raising page has received more than £6,750. Nearly 350 people have donated to the cause in just over 11 days.

Ms White said one of Ricky Gervais’ neices persauded him to back the group on twitter. His tweet led to over £1,500 donated in one day.

The horses are under a 14-day notice, meaning their owner can come forward and claim them.

It is likely that any owner coming forward would face prosecution for neglect.

Visit http://www.gofundme.com/nv8hw0 to give money to help the horses.