It’s been a very busy time at ARCH over the last few weeks. As well as our high-profile cases, Zingaro and Fabiola, there were other new arrivals. Followers will be familiar with Corrie and Frontera who were two horses rescued from appalling conditions in a huge dealer’s yard in January. SEPRONA in San Roque, who confiscated the horses, donkeys and mules involved, contacted us again to say that they had discovered more horses hidden away by the same dealer and could we help. Our two new ones are Izcar and Caramelo. Izcar, a 17-year-old mare is virtually blind and Caramelo, a six- year-old gelding has had a serious injury to one of his hooves in the past. Fortunately, neither is in bad condition, unlike the starving animals from the first rescue. Izcar (above) is a gentle girl who manages well and we will be looking for a companion home for her with fixed fencing. Caramelo (below) has had his hooves done by our farrier Jaime and should be sound enough for light work once he has rebalanced himself.
Shortly afterwards we were approached once again by SEPRONA in Rute (Cordoba province). Last year we had been involved in the case of several neglected equines being kept in what can only be described as a ditch. Despite the best efforts of all concerned, the judge refused permission to confiscate them. We did manage to rescue a donkey but sadly one of the mares involved died. When they discovered that the ditch was once again being used to keep animals, SEPRONA managed to get permission and the neglected mare named Picasa (aged 20) and the donkey, called Mohino (16) are now safe at ARCH.
And now we also have two new ponies with us. (It is fortunate that we now have all the new paddocks.) Ana, a 12-year-old skewbald mare had been found abandoned and put into a dog pound in Murcia. Pirata, a six-year-old gelding had been rescued by another charity. Both ponies came to ARCH together and will shortly be looking for suitable homes.
