A £20,000 fundraiser for an award-winning stallion with a broken foot has been launched by its owner.

Claire Gosden, from Alresford, set up the fundraiser to help pay for the significant costs of x-rays, radiographs and medication after her horse became lame.

Irish sport horse Monty, 24, was diagnosed with a broken 'pastern' - or ankle - after two months of Claire and her friends carefully checking him over. 

Chestnut - Monty in his field Chestnut - Monty in his field (Image: Claire Gosden) Monty can jump 130cm and has won a number of competitions and awards throughout his life. 

His racing name is Urlanmore Cavalier and he is on the stud registry, having sired two foals. 

Claire got Monty three years ago when a show-jumping friend who was moving away had to find a new home for him.

She said: "He is lairy, but he is a proper serving stallion and very quirky. 

"I'm not prepared to retire him as he is amazing and will go on for years yet, and I always win on him.

"For a horse of his age, he has an amazing show-jumping canter."

Show - Monty and Claire show jumping Show - Monty and Claire show-jumping (Image: Claire Gosden) Claire and her vet read radiographs for months trying to figure out what was causing Monty's lameness. 

She said: "We looked through 100 radiographs but couldn't see anything. We spent weeks going over the radiographs.

"I could not afford an MRI, but after the horse was getting lamer I decided to put him in the barn, although he had already been on box rest which was making no difference.

"It wasn't clear on these radiographs because he had just broken his pastern and they don't usually show up until later on.

"The worst thing is I could have reduced the number of changes within the joints if I had reduced his space in the first instance, as I originally thought this was a foot abscess when we did the first lot of radiographs."

Claire is hoping to raise £20,000 towards the cost of caring for Monty. 

To donate go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-fundraiser-for-monty-my-stallion-broken-pastern-bills?qid=8ad7dcf3f4af514b88a2f98b9aca4e0d or search for Claire Gosden on gofundme.com.