00 out of sight of the road

The tarpaulin was covered in logs and stones.
Pulled back
it revealed a pony
six months old
weak, barely alive, terrified
out of sight of the road
his front legs strapped together.
Too weak to move it himself
his head was twisted around over his back
where it had flopped as he was dragged across the field
covered over,
body tied and twisted,
left in the dark
to die.
The post-mortem found the pony
was dehydrated
had diarrhoea
and a worm infestation.
It could have been treated
for five pounds.

[The Guardian, 27/01/2011, Pony dragged to corner of an English field and hidden under a tarpaulin to die]