RESCUE UPDATE
Ever wondered what happens to the rescued horses and ponies you read about in the news? Wonder no more…
BUDDY WAS JUST 18 months old when he was found in Bristol in January 2011. He’d been living in a small paddock behind some houses and was only discovered after he escaped and collapsed in a neighbouring garden. His owner had covered him in a rug to disguise how emaciated he was – at 108kg, he weighed just a third of his ideal body weight. There was no time to lose and Buddy was taken to equine rescue charity HorseWorld, where staff worked around the clock to save his life. Closer inspection showed that he was not only severely underweight, but also riddled with redworm and suffering from severe diarrhoea. He was given six blood transfusions and hooked up to a drip to keep him alive. He had to be lifted to his feet every two hours to reach food. Kayleigh Sivier, a groom at HorseWorld, said: “Buddy looked ready to die and was so weak his head had to be supported by grooms. If he laid down, he was unable to get himself back up again and became distressed that he couldn’t get to his food. “In his efforts to get up, he’d rub sores on his shoulders, hips and head where his bones protruded through his fragile skin.” It was a long road for Buddy, with his care costing more than £2,600 in the first three weeks alone, but gradually he made a full recovery. Thanks to HorseWorld’s team of grooms and trainers, Buddy can now be ridden and he even found his forever home last September. Sarah Hollister, manager at HorseWorld, said: “Buddy is one of the worst cases of neglect HorseWorld has seen in a long time. “The fact that Buddy kept fighting was enough inspiration for us to fight just as hard to save his young life. Now — seeing him start his new life as a riding pony with a family that loves him — makes it all worthwhile.“