As rescue workers made their way across a ton of dirt and mud, they had no idea the situation that they were getting themselves into. They had gotten a call about an abandoned rusty trailer, but they never expected to find what they did inside!
20. Dirt Everywhere
Animal rescue workers walked through mud and dirt to get to an abandoned trailer. The area stunk of horse feces and the rescuers were continuing to sink further into the dirt and grime. So what were they doing there?
19. Phone Call
The animal rescue team was responding to a phone call that they had received earlier that day. A neighbor had seen that there were seven abandoned horses living along Hood River, Oregon. They were in a bad circumstance…
18. Abandoned
The seven horses had been left without anyone to care for them. They were both starving and dehydrated. Not to mention, their hooves were beginning to decay from the swamp-like conditions that they were standing in.
17. Reporting It
The neighbor finally noticed what was going on and called an animal rescue team. Members of Silent Wave Horse Rescue and 3 Sisters Equine Refuge responded to the phone call immediately. They all headed out to the area.
16. A Plan
The team had an entire plan on how they would rescue all of the horses. Everything was seemingly going according to plan until something unexpected happened. There was a strange noise coming from a locked trailer nearby.
15. Strange Noise
“I heard the clambering of hooves as I walked past,” Lisa Neuburger, executive director of Silent Wave Horse Rescue, told The Dodo. “I looked in and saw this little guy … I’ve have had nightmares ever since.”
14. Heartbreaking Sight
So the workers made their way over to the trailer and broke it open. What they saw inside absolutely broke their hearts. Inside of the darkness was a tiny miniature horse!
13. Mini Horse
The mini horse had been locked inside of the dark trailer for who knows how long. When they got closer to him they could see that he was covered in wounds and lice. It was also obvious that he hadn’t had anything to eat in a long time.
12. Scared
The poor mini horse was scared for his life! “He backed up against the wall in fear,” Neuburger said. “We tried getting a halter on him to lead him out and his legs locked up.”
11. Suffering
No one knew how long the horse had been locked inside of the trailer. However, it was evident that the poor horse had been in there for a while and had suffered a lot. It took four people to lift him up and out of the trailer.
10. First Save
“Rascal ended up being our first one out of there,” Neuburger said. The rescue team was then able to successfully save the rest of the horses as well. Rascal, the name given to the mini horse, was the smallest of all of the horses.
9. Worst Condition
Rascal also happened to be in the worst condition of all the horses. He was terribly itchy from all of the lice that he would rub himself sore against metal sides of the trailer. His hooves had also rotted away from the damp ground.
8. Biggest Concern
“Our biggest concern were his long hooves and overall poor hoof condition,” Michele Lynn, a local horse lover who volunteered to foster Rascal told The Dodo. “He was pretty weak from being locked in the trailer. When we first got him, he would try to run and fell down every time.”
7. Recovering
However, soon enough Rascal began to recover day by day. With enough love, vitamins, and tons of good food he began to build up his strength and his wounds were practically gone. He had also grown out a thick coat!
6. Six Months
“It took about six months of love before Rascal started to trust me,” Lynn said. “Over the past year, he’s spent time playing with his farm friends, grazing on lots of green grass and learning to be led around with a halter on.”
5. Strong Bonds
Rascal’s bond with Lynn only continued to grow stronger and stronger. When he saw that she only wanted the best for him his trust in humans was once again restored. However, Lynn wasn’t the only one he managed to bond with!
4. Friendship
Rascal also managed to develop a close friendship with another horse on the farm. The horse is Spanky and Spanky was rescued from slaughter. Together these two found solace in one another.
3. Spending Time
Together, Spanky and Rascal have a ton of fun on the farm. They are always running around and playing with each other. It’s quite the sweet friendship that these two share.
2. Special Job
Lynn has also noticed just how loving and sweet Rascal is and thinks that a special job might be in his future. “This next year, I hope to do some training with him so he can be a therapy horse,” Lynn said. “He has lots of personality and is [a] very sweet boy.”
1. Wonderful Rescue
Thanks to the wonderful rescue team that went out of their way to help Rascal, he is now doing better than ever. Someday soon, Rascal will be providing others with comfort as well!