Among a group of equines rescued from appalling conditions in Malaga last year was a grey mare and her filly foal. The emaciated horses had been roaming around the streets desperately searching for food and had finally been barricaded inside a rubbish dump, where there was also a dead pregnant mare. They were brought to ARCH in the nick of time but, sadly, it was too late to save the old stallion.
Bella and her daughter were both petrified of humans and obviously had had no reason to trust them. Over the coming months they gained condition with regular food but remained shy and unwilling to connect with volunteers. Gradually, thanks to many hours of work from Elly, they both improved and the youngster in particular enjoyed more interaction.
Finding the right homes for horses who have been so traumatised is not an easy task, as they need experienced handling and sensitive care. Now we are happy to report that both Bella and her daughter (whom we named Ida) have found their special humans who will give them consistent one-to-one attention.
Not only have they found new homes, they also have new names! Bella is now Amira (Arabic for Princess), Ida has been renamed Zendaya (which comes from an African language and means “to give thanks”). We wish them both very happy lives.
