When rescuers at the Humane Society of North Texas (HSNT) went to help rescue a horse, they were shocked by what they found. However, with care and support, the once severely emaciated horse has undergone an amazing transformation.
In early September, Steve Stevens, Director of Equine and Livestock at HSNT received a call from HSNT’s cruelty director, Dave, to pick up Sierra, a horse from north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, as neighbors were concerned about the horse’s weight.
“In this circumstance, horses had been removed from this horse owner before,“ Stevens told The Epoch Times. ”This would have been a Cruelty seizure but the owner signed over ownership when we arrived instead of going to court.”
It was soon discovered that Sierra was supposedly being used as a broodmare, but unfortunately, the owner could not keep weight on her.
When Stevens arrived to help rescue Sierra, she was huddled in a corner in a despondent state.
“She was not happy about me putting a halter on her but did not have much fight so with a little patience we were able to get it on,” Stevens said. “She loaded up like a champ and we headed back to the Humane Society of North Texas ranch.”
Sierra, who was fed only a little hay by her owner, came in with a body score of one which is the lowest possible. The veterinarians carried out a full well-being check and found that Sierra was missing some teeth, which prevented her from digesting hay properly. Her remaining teeth needed to be filed down, but she was too underweight to be sedated for the procedure.
Sierra was dewormed, microchipped, and given vaccinations. Her carers transitioned her to a soaked alfalfa diet to better meet her needs. She was evaluated by the organization’s contract trainer, Amanda, who began working with her to establish trust and develop a connection.
The mare was guided in relearning basics such as being led, picking up her feet, and forming a relationship with a human—all with the aim of restoring her back to health and building a foundation so that she can eventually be adopted.
“She is still a little untrusting,” Stevens said, “but through consistency is feeling more confident. Amanda believes she will make a great companion horse for both the human and/or another horse.”
At the time of writing, Sierra is bonding well with another horse named Holly, who was brought in because of cruel treatment.
“They have formed a herd quickly and seem to enjoy each other’s companionship,” Stevens said.
As Sierra is on her way to getting healthier, she is expected to soon be ready for her forever home.
“I am sure she will be placed soon,” Stevens said adding how amazing it has been to see Sierra put on weight so quickly and take to the program’s connection work.
The HSNT has adopted 50 horses to date. The organization’s main goal is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome horses. Additionally, team members work hard, often thinking outside of the box to help horses like Sierra find homes for life.
The other side of their mission is to educate and assist people who may not have the resources or know-how to help their horses.
“In most cases, people have just come on hard times and don’t know how to ask for help,” Stevens said. “They may not have the knowledge yet to care for horses and just need a little support. That is what we do as an organization.”
