THE HORSE LISTENER
A little life is worth a lot A horse is a horse, of course, of course, writes CANDIDA BAKER, even when it’s only a few hands high.
I
t struck me the other day that for some curious reason, the rescues I’ve been involved with over the past year or so, have all been little folk. A few months ago, as President of Equus Alliance, a new and small charity dedicated to rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming, with an emphasis on education and advocacy, our very first
rescue was a Shetland pony from the Casino sale-yards, who had sadly found himself in the dogger pens. At the sales for research on a story about the broader issues of horse welfare in Australia, I was struck by how this little chap approached the bars of his yard the minute there was a child in view, but cowered back when adults reached out to him. He was grossly
overweight, but he had something – that indefinable air of a pony that wants to love, and be loved. I decided to wait and see whether someone private would buy him, he seemed so sweet I was sure they would, but when the little chap went for only $150 to a dogger, it was time to act, and with a few swift phone calls to the Committee, and a small amount of extra money $200 – to the dogger, Murray (as he was christened) became the charity’s first official rescue, going to a foster carer who already owned a Shetland, and was home to another mini-pony. At first things were a little complicated with Murray. Covered in mangy itch, with flaking skin and his tail rubbed raw, he was also extremely reluctant to be caught, although once he was, he became, his foster carer said, very sweet and cuddly – as long as you didn’t approach his head too fast. Over the next few months Murray settled into the groove, but we were all curious as to why such an essentially quiet pony was so scared around the head and so overweight. One day, his foster carer decided it was time to test out Murray’s skills as a therapy pony, and it was there that she deduced something of what may have been his past. When he arrived at the session, there was someone there with a bay thoroughbred mare, and as soon as he saw her Murray started calling out, trying his very best to get close to her.
A
It suddenly all fell into place. He’d most likely been used as a companion pony for a racehorse. It would explain his weight – he’d simply been fed whatever they were eating, and it would explain why he was head-shy, because he’d been pushed around as required, so to speak.
A: Sugar after her first equine lice wash. B: Sugar has taken to her foster carer, Elisha.
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HORSEVIBES MAGAZINE - OC TOBER 2019
