Doctors have made equine history after using fish skin to save a pony who suffered a horrific acid attack.

The eight-month-old, who was found dumped in a private yard in Chesterfield, suffered chemical burns all over her face.

Animal rescuers say her eyes were swollen shut as a result of the attack.

The world first procedure which saved the horse involved veterinarians bandaging her face with fish skin purchased at a local market.

Dr Jamie Peyton first used the treatment on mountain lions and bears injured in last year's California fires.

She says it has "three major properties" that make it ideal for treating the pony.

Speaking to ITV News she said: "One is that it provides protection, the second one is that it provides pain relief covering those open nerve endings and the third is that it has collagen in it that acts like a matrix that allows cells to hold on and move across the wound."

The pony is now housed at a centre in north Yorkshire and experts say she could recover in a couple of months.

Doctors have touted fish skin as a possible treatment for humans too.

For now, all eyes remain on the young horse.