Charity receives influx of ‘troubled’ horses

The Blue Cross is seeing an increase in the number of rescue horses and ponies that are so badly neglected or abused they will never be able to be ridden.

Torture

According to the charity, while some horses can be fully rehabilitated with kind, consistent handling, others remain “anxious and troubled”, which means they will never be safe enough to be ridden.

Tommy is one such horse, who suffered horrific physical and psychological abuse. He was confined to a small barn, with four other stallions and one mare.

“Anyone knowing horses would really understand how dangerous and terrible it is to confine stallions together with a mare,” said Vicki Alford, horse unit manager at the Blue Cross rehoming centre in Burford.

“Stallions will fight until the death over mares, so to be shut in with no form of escape is torture for horses. I would liken it to dog fighting. It is unforgivable.”

Traumatised

The horses were also forced into a cattle crush and beaten with piping, which led to facial scarring and permanent nerve damage in some of the horses.

The mare Tallulah was so badly traumatised she had to be euthanised, but Tommy has made real progress and is looking for a new home.

“He gives so much love and affection that someone out there will fall for him in a big way and give him the home he deserves,” said Vicki.

Home for life

One mare who has found a home for life is Natasha. She was heavily pregnant and very weak and nervous when she came to the Blue Cross as part of a large rescue case.

Natasha lost her foal, which added to her distress, but since being rehomed with Sally Dunford she has become an “essential” part of the herd.

“We are on a continuous learning curve but when I think of much she has progressed in the past year I feel I am going to burst with admiration for her,” said Sally.

“I had no idea that what I could offer to a sensitive, head shy, coloured cob would be far outweighed by what she would offer to me. I highly recommend it.”