A foal who wrung rescuers’ hearts by calling to his dead friend as he was saved from a flooded field by HorseWorld has got “the happy ending everyone hoped for”.
He has now been rehomed with his best friend Trigger, another youngster taken into HorseWorld’s care.
“In the depths of winter 2023, a single phone call set in motion a rescue that would heartbreakingly expose the reality of equine neglect and ultimately showcase the life-changing effect of animal welfare charities working together to save lives,” a HorseWorld spokesperson said.
“A member of the public had discovered a dead, emaciated pony lying in a flooded field and immediately contacted the RSPCA. When officers arrived, they found another young pony still alive nearby, painfully thin, weak and fighting to survive. With time running out, the RSPCA called HorseWorld for urgent help.”
The spokesperson said Soul, named to “reflect the quiet strength he had shown against the odds”, was rescued on a very wet day, and that it was clear how hungry he was. But he appeared used to human handling, walking calmly on to the trailer – but calling to his friend, who was lying dead nearby.
The ponies’ owner was prosecuted and Soul started his rehabilitation at HorseWorld.
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“Rather than dwelling on the trauma these ponies had suffered, our focus had to be on helping Soul heal both physically and emotionally,” said the charity’s head of equine welfare, Sarah Hollister. “He was still just a baby.”
The pony was the face of HorseWorld’s “Soul’s stable of stars” campaign a year later, celebrating the lives of people’s two- and four-legged loved ones, including Soul’s friend.
“Now, two years on, Soul’s story has the happy ending everyone hoped for,” the spokesperson said. “Fully rehabilitated and thriving, Soul has been rehomed alongside his best friend Trigger; another young rescue pony who grew up with him during their recovery at HorseWorld. Together, the inseparable pair settled into their new home, where they spent Christmas safe, loved and finally at peace.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
