Many horses pass through the Rescue Centre but perhaps there has been none quite as special as Fabiola who sadly left us today (Wednesday 16th July). She arrived in February 2021 (when we were still wearing masks during COVID), found tethered and apparently abandoned in appalling weather. She was skin and bone and having great difficulty in breathing, having fallen in the lorry bringing her to ARCH. At first Rocio thought she was suffering from pneumonia, but further investigation revealed she had a paralysed larynx and needed a tracheotomy to help her breathe. At thirty years of age and in such poor condition, no one held out a great deal of hope for her survival.

But Fabiola confounded us all. For four years she has lived happily at the Centre, the darling of all the volunteers and a firm favourite with visitors. She always demanded attention and loved being groomed and fussed over. Fabi was our star, our poster girl and our calendar girl. She appeared in the local papers and in videos.
Lately we knew her days were probably numbered. She had lost so much weight, not having any teeth meant she could not take on enough nutritious food despite our giving her several buckets of mash each day (and she was always more than ready for them, hanging through the fence opposite the feed room). She had also become very unsteady on her legs. This morning, they gave way completely and though she tried valiantly to get back up it was not to be. Our old girl’s time had run out and we helped her to leave peacefully surrounded by love.
Fabi you were one of a kind. We will all miss you.