Horse survived three weeks under rubble after devastating earthquake demolished owner’s house

A horse who was found trapped three weeks after earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria is alive and his owner has been located.

Footage widely shared on social media this week showed rescuers getting to the bay horse, and it scrambling up a rubble-strewn slope to safety. The rescue came 21 days after earthquakes caused widespread devastation and killed more than 50,000 people across the two countries.

A spokesman for the Turkish equestrian federation told H&H the horse was alive, and his owner had been located, but that the owner’s house had been demolished – and all his other animals died in the disaster.

“The team which rescued the horse declared they have given the horse the first aid that he needs and they will go back in 10 days to check on him,” the spokesman said. “We are trying to take the horse to a safer place but at the moment we have to give help to the family as well.”

As humanitarian support continues, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is also working to support affected animals in Turkey and Syria.

“We are pleased to announce that this week, IFAW is sending emergency aid to support the incredible and impactful work of two new organisations – Angel’s Farm Sanctuary, located in Izmir, Turkey, and Watan Foundation, an emergency relief group working with the Directorate of Agriculture of Gaziantep,” IFAW said on Wednesday (1 March). “Over the next few weeks, we will share more on the amazing work their teams are doing.”

Donations can be made via the IFAW website.

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Eleanor Jones

H&H news editor

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.