On January 5, 2021, we welcomed four new horses to SAFE. These three ponies and one full sized mare had been seized by Animal Control after a 5th horse on the property died due to neglect. The survivors all suffered from overgrown hooves, lice, malnutrition, and lack of dental care, causing painful ulcerations in their mouths. They also have enormous worm loads, which we are treating careful to rid them of while avoiding an overload of toxins to their systems. The four horses seized are:
Valentine, a 16 year old grade mare, who suffered a laceration over her right eye during transport. Our vet was able to stitch the wound cleanly, and Valentine won our hearts right there and then with her kind and calm demeanor during the process. She is a good-sized mare who seems quite gentle, but we can’t tell for sure if she was a riding horses in the past or not. She’s very cute, with a huge blaze and a bright chestnut coat. Getting to know her will be an enjoyable process!
Sundae is a brown and white pinto pony with two blue eyes. She is estimated to be 25 years old. She’s reluctant to be touched, but she’s curious, so it probably won’t be too long before she comes around. Sundae will be offered as a companion. She’s a small pony, standing 11.0hh.
Breve is also a small pony (11.0hh). She’s a lovely chocolate palomino with a pretty blaze and one white foot. She’s estimated to be 4.5 years old, so she may have a future ahead as a riding pony. She’s also pretty shy, a little more so than Breve, but she’s getting accustomed to being caught and handled.
Razin is the smallest of the group at 10hh and he looks very much like a baby, but his teeth show that he’s at least 4 years old. He looks like he might be a cross between a pony and a mini horses. He’s very dark bay with a bleached mane and tail, a star and snip, and two socks on his hinds. Razin is not down with being caught or touched, but he’s already learning to be haltered and led. He’s got a lot of energy. He may be suitable for carrying a small child at some point, but he might do better as a cart pony.
Our new charges are settling in well. We were informed by Animal Control that their old owner had 4 more ponies hidden on his property, including two pony stallions, a pony mare, and a 6 month old. He has surrendered these to Animal Control, so they are likely to be arriving at SAFE by the end of this month.
