Hoofed Standoff: Rescuers Left Puzzled When Abandoned Horse Refuses To Move

We are fortunate to live in a world where the vast majority of people know to treat animals with compassion and kindness. Sadly, not everyone has learned this. Animals, by their very nature, need to be protected, loved and stood up for. After all, they don’t have voices that they can use to speak for themselves.

It is a devastating fact that animal abuse continues to plague the world. Out of all forms, however, few are more heartbreaking than abandonment and neglect. That is exactly what our article today is about: the innocence of animals and the effects that being treated poorly can have on them. Grab a box of tissues and read on to learn about a loyal horse named Fudge and the details surrounding its life.

A Small Spanish Town

Our story begins in a small and ordinarily quiet town on the coast of Spain. It was the kind of town where everybody knew everybody, meaning news traveled fast. That said, there was rarely noteworthy news, much less exciting or thrilling. However, the locals were about to be in for a shock.

For most residents in the area, the days just rolled into each other, and they had fallen into the same regular routine where each morning felt the same. That was until one day when a police officer discovered something far from the ordinary.

A Local Police Officer

The day had started exactly the same as every other morning for this police officer. He woke up, got in his car, and started a patrol around town. Law enforcement rarely saw any major crimes, and even petty crimes were few and far between.

As he picked up his partner to start their workday, the officer could feel that he was going to have a relaxing and trouble-free day. Unfortunately for him, he was far from correct. Instead, it would be a day that changed many people’s lives forever.

The Usual Routine

After picking his partner up, they went about their day, following the usual routine as regimentally as always. They would either walk or drive around the town looking for any signs of crime or distress, and then they would go get some lunch or a coffee to bring with them on their drives.

Most days of the week, this would be enough to take them up until the end of their shift. They would then go home after an uneventful day, relax, and prepare for the next morning. However, this day was different.

A Strange Report

The officers had grabbed their morning coffees and had just started sipping them when a bizarre report came in through the radio. It stated that a citizen had found an animal by itself waiting next to a tree and that there was something “off” about the situation.

To many seasoned inner-city police officers, this report would sound mild as so many of that kind came in throughout the day. The officers expected to find something like a cat or a small animal stuck on a fence. Little did they know that they would soon be staring at something very unusual.

Searching for the Animal

With very little else to do that day, the police officers fired up their engines and started on the hunt for the lonely animal. They were a little confused as to why this was something for them to deal with, but they figured that it was at least something to do.

They had very little to go on when it came to finding the animal. All they knew was the rough location where the call came from and that it would be an animal standing next to a tree alone. They searched up and down the road until, eventually, they spotted the cause for concern—a horse.

Danger

It is not right to leave an animal on its own in any town, let alone a quiet town where people may not know how to react to such animals. There are a lot of issues that can occur, such as car accidents and even an attack from the scared animal itself.

Not to mention the harm such an act could cause the animal. Being left alone is quite dangerous as it could be stolen, killed, hit by a car, or even attacked by a wild animal. The police knew they would have to act fast to keep everyone in the area safe.

A Small Horse

As the police drew closer, it became pretty apparent that this was, in fact, the animal that the call was about. It was a horse that had its head pointed firmly toward the ground. The police approached it carefully in order to understand the full extent of the problem.

They slowly and cautiously walked towards it from its side, being careful not to spook the animal in case it lashed out and kicked them, which could be fatal. When they were finally close enough, their jaws dropped at the gruesome sight before them.

Much More Serious

Within seconds the officers realized why they were asked to deal with the animal rather than a local farmer or veterinary office. The horse was in horrible condition. The situation was more urgent than they had realized. They would have to hurry up if they wanted to save the horse.

Just one call and their entire day had been changed. They were now dealing with a very serious and exceptionally disturbing sight, But before anything else, they would have to pick their jaws up from the floor. This was an emergency.

Horrific Condition

The horse had been tied tightly to the lone tree and left to try and survive by itself. Not only that, but it was also covered in blood, scratches, and gaping wounds. It was truly in bad shape and was desperate for compassion and help.

Aside from the obvious, gory injuries, the horse was sadly also famished and starving to a point of near death. Its ribs looked as if they would soon pierce the horse’s skin. Frankly, it was more skinny than any other horse the officers had seen.

What Had Caused This?

Being police officers, the men immediately got to work and started investigating what could have caused this mess to begin with. They examined the scene and pondered all possible theories. One of the likely ones was that an animal had attacked the horse.

