A young mare who suffered a fractured skull and injuries all over her body when she was trampled in a “grossly overloaded” lorry is now almost unrecognisable, in her forever home.
H&H reported in January that Redwings had taken in Glorious; a spokesperson for the charity said a driver heading for the Continent with a lorryload of horses told people at an authorised stopping place that he had a dead horse on board.
“Glorious, as she was named by the horse welfare charity, had sustained crushing injuries after being unavoidably trampled by other horses on a grossly overloaded lorry,” a Redwings spokesperson said. “She had a large wound on her head, a fractured skull, and injuries all over her body that got worse before they got better as her damaged skin sloughed off revealing deep open wounds.”
Glorious on arrival
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Redwings has today (25 September) shared pictures of the mare’s transformation, as she lives among friends.
“Glorious is simply unrecognisable as the same horse we took in, which is testament to the skills, expertise and experience of every member of staff who has been involved with her,” said Nic De Brauwere, Redwings’ head of welfare and behaviour. “Glorious’ recovery from her injuries involved many months of treatment from our experienced welfare vets, as well as other veterinary experts brought in to help.”
Mr De Brauwere said the issue was not simply Glorious’s physical injuries; she had to recover from the mental trauma as well, so the charity’s behaviour team stepped in.
“Their work is vital in turning a frightened horse into a happy one, which is of course our aim,” he said.
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“What isn’t obvious from the photos is the severe protective behaviour Glorious has around food. We can only imagine what led an otherwise relaxed and happy horse to be so difficult when anyone gets between her and any nearby food. This turned out to be a much bigger challenge than overcoming her understandable dislike of the handling needed to care for her various wounds.
Glorious recently with her friend Bruni
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
“Thanks to our supporters we can provide Glorious with all of the specialist support our behaviour team can provide in a safe, sanctuary home for the rest of her life.”
Redwings launched its Ready to Rescue appeal this year to raise funds and awareness of its work.
“To help ensure Redwings is always Ready to Rescue and provide treatment and ongoing care for horses like Glorious, please donate whatever you can,” the spokesperson said.
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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.
