Two severely malnourished horses seized by Spanish police from a property at Alcantarilla, Murcia have been placed with the non-profit Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre at Rojales.
Co-founder Rod Weeding was called to assist a large cohort of about 11 national and local police officers at the rescue last Thursday (February 15), amid threats of violence.
The two mares were safely removed and it is understood police will look to prosecute the owner.
“The state of the older mare is just pitiful. This horse has literally been beaten into the ground and she is in a very fragile, critical state. The next few days will be crucial – we could still lose her. It’s horrendous, they have completely destroyed this horse,” said Easy Horse Care co-founder Sue Weeding.
“She’s desperately thin, covered in scars and has obviously been used for breeding her whole life. She’s only about 9 or 10 years old, but she’s in such a bad state we at first thought she was 20. She was actually quite close to death.
“The other mare is likely about a year old. She was probably still suckling milk, which is why she’s in nowhere near as bad a condition as the other mare. Can you imagine what her life would have been like, where she would she have ended up, without this intervention?”
The rescue centre, which receives no government funding despite regularly working with Spanish police on seizure cases, now has 112 horses, ponies and donkeys in its care.
Sue urgently called for donations to help cover the hefty rehabilitation and care costs of the two mares, stressing that such rescues can only continue with community support. Supporters can donate online at: easyhorsecare.net/donate/one-off-donation.
“Yet again, if we hadn’t gone all the way to Murcia, these horses would have been forced to remain there. That’s the reality of it, as police have no official facilities to house large seized animals,” Sue said.
“We’re overjoyed that the police are taking animal welfare seriously now – and we must help these officers do their work. If we had said no, there would have been nowhere for these horses to have been placed.
“But with our costs escalating each month, we must also find a way to move forward with the police so we can continue to take these animals in. These two horses are wards of court, which means we that by law we cannot rehome them, so they have to stay with us – which of course adds extra costs.”
Sue urged supporters to become a monthly donor from as little as €5 a month, saying regular donations help to ensure the long-term financial security of Easy Horse Care. Monthly sponsorship can be set up online at: easyhorsecare.net/donate/sponsor-a-horse.
Donations of cash or items for the centre’s network of six charity shops across the Alicante province are also gratefully welcomed. A pick-up service is available to collect large donated items such as furniture and each shop also offers a delivery service for large items purchased in-store.
Anyone interested in making a donation, becoming a long-term sponsor, or volunteering at the rescue centre or in the charity shops can call Sue on 652 021 980.
The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre, located just outside Rojales at Partido Lo Garriga, 59, opens to the public on the first Sunday of every month between 1pm and 4pm. A free horse tour with centre co-founder Rod Weeding begins at 2pm and refreshments are available in the café. For more details and directions, visit www.easyhorsecare.net. For regular updates, follow us on Facebook at @EasyHorseCare.
