Spartan came to us on August 28th, 2020 as an owner-surrender. An obvious case of neglect, the initial veterinarian's report showed a glimpse into the terror this boy had been living. Spartan was at least 300 pounds underweight, suffering from a heart murmur, had several wounds needing specialty care, and in need of dental and farrier care. We also suspect he had tar on his back, most likely from standing under an overhang for shade and shelter. Over the past few weeks, Spartan has made quite the turnaround. He has been placed on a special re-feeding diet with weighed rations of grain and hay, along with slowly building his tolerance for grass consumption. He was also prescribed vitamins and minerals from our veterinarian. Spartan's road to full recovery is estimated to be a long one, but we are so happy he is with us and making leaps and bounds! The heart of a Thoroughbred never fails. You can follow Spartan's journey on our Facebook and Instagram pages!
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Easy is a former racehorse, originally bred and raced in Pennsylvania before being moved to Fairmount Racetrack. A close friend of our rescue, Artemio, trained Easy at one point in his career at Fairmount. Easy was retired from racing by his owner, and told Artemio that he was going to a great home. Time passed, and Artemio began to wonder about where Easy landed because they'd had such a great bond. What Artemio found out to be the truth was astonishing. He tracked down Easy, who was locked in a barn and starving to death. He was eating the wood around him as a last resort. He was on the edge of death. Artemio came to us with tears in his eyes, and said he needed help. We sent Artemio with a trailer, and a message for the monster who had Easy: let him go, or else. Easy is now “home” with us, and his beautiful, goofy personality shines every day. He is known around the barn for his "surprised" eyes, as seen in the photos above, and also for dancing at dinner time! He does require special care to this day - because he ate the wood of his stall while starving, he has almost no teeth. Easy sometimes requires his grain to be soaked into a mash (think porridge for horses!), and treats must be bite-sized (small cut carrots and apples, etc). To this day, whenever Artemio visits, Easy practically tears down the walls because he is so excited to see his old friend!
Our handsome “man of the barn”, 32yo stallion Comanche, is such a fighter! He came to us as a severe case of neglect and starvation from the State of Illinois, along with other horses. He was later found to have arthritis and lymphatic cancer, which requires several doses of medication daily. Comanche also gets treatment from an Equine Massage Therapist and Equine Chiropractor (we’re jealous!). This big guy is full of love and spunk and has touched the hearts of all who know him, including his favorite volunteer, Cheryl! Cheryl personally attends to Comanche and coordinates his care, and we are so grateful they found each other. Cheryl and Comanche are pictured here with a special needs class from Belleville West High School.