The sad incident happened in November last year when the horse, now named Alfie, collapsed on a main road in Vale de Éguas, Almancil.
Visibly undernourished and severely exhausted from pulling a cart, crowds of people gathered around the debilitated animal as its owners tried to move it to the roadside.
GNR police and local municipal vets were called to the scene and for a while it seemed to be touch and go for Alfie.
After witnessing the pitiful scene the horse was taken in by a local British family, the Dickinsons, who run the Quinta Martins riding school in Almancil and have lived in the area for some 30 years.
A public appeal was launched to help with Alfie’s recovery and now, seven months later, it seems he has made a full comeback from his ordeal.
The family told The Portugal News: “We found Alfie when he had collapsed from exhaustion on the main road in Almancil on 21 November 2015. He couldn’t even stand up. He had to be rolled on to a blanket, and once he had been checked over by a vet he was transported to Quinta Martins.
“Six months of food, care and attention (and losing his manhood) have helped turn the waif and stray into this lovely pony.”
Quinta Martins will be keeping Alfie after he was officially placed in their care by the police.
The handsome horse now also has a benefactor – Alfred, who he was named after – who has also lived in the Algarve for over 30 years and whose family are horse-owners in Germany.
Alfie is said to have become a kind pony and is being ridden and lunged, but has developed a healthy appetite and “everything stops for food!”
The Dickinsons add: “We raised enough in donations to fully care for him for the past seven months, and to get him castrated, for feed, vaccinations, rugs etc. Everyone at Quinta Martins would like to thank all the kind people who donated to his rehabilitation - you have helped to perform a little miracle.”

Follow Alfie’s recovery on the the Quinta Martins Facebook page: www.facebook.com/quintamartinshorseriding