Neglected Horse Thought Dead Rescued And Nursed Back To Health By Volunteers

By Amy Pilkington, Diply

We hear a lot about dog and cats being rescued and rehabilitated. It's practically a genre all its own.

Those stories are important and wonderful and inspiring, but it's important to remember that it's not just domesticated pets who suffer and need rescue.

Many smaller rescue organizations focus on specific animals, and they need our awareness and support too.

Here 4 Horses Equine Charity is a rescue that focuses on the wellbeing of horses and ponies, and they have an incredible transformation to share.

The story of Heidi starts with a concerned resident of East Durham, England reporting a troubling building site. Amidst the mud and garbage, there seemed to be the body of a dead horse.

A volunteer from the British Horse Society went to check it out and was shocked to discover that the horse was still breathing.

The neglect that had led to the pony's condition was staggering and some people may have decided that mercy was the best action.

But the BHS volunteer turned to Here4Horses to give the horse, who was named Heidi, a chance for recovery.

Heidi couldn't stand or walk on her own, needing five weeks to regain enough strength to do so.

Many healthy horses donated blood and plasma as Heidi fought to regain her strength.

Besides severe starvation, Heidi had numerous pressure sores, worms, parasites, and various infections.

It took months of slow, careful treatment for her to recover enough to safely explore the outside pasture.

Eventually, though, they began to see the first signs that Heidi wouldn't just survive, but she would thrive.

And once her wounds had healed enough for her hair to grow back, Heidi's true beauty began to shine through.

Look at Heidi now!

It took more than a year for Heidi's full transformation, but now she is an award-winning pony!

It's all thanks to Here4Horses, who weren't willing to give up on her.

According to their spokesperson, the rescue comes across only one or two horses per year who are in as bad of shape as Heidi was.

In fact, they are currently rehabilitating another pony in need of similar treatment.

See more at: Diply