Typically, horses’ hooves are supposed to be trimmed every three to four weeks, but one poor Shetland pony went ten agonizing years without getting his feet trimmed.
Over the years, the pony’s hooves grew so long that they curled around themselves and made it impossible to walk. And while the animal was clearly suffering, his cruel owner did nothing but lock him and another horse up in a hidden shelter.
Recently, however, the owner decided to surrender the two animals, and rescuers from the local sanctuary Animaux en Péril rushed to the property and found the starving animals in the shelter filled with two feet of manure.
“It is impossible to imagine the distress of the last few years, the omnipresent suffering, the hunger that gnaws and disintegrates, the torture of itching, the confinement in the impenetrable air,” the sanctuary wrote about the animals they named Poly and Everest. “Under torture time is infinite.”
While the starvation and neglect were bad enough, the rescuers were devastated by the sight of Poly’s overgrown hooves, which made it impossible for him to walk. “In 24 years of existence, our refuge has never hosted an equine with hooves so long,” the sanctuary said. They immediately trimmed the hooves before bathing, shaving, and feeding the two animals.
It’s still too soon to see if the years of neglect will have any lasting effects, but Poly and Everest are already doing much better after finally getting the care they desperately needed. “Poly and Everest are better already!” the sanctuary said. “[Poly] already feels much lighter … just as his companion in misfortune [does].”
the shocking state these poor animals were found in? Let us know what you think in the comments below and please SHARE this with friends on Facebook.
[Featured Image: Facebook/Animaux en Péril asbl]
Neglected Pony’s Hooves Grew So Long He Couldn’t Walk is an article from: LifeDaily