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Woman takes in abused 30-year-old horse and nurses him back to health
Poor Arthur just needed someone to help him.
Rachel Shapiro
09.27.21

When a horse named Arthur was 30 years old, his owners decided he was too old to be of use to them, and so they casually tossed him aside.

After that, the poor Belgian draft horse, whose long life had been filled with hard labor up to that point, was bounced around from dealer to dealer in the horse auction circuit.

Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary
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Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary

By the time Cindy Daigre found him at an auction in 2014, Arthur was literally at the end of the line.

The poor horse was so weak, he could barely stand up. Unless Cindy could save him, there would be no hope for this poor boy.

Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary
Source:
Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary

Horses are magnificent, highly intelligent animals who deserve love and respect, but sadly they’re still used and abused by disgraceful humans for their own selfish gain.

Cindy, who runs Ferrell Hollow Farm – a sanctuary for senior horses and cats in Tennessee – first discovered Arthur and his friend Max at a dealer in Pennsylvania. She explained to The Dodo how these unwanted seniors were rescued just in the knick of time:

“I pulled both Arthur and his buddy Max from dealers in Pennsylvania where they had been bounced around from auctions and were heading to New Holland, a high-kill auction, next.”

Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary
Source:
Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary

When Arthur finally arrived at his new home on the farm, he still wasn’t well enough to stand up. It was obvious that he was in really bad shape – his bones and ribs were poking through his skin.

The long trailer ride across state lines was rough, and all this beautiful horse could do was lay down and rest while his 22-year-old buddy Max munched on some grass nearby.

There’s no telling what horrors poor Arthur endured during his life as a workhorse in New England, but now that he was in a safe place, he finally had a chance to heal the wounds of his past.

The question was – did this beautiful boy have enough strength left to pull himself through? Cindy thought she could still see a glimmer of life left in those sad eyes and wasn’t about to give up on him!

Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary
Source:
Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary

After a thorough examination by the vet, it was discovered that Arthur had dermatitis, mites, and was lame in his front feet. That was in addition to the other ailments he was suffering from. No wonder he had problems standing upright!

Cindy did everything she could do to help this starving horse survive. This is her feeding Arthur his very first nibble of food on the day he arrived at the sanctuary.

Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary
Source:
Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary

Soon enough, Arthur was back on his feet.

He was still lame, but at least he could stand up on his own, and even prance around in the grass with his buddy Max. But his favorite activity, when he wasn’t yawning with adorable fierceness, was munching on crunchy hay! He actually preferred that over fresh green grass.

Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary
Source:
Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary

Arthur’s friend hadn’t fared much better when he first arrived at the sanctuary.

Max had suffered at the hands of his former owners, as evidenced by the scars all over his body.

“Max has a back injury with neurological issues as well as feet issues. He was physically abused and was so full of fear upon arrival and had no use for people. He was actually dangerous to work with.”

acebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary
Source:
acebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary

Thankfully, the special bond Max formed with Arthur helped him get past his initial fear.

In fact, their friendship helped them heal each other!

“…they do care for each other and would be upset if they were to be separated. [They have] a friendship formed through tragedy and then compassion.”

Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary
Source:
Facebook/Ferrell Hollow Farm-Senior Horse & Cat Sanctuary

With some love and care, Arthur and Max went from terrified, lonely horses to happy animals. The two seniors loved each other and the sanctuary, and it’s clear they found the place they belong.

A few years after arriving at the sanctuary, Max and Arthur sadly passed away from old age. But thankfully, the pair got to spend their golden years in a wonderful place where they got to experience so much happiness and joy.

Check out a video of another one of Ferrell Hollow Farm’s rescue horses below!

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