|
10 year old gray pony gelding, approximately 41"
at withers
Henry is an adorable, friendly pony who found himself
in a very bad situation on a local farm in Alabama. In October 2012,
we rescued Henry from people who were neglecting and starving him.
He was skin and bones, his feet were in horrible condition, and
it turns out he was riddled with ticks and rain rot. The previous
owner refused to acknowledge the truth about Henry's desperate situation,
and he required that we pay $300 to purchase the pony, so we did,
and now he's ours to rehab and rehome. (It should be noted that
the owners were reported to authorities, but it turns out Alabama
has basically NO legislation to prevent - or even define - animal
cruelty. So, the previous owner was given a 'slap on the wrist'
and nothing more. I worry about the other horses at that farm all
of the time...)
I do take comfort in the fact that Henry is bouncing
back wonderfully! He's very social and gets along great with all
of our horses, big and small. He used to run away from us when we
approached him, and now he walks right up to us looking for treats.
In December, we hope to find him a forever home where he can spend
the rest of his days being spoiled.
Henry Has A New Forever Home!
Henry has been adopted by a wonderful family in Waynesboro, Georgia.
He will be given to the family's young daughter on Christmas Eve
(yay!!!), and he will also learn to drive and become a part of a
therapeutic riding program. We couldn't be happier with Henry's
good fortune, and we look forward to updates!
The following is a semi-regular photo chronicle
of Henry's recovery:
October 10, 2012 - Henry, the day we found
him (that's me in the blue coat trying to remain calm and NOT attack
the owner!)
Day 1: Henry visited the vet ASAP. The photo
on the left shows the extreme visibility of his skeleton.
The head shot shows the sweet but sad eye he had the first couple
of days with us.
Day 1. Left: The condition in which we
found Henry's hind feet
Right: Henry finally made it to our house and ate a little grain/hay
in his quarantine paddock.
Day 5. Henry passed his Coggins test and
got a haircut and bath. His first grooming revealed that his neck/chest
were riddled with ticks,
so, I shaved him to make sure all of the ticks were removed. He
discovered clover, and he really started to perk up!
Day 18. Henry made it out of quarantine
and received his own blanket (and matching halter).
He's was so thin, I had to duct tape the body strap to make it
work until he grows into it.
Day 24. I had just removed Henry's blanket
so his fluffy coat was compressed -
provided me a better look at how/where he was gaining weight.
Day 26. I am battling the rain rot on Henry's
back, but it's so thick across his flank and down his hind legs
that I had to shave them in an effort to kill it. When I shaved
him, I noticed that his hind
quarters are looking rounder and less angular. =)
Day 27. Henry lives happily with Cody (chestnut broodmare) and
Miniman. He likes horses of all sizes and sexes!
Day 40. Fat and furry and oh-so-cute!!
Day 41. Dirty, dirty pony. My two ponies
apparently had a "Who can get the dirtiest?" contest
last night. Henry won.
December 14, 2012 - Day 65. Henry and his
biggest fan (my husband) hanging out.
December 25, 2012 - After 2.5 months of
rehab at KB Farm, Henry was delivered on Christmas Eve 2012 to
the wonderful Kendrick family of Waynesboro, GA. Henry will be
their daughter's pony, and he will also learn to drive
and be a part of a therapeutic riding program. We are thrilled
Henry has found such an amazing forever home!
|