However, this didn’t explain why it was tied tightly to the tree. There was only one animal that could have done this, a human. All the evidence pointed towards one thing—a human had neglected, abused, and abandoned the poor defenseless animal. But why?

Calling for BackUp

It was “go time.” The first thing the officers needed to do was to rescue the poor dying horse. But it was abundantly clear that the horse was way too big to fit in the back of their police car. They would have to make a few calls, and they knew just where to start.

The officers immediately phoned a local animal rescue shelter since they would have the equipment and knowledge on what to do next. After all, this was very different from anything the police officers had dealt with previously. Luckily, they were getting help from the best of the best.

ECHRC

Nearby was the “Easy Care Horse Rescue Center” or the ECHRC. This is exactly what their bio explains—a local horse rescue center that was set up in town by Sue Weeding, a local animal, and more specifically, a horse expert.

Sue created and was the head of a ranch that was dedicated to horses, ponies, donkeys, and a few other animals, so she knew exactly what to do. The police informed Sue of their situation and asked if she would be able to help. Would she have what it takes to rescue this horse?

To the Rescue

The police officers described the scene to the ECHRC and asked if they had any vehicles that could transport the horse and get it some urgent care. Sue and the rest of the ECHRC assured the police that they would be over as soon as they possibly could.

The police were desperate to understand what had happened. They wanted to comb over the area slowly and delicately to look for any clues as to who left the horse there. But their first priority was to care for the horse.

 Waiting for Help

All they could do at the time was comfort the horse and ensure it was as relaxed and comfortable as it could possibly be, given the situation. They stroked it reassuringly and offered it some water to drink and grass to chew on. Sadly, it wanted none of it.

They were devastated to see such a beautiful creature in such dire circumstances, which fueled their anger toward the cruel monster who left it there. They looked for clues but ultimately came up empty-handed. That was until something new happened.

Help Was Here

The ECHRC was finally there to give some much-needed assistance! They immediately exited the vehicle and prepared the transportation trailer so that they could quickly and efficiently get the horse some emergency medical care. But this was much easier said than done.

After a quick inspection of the horse and a speedy look around, the professionals concluded that the animal had, in fact, been beaten severely by a human and that it was close to death. They wanted to rescue it immediately but one more twist meant that this would be near impossible.

Refusing to Move

The horse refused to lift its head from the ground. In fact, the entire time that the police had been there, it had not once lifted its head. Not even to look at them and assess them for danger. This was bad news as it could mean several bad things.

Either the horse was so badly injured that it physically couldn’t move its head, or it was so stubborn that it outright refused. Either way, it made the whole operation ten times more difficult. Getting the horse to cooperate and get in their vehicle would not be an easy task.

Bribing it

It was vital to the rescuers to somehow find a way to get the horse to willingly move and lift its head. Without this, there would be no way to save it. The horse’s life was at risk, and it didn’t even know it.

The ECHRC members and the police officers tried a variety of methods to encourage the horse to move until, eventually, one strategy proved successful. They bribed it with a range of food, and after a long while, the horse finally took the bait.

An Emergency Visit to the Hospital

With the horse finally moved from its position, they were able to safely transport it into the carrier trailer on their vehicle. Without a second of hesitation, they rushed it to the hospital. The situation was truly life and death.

On the way, they were only able to determine that the horse was male but nothing else without the doctor’s examination. All the medical staff were utterly shocked and deeply saddened by the horse’s condition. Everyone was worried about its chances of survival.

Examination

The doctors fully understood that not only did they have to save this poor creature, but they also had to comfort it and keep it from being distressed. It had already been through too much, and any negative response could have serious effects on the horse’s health.

The doctors fed the horse and gave it clean water whilst they conducted their tests and inspections. Soon enough, they started getting a much clearer picture of what had happened. They weren’t surprised to learn that the horse had internal wounds in addition to the visible ones.

Their Findings

Once all the tests had been conducted, the doctors were able to provide the police and rescue shelter workers with some information. This included the horse’s age, injuries, and conditions prior to its discovery. Needless to say, the diagnosis was very dark and difficult to hear.

The professionals determined that the horse was approximately twenty years old and it had likely been abandoned due to it being too old to be useful to the owners anymore. Everyone was heartbroken and enraged by this, but they got even angrier when they were informed of the injuries.

