Horses are, by nature, magnificent creatures of grace and beauty. Their speed and power mask the fact that they are sentient animals that are hyper-alert to everything in their immediate environment. They know and acutely feel anxiety, hunger, thirst, fear and pain, in addition to excitement, pleasure and familial relationships.
Seven young horses, innocent, but helpless to help themselves, were taken to kill pens in Louisiana and Texas by their owners to be sold to slaughter plants in Mexico. More than 100,000 horses are collected in kill pens across this country and shipped from the U.S. to slaughter plants in Mexico and Canada every year.
Though rescued separately, these 7 were all trucked to the same horse recovery and rehab facility in north Texas where they were quarantined until their physical and emotional health could be evaluated and emergency treatment plans developed. They had done nothing wrong but were discarded by their owners with callous indifference to their terrible, impending fate. Their rescuers were morally and humanely inspired to save them from slaughter, rehab them from the grinding physical and emotional effects of long-term starvation and then find new forever homes for them.
- A young, mid-sized mare with white markings, came in very frightened, with an advanced case of pneumonia, including multiple holes in her lungs. Her breathing was labored, and a thick yellow mucus was running out of both nostrils. She was severely dehydrated and suffering from starvation, with ribs and hip bones pushing up under her matted red coat. At her initial examination by the vet, he expressed surprise that she was still alive saying that he did not expect her to live through the first night.
- A second young mare was brought in lame. Her left front leg had been injured, but not treated, and the hoof on that leg showed evidence of chronic inflammation. X-rayed immediately, an old abscess was discovered and medication applied. Emaciated from long-term starvation and hundreds of pounds underweight, she moved slowly and hesitantly, with the look of sadness and hopelessness on her beautiful face.
- A large gelding with severe tooth decay that made eating painful, was also bony and grossly underweight. All four of his hoofs were overgrown, cracked and infected, causing him constant pain as he moved slowly toward any hint of food. Still relatively young, he has a good chance of being adopted after his dental and hoof health was successfully addressed.
- A very young and beautifully marked stallion, of mixed red and white colors, arrived at the rescue facility experiencing pain in his front shoulders(withers) and hips. He too is suffering from hoof damage and related infections. X-rays were done and a farrier was brought in the first week.
- A beautiful and docile sorrel mare was underweight and experiencing pain in her left, front shoulder when ridden; she too is an excellent adoption candidate when healthy again.
- A beautiful paint mare with pain in her hind quarters when ridden; she will be an excellent adoption candidate when she has regained her normal weight and is healthy again.
- A handsome gelding suffering from chronic inflammation in his right hind leg; he is a good adoption candidate with enough weight gain and after his leg infection is correctly diagnosed and successfully treated.
Horse rescuers are usually small volunteer groups, not large, national, corporate organizations, and their hearts are always much bigger than their bank accounts. One angel of mercy accepted all seven horses into her small rehab property. In addition to the emergency vet care they all required to even begin to recover, the rescuer also treated them for worms, internal and external parasites, severe dehydration and malnutrition.
Animals Abused & Abandoned, Inc will continue to make direct payments to the several veterinarians, animal pharmacies, farriers and various suppliers of hay, oats and enriched alfalfa who are working to save all 7 of them. The emergency care and critical products required for these 7 rescued horses to sustain their physical and emotional recovery has only begun and those costs are far beyond this rescue group’s financial capabilities.
Will you join us in our efforts to help these 7 innocent horses recover from their injuries, illnesses, and crippling malnutrition by making your donation to Animals Abused & Abandoned here? Your support is deeply appreciated and very important to relieving their suffering and continuing recovery.