Woman abandoning horse in compound (5)
I believe the answer is:
ester
'compound' is the definition.
(ester is a kind of compound)
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
(Other definitions for ester that I've seen before include "Chemical compound of acid and alcohol, found in trees" , "Compound; trees (anag.)" , "Compound formed from acid and alcohol" , "radical" , "Organic chemical compound" .)