Abuse

[Debbie Marshall]

Isn't it sad that so many horses suffer abuse and mistreatment like Alexandras' horse did. Please share your 'happy ending' stories with us even if it's not about your horse but just one you know of.

[Nevenka van Niekerk]

This is something that absolutely breaks my heart. Horses are such giving, loving, unselfish creatures and that people have the gall to mistreate them. My horse was a SPCA rescue. And the poor boy was in a terrible state when I got him. I had at this stage sworn off horses and promised myself that I would never get back into horses. Well this flew out the window when I saw this beautiful regal thorougbred so broken. I took him in. He was one of 7horses. He is the only one that has survived. He was only 3 and was bought off the track and thrown out into a field. Now he has been mollycoddled his entire life and did not have the foggiest idea how he was supposed to look after himself. When he arrived with me he had cuts in his mouth from trying to eat the reeds in the dam in his emaciated state as there was nothing for them to eat. They were just standing in a ploughed field on a farm in MBY. A lot is always written off as ignorance or simply uneducated, but the sad thing is that these were people that have owned and worked with horses for years. Well I could not load the poor horse and decided to walk him the 4km to his new home. Cattle trucks rattled past us, horses galloped up and down the fences and we were chased by dogs, but not once did he look up and take any notice. He was finished. He had no hair and had huge smelly ulcer like sores all over his body. You could not go into his paddock when he was eating, he would attack you. So it carried on for days, he just grazed and nothing tickled his fancy - he had simply given up on life. But the patience, love and care paid off. About 3 weeks after fetching him I pulled up to give him his evening feed. He looked up, neighed and came galloping up to the car. I knew that we had made it. The bond I have with this horse cannot be described. He is my best friend and he trusts me like no other. It has been a sad but very rewarding experience. He now is gorgeous with a gleaming coat and a mischievous disposition and I would not swop him for the world.

[Claire Marshall]

What a lucky boy boy to have found such a loving mom! Would that they were all so lucky...

[Parky]

I am currently half-baiting a STUNNING thoroughbred gelding... When he first arrived at my yard he was in terrible condition...he was about 3 hours away from being lions lunch. he had previously been an evnter is Swaziland. His owner/rider had ridden him into the ground to the extent that his back got so badly messed up that if you put any1 liter than a skinny lite woman his back would get worse and worse... he had 2 wolf teeth growing at the back of his mouth and could not eat anything... He looked so skinny that if a fly landed on him he fall over and shatter into thousnads of pices. I did not know him at the time but was there when he arrived and it made me cry... I have only been half-baiting but I feel like I have known him my hole life... he is perfect condition and is going like and ace.

[Elbrus Ourtaev]

Hi Debbie,

I had the weirdest experience about 7 months ago. Brus went to look at a young black horse that he may have been interested in. Apparantly Black Beauty ( thats what we named him) came from somewhere in Calitzdorp area and the guy that had him showed the horse to us in the suburbs of George in front of his garage! He had been somwhere near the GRC club and was ridden bareback with a bridle miles to big to this guys house. My first impression was, whoa what a good looking horse this could be, as I approached, the ears flattened and the teeth came to say hello! Now I was somewhat stunned as this horse had been ridden through George bareback without muss fuss and yet was ready to kill. I asked if he was a gelding and was told something like I think so, so I had a look to see 2 big testicals that showed recent scarring. Ok, so now I knew why this horse disliked people so much. I knew Brus would buy the horse as I could see him feeling sorry for this poor creature. The guy said that he would ride Beauty to our farm some 25km away, as he would never box. Since I had no box, I thought ok. The next day I had the great idea, that Beauty go to Dr Erasmus, since it was close and asked him to pop in by the vet to check out his testicals before he left for our farm. The guy then said that after thinking about this deal, he wanted to GIVE me the horse and that he was already halfway to our farm.
Beauty arrived a few hrs later, sore stiff, lame and had a cold . Promtly he took out a chunk of my youngest son's arm, as I had forgotten to mention that he bites and Arian went to say hello. We kept him seperate for a few days and then let him join the herd. Funnily he kept to himself and a we thought to leave him be to just settle down and relax. He actually became rather nice , but distant. We dewormed him, fed him and he started to loose weight! When then fed him more 3x a day and he still kept loosing weight. Then I though ok perhaps he is not used to any food ( we had to teach him about concentrates) and I just let him graze. He still lost weight. I called the vet and was advised to deworm him again every day for 5 days with Panacur paste and again same procedure 3 weeks later. Well hello, this did the trick like u wont believe. Beauty has so grown into himself these last 2 months and does his name justice. He has become so sweet, no more biting and kicking. Best of all he comes up to us now to say hello. He still needs to be schooled, Brus has taken him on 1 outride and he was so good mostly. He tries to rear when he thinks NO, that's all. What was really weird is the night I had first seen Beauty, I dreamt and thought of him, as if the horse was talking to me, telling me that he will be fine. I did not really want him, being a stallion and full of baggage, possibly upsetting and causing havoc in our heard. He has done nothing at all to cause any trouble or disturbance. The mares are seperated by an elecric fence only, and even when in season Beauty kept his calm, did not try to break out even though he naturally reacted to the sexy mare. He does ejaculate and according to the vet he is entire, even after his dreadful ordeal with the bedizzer. So now we are thinking about having him castrated but are very worried as to how he will react, as he now loves and trusts us. A possibilty is to put him out totally whilst the op is performed, but I am still scared to hurt him and to destroy his trust. So far keeping him entire has been easy as he does not act stallionish at all. I dont think that he is a rig. He boxes beautifully too now. Oh yes, also remember I mentioned that Beauty was given to us? Well 2 weeks after having him, the guy called to say that he misses/loves his horse so much and wants him back. Some money changed hands and he felt much better.
We on the other hand are very happy to have Beauty with us and that he has changed from a monster to a delight.

[Debbie Marshall]

Amazing how money can stop someone missing his horse!!!!!!

Thank you for sharing this story and for being willing and able to bring this horse back and give him a future.

My experience with the horses that we have rescued and rehabilitated is that they don't hold a correctly done gelding against you.

If you intend keeping him and he is causing no problems and his stallionhood doesn't cause him frustration then there is no need to geld but long term he may be a happier horse without what is left of his crown jewels.