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MOSCOW REGION, RUSSIA MAY 24, 2021: A horse of the Chance for Life shelter for neglected and unwanted horses lying in a field in the village of Shipulino, Klin District, Moscow Region. Many horses kept at the shelter were bought at a slaughterhouse where they were sent due to old age or injuries. The shelter provides horses with good care and offers physical rehabilitation. The shelter operates as a charity foundation protecting and supporting animals. Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS PUBLICATIONxINxGERxAUTxONLY TS101271
via Imago
MOSCOW REGION, RUSSIA MAY 24, 2021: A horse of the Chance for Life shelter for neglected and unwanted horses lying in a field in the village of Shipulino, Klin District, Moscow Region. Many horses kept at the shelter were bought at a slaughterhouse where they were sent due to old age or injuries. The shelter provides horses with good care and offers physical rehabilitation. The shelter operates as a charity foundation protecting and supporting animals. Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS PUBLICATIONxINxGERxAUTxONLY TS101271
It is often said that nothing in the world is truly dark or benevolent. However, some things badly jolt this worldview by showing us how dark things can actually be. In a very unfortunate and chilling incident, an old mare was subjected to a heinous assault. The news of theauman incident has shocked the entire equestrian community.
The brutalized mare is very old and fragile and only has one eye. However, this fact failed to scathe the conscience of a sick individual who subjected it to such an evil act. The caretakers of the mare are sick with worry for their beloved companion. An equestrian news portal shared the information with netizens via a social media post.
Former equestrian horse was unrideable
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Cheyenne is a 40-year-old mare residing at the Willows Animal Sanctuary & Animal Assisted Therapy Unit. The distressing incident took place on August 1st, 2023, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. According to the therapy center, Cheyenne is their oldest resident and needs a lot of care. The center accepts horses that are unrideable owing to physical injuries, behavioral issues, and old age. Cheyenne, a former equestrian mare, is now unrideable due to her advanced age. The mare has missing teeth and an absent eye, requiring special care for all her needs, particularly feeding and nutrition. Cheyenne’s caretakers were filled with horror when they observed something dreadful: “Cheyenne had blood all over her tail,” her caretakers recalled.
‘Sick with worry’: 40-year-old one-eyed mare injured internally in horrific assault https://t.co/i9WCFXzf03 pic.twitter.com/tZ6ZJSYqpz
— Horse & Hound (@horseandhound) August 9, 2023
The owners of the former equestrian horse grew suspicious when Cheyenne, who was usually quiet, appeared jumpy. They became deeply upset and terrified by what they observed. Cheyenne was sedated for an examination by the veterinarian. The vet asked Cheyenne’s caretakers to summon the police as the mare had been penetrated and brutalized by someone using a sharp object. The vet said the action was repeated multiple times and had severely injured it internally and externally. A spokesperson of the therapy center said, “We feel rather helpless and it makes us all realize just how fragile everything is.” Cheyenne has stayed at the therapy center for more than 20 years and has helped several people with depression.
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Therapy horse helped several people attain healing
Willows Animal Sanctuary & Animal Assisted Therapy Unit offers animal therapy to people. The center is a safe haven for former equestrian horses who have become unrideable. Thus, the center acts as a space where both people and horses heal simultaneously. Being their oldest resident, Cheyenne has healed and brightened the life of several people. “She is a very gentle sweet pony who has given a lot to people in her lifetime and it’s been so unfair that she has been the innocent victim of this terrible assault,” said one of the staff.
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While Cheyenne went through a terrible ordeal, she has now started to recover. One of the spokespersons of the Willows therapy center said that the former equestrian horse is doing better now. Several people from the local community have donated money for Cheyenne’s treatment and care. The owners of the therapy center were happy to see people trying to help them out. They said that while some people shake their faith in humanity, several others promptly step up and restore it.
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