Horse Resue Stories

If you have ever rescued a horse from cruelty or from the slaughter pen, tell their story here and what you are currently doing with that horse.

Tempest, this story isn't a typical rescue story, but I think it shows a lot of faith and determination.

When Walka was born, he was perfect except for his face. He was horribly disfigured, mouth was twisted way to the side. They called it Ryes Nose. All the vets called in said to put him down, as he would be unable to latch on and nurse. He would slowly starve to death. The people that owned him then, decided to wait and give him a chance. Well, three months into it he was thriving. Little guy had figured out how to nurse with his deformity to everyone's amazement.

At three months of age, it was decided to send him with his mom (T) to Tufts University for an operation to help repair some of the deformity. He would never be able to do what he was bred for, racing, because on of his nostrils would be compromised and would not be able to take in enough air to sustain that speed and effort. It was a lot of money to invest in a horse with a limited future.

He is now a very handsome horse, his slight twist of his face gives him character! He is an awesome trail horse, good head on his shoulders, and you should see him race in the field!

I feel privileged to have him and work with him. He is a constant reminder of what a little faith and determination can do.

A few years ago mom and I were on our way to see a movie. As we drove by one farm, we saw a black horse that had fallen into a frozen pond. There was an older couple there who had seen him and was calling everyone they could thing of from the fire department to animal control. While they called, we drove back to the farm and got dad and a friend of the family, along with some ropes. It took us about half an hour to get home and back, and no one that the couple had called had shown up.

The poor horse was so cold and was stuck in the mud at the bottom of the pond, but we got to work anyway. He had almost given up. Dad threw a rope on him and we started working on getting him out. We tried to use the truck, we broke the ice in front of him, we threw ice and yelled at him. About halfway to the bank we were able to get to him to get a rope around his rear. Dad smacked him in the face with his hat and he barely blinked. He was almost gone. One of the older couple said "Should we just give up?" He was still alive. We couldn't stop. We started again, and then our friend started yelling like a maniac with his high pictched squirrely voice and smacking at him with a rope, and the horse managed to get up the strength to struggle through the deep mud and remaining ice to get up on the bank.

We got him into a barn, and rubbed down and walked him for several hours until he was dry. We piled on the blankets and called the vet and the owner of the farm called the owners who drove two hours to come be with him. Finally, after the horse was out and in the barn, ONE person showed up, the animal control officer. There were only six people that cared enough about a strangers horse to help.

What would that horse have thought if we had given up while he was still alive? If we just walked off after pulling him halfway? What would he have thought, watching us walk away? It brings tears to my eyes just thinking of it. He would have felt betrayed.

We didn't give up though. We got him out. We saved his life. He knew enough to struggle that last bit onto the bank. After every pass while he was being walked he would try to stop for a treat from the older gentleman who helped.

I still feel great pride in having done that. I don't know where he is now, but only because of us was he able to be where he is today.

I've had a number of them over the years but without a doubt the ones I remember most were 13 reg. 2 and 3 year old paints and QH's I bought from a lady. They were in a shed in 10 x 10 pens from the day they were weaned and never taken out. Manure high enough they could have fallen out if they wanted, thin, but the biggest thing you noticed was their feet. They had never been trimmed and some had hooves close to two feet long.

When I took them out they didn't know how to walk, all had halters on that were way to small and had cut into their skin. I ran them into a trailer and brought them home and turned them into a paddock with a round bale of grass hay. Got them stated on oats, they obviously had never seen salt, min/via. Before. After a couple days I turned them out onto 25 acres of pasture and loved watching them learn how to try and run and buck. Very akward for them with the lenght of their hooves but they had a blast any way. I resold them to a recue group that placed them around the country I've kept in contact off and on with one family in Fl. That has two of them.

What lovely stories! Well done!

Wow, and those horses trusted you right away. That's amazing. All the stories I've read have talked about how long it took them to get the animals to trust them.
Good job.

I got Pennellipi from the slaughter yard. I rescued her from there about 2 years ago. She was absolute skin and bone, she has very very thin, rough and stringy fur and she had a terrible skin condition. Her skin was just flaking of in thick dry chucks which was leaving her with even less fur. It was such a horrible and sad sight!!!! When we got her we were told that she was a thoroughbred cross but we later found out that she was full thoroughbred with very good bloodlines and she was registerable. It took us a while to find her bloodlines on the net but we eventually found them. We then went to register her and she was pending to be Seventh Melody but there was a whole stuff up and it just wasnt working cause every one thought she was dead and we didnt have and proof of ownership like a breeder card or anything so the whole thing was cancled. We are planning to sort it ot but we can't afford it at the moment. I broke her in myself and she was going well but withthe end of school, work and traineeships I completely ran out of time for her so she hasnt been riden in about a year. I am most likely going to sell her in the not too distant future so she can be bred and her bloodlines can go to use. I would breed her myself but it is just too expensive. She is now fat, healthy and happy. She never really needed any vet attention. We fed her on weightlifter and lucern hay to fatten her up and that's all she needed. Once she got proper nutrition her skin problem dispeared and her fur grew back soft and thick. She is such a cutie!! I love her!!!!

Also, she trusted me from the very beginning, I never had any problems with her! We were told that she could be caught but I never had this problem at all, she was always easy to catch. She is harder to catch now more than ever cause she has learnt bad habbits of one of my other horses but she still isnt that hard.

My horse came from the slaughter pen. He was covered in sores and was all skin and bones. He was abused by his last owners and his new owners couldn't keep weight on him. They moved him to the barn I ride at and he is more willing than ever and is a good weight considering what he was at when he arrived.

If you want to, include a picture in your story of the horse. I'm sure we all would like to see these animals.