The Injuries

The old pony had suffered horrendous injuries at the hands of its ex-owner, including a few broken neck bones, eye injuries, internal bleeding, and some serious external cuts and bruises. Sadly, it seemed that the horse would definitely lose one eye even after surgery.

All this information meant that the pieces were starting to fall into place. The horse didn’t lift its head because the neck injuries meant that if it moved, it would be in pure agony and extreme danger. Who could do such a thing to a poor, defenseless animal?

Much-Needed Surgery

After all the witnesses had been informed of all that the doctors knew, they sat in shock. All they could do was pray for the horse’s survival as it went in for emergency surgery. The whole situation was desperate. The poor horse would need a miracle to survive.

They all sat and waited patiently for the doctors to come and give them the news. It felt like time was moving in slow motion, and the surgery took much longer than they would have expected. Finally, the doctors came out to give them the news.

Surgery Success

The doctors informed everyone that they had managed to save the horse and had improved its condition. Sadly, they were unable to save the horse’s eye. They didn’t know how to feel. It was tragic that the horse had lost an eye but wonderful that it would live.

They were told that when it woke up from surgery, it would well and truly be on a long road to recovery. But with a lot of support, it would be fine. Sue and her team stepped in as they knew just what to do to ensure the horse would recover as much as possible.

A New Home

They took the pony back to the ranch. It was clear that this was the only option, and fortunately, it was the exact reason why the ECHRC was started in the first place. They placed it in its own stable whilst it was still unconscious and anxiously waited for the animal to wake up.

When it finally woke up, it was obvious that the pony was terrified and anxious around humans. This was not surprising since its last owner nearly beat it to death. Thankfully, they were able to calm it down, and it eventually started to trust them.

Making Good Progress

Over time the horse became more and more sociable and was even a favorite among visitors and other animals. It healed well and became a very popular member of the rescue center. It was great to see the animal making real progress in its healing, both mentally and physically.

Not only was it getting healthier and eating more, but it was also gaining weight at an exceptional speed. The majestic beast’s recovery time was truly a testament to Sue and her team’s commitment. Without them, it almost certainly would have had a much bleaker ending.

Popularity Online

After some time, Sue made the decision to post the horse’s recovery online on a variety of social media platforms. This made it easy for people across the world to track its progress and learn about the horse’s intriguing story.

Thousands and thousands of people were captivated and moved by his story and they all joined in to read more about him and to spread the word. People were even sending money to Sue to help with the costs of saving and maintaining the horse’s health.

One Problem

With all of the popularity he was gaining online, there was only one problem—they still hadn’t given the horse a name. Sue had a great idea on how to give it a name that was special, meaningful, and beloved by the entire community.

To get the community involved, Sue posted a poll online and asked for people to vote on what they would like the horse to be called. A lot of names were suggested, but only one was the right name for this special creature.

Fudge

Towards the end of the voting process, there were only a few names left that the community could vote on, and they were: Coco, Fuzzy, and Fudge. Of course, the people chose Fudge as its name and the rest was history.

Fudge was the perfect name for the beautiful stallion as the horse’s coat was a soft and gorgeous brown color, just like chocolate fudge. A wonderful name for a wonderful horse. However, Fudge wasn’t quite out of the danger zone just yet.

A Final Examination

Even though he had healed remarkably well, was much happier, and was eating a lot more, it didn’t mean that Fudge would definitely be healthy enough to survive. He could have still had some horrific internal injuries that he couldn’t make them aware of. He needed one last check-up from a doctor.

On the day of the doctor’s arrival, you could sense the tension in the air. All of the staff and visitors held their breath in anticipation of the doctor’s assessment. If it wasn’t good, then it was possible that Fudge would need to be put down, and nobody wanted that.

What Were the Results?

If you’re anxious to hear about what the results were, then imagine how nervous and downright terrified Sue and her team were. They were keeping busy by working around the stable, but truthfully no one could concentrate on anything other than the doctor’s verdict.

At last, the doctor came out and informed Sue of Fudge’s result. He had passed! The doctor said that he would struggle to run and exercise and that he shouldn’t be left alone, but other than that, he was just as fit and healthy as any other horse.

Where is Fudge These Days?

You’ll be happy to hear that Fudge is still living out his days happily and healthily at Sue’s ranch with help from Sue and her team. He is absolutely fine and has a happier life than he ever did before he was rescued.

In the end, it all worked out for the best. In terms of finding the horrible person who hurt Fudge, the police have said they are still looking, but they don’t think they’ll ever find the culprit responsible for nearly killing Fudge.