Susan Weeding
WE lost our Sophia a few days ago.
We’ve had many dramatic rescues over the years, but Sophia was the start of it all.
Nine years and one month ago, the Guardia called us out to rescue four horses from the gypsies.
When we got to the industrial estate where the horses were tied up, the officer kept repeating ‘get in, get the horses, and get out’.
The officer had his weapon drawn, ready for action.
This was when realised even the police are afraid of the gypsies – they can be a law unto themselves.
We found the horses tied to bushes, one had a thorn in his eye and it had dried up like a raisin.
Sophia was absolutely skeletal, and it was clear she’d been exploited for breeding year in, year out.
At first, the Guardia told us to stash them in different hiding places – the gypsies will stop at nothing to get their property back.
But they tracked down one of the four rescues and began driving past shouting and threatening violence, so we had to scramble for a new hiding place.
Sophia at this point was pregnant and having severe problems. Her abdomen muscles were sagging down from her years of abuse, and she had infections in her uterus. The baby inside was dying.
We had to make the dangerous decision to take her to the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre, come hell or high water.
Sophia couldn’t handle antibiotics, so our vet Dorothea had to inject oxygen into the amniotic fluid. It was touch and go. It was a miracle she gave birth to Katy Rose.
Sadly, Sophia’s past life has finally caught up with her.
We kept her as healthy as we could to fight her infections and muscular damage, but it became too much. Last week, she collapsed in a fit and we couldn’t get her up again.
It’s an emotional story for us. These horses come to us broken and damaged. We don’t care if they can’t be ridden; we do everything we can to treat them like a horse should be treated.
But there’s always a time to say goodbye.
The saving grace is that Sophie’s voice is what you hear at the end of each Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre video.
It’s so sad, but nice to think her voice will live on.
Find out more at easyhorsecare.net/ and please leave a donation to allow Rod and Susan to continue their fantastic work.
Call: +34 652 021 980
Email: rescue@easyhorsecare.net
READ MORE:
- COLUMN: Two disabled ponies find friendship at the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre in Rojales, writes Susan Weeding
- Locked in a cupboard in an abandoned warehouse, Manolo was one of the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre’s most traumatised rescues, writes Susan Weeding
- A carousel pony savagely beaten begins his rehabilitation at the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre, writes Susan Weeding
- After surprise births and tragic deaths, peacocks are now firm favourites at the Easy Care Horse Rescue Centre, writes columnist Susan Weeding
