When a riding club closes down in Delhi where do the horses go? Of course… Friendicoes!
Friendicoes Lifetime Sanctuary care in Gurgaon which is home to 72 rescued & retired horses recently welcomed 14 new resident equines from a riding club. The equines are not only fragile, stressed and underweight but are also suffering from various degenerative bone and joint issues due to which they cannot be used for riding any longer. The youngest one, Tiny is 8 years old and the oldest, Rose is 20 years old. These magnificent animals have a lifespan of approximately 25 to 28 years but due to being neglected, over worked and poor standard of care they develop health issues even before they touch middle age. Weak animal protection laws and insignificant punishment for animal cruelty acts means these animals are abused and exploited by their owners most of who put them to work too early and follow training techniques that are harsher than required because they want to “break them in” fast and earn the bucks even faster. Result: stunted growth, bad joints, nervous animals and life span cut short.
What is unknown to most people is that riding clubs can be a very cruel place. The horses are often underfed & over worked; they are let out to ride beyond advisable hours. Many are ridden to the brink of collapse and the owners do not think twice before selling a lame or non ride able horse to “tongawalas”, brick kilns or simply abandoning them on the side of the road.
So far in 2019 alone Friendicoes has taken in 39 new rescued & retired horses from the Delhi Police, riding clubs as well as through the helpline calls. Taking care of horses is an expensive affair as most horse owners and passionate equestrians would know and we could use some help with their daily dietary needs, to refurbishing of stables, employing additional caregivers, and affording latest medicine & veterinary care. So we are depending on horse and pony lovers to please spare a thought for these rescued animals, now retired to a life of dignity and care, but still needing plenty of support from generous big hearted folks out there.
Horses are known to have high emotional intelligence, and while they might not be able to read minds but they can certainly read human faces according to a study conducted by University of Sussex. They are also known to be compassionate with a strong sense of loyalty. History is dotted with stories of horses sacrificing for their humans. All the more to think about and intervene when we see horses, ponies or mules being ill treated!
Friendicoes finds it hard to say no to any animal in need and because of that our lifetime care sanctuary is overflowing with animals. Please come forward and do your bit to help these animals live the rest of their lives without the fear of going hungry or mistreated ever again. Your contribution can be either in kind or in money. You can also become an active volunteer by coming and spending time with our horses and showering them with some love and treats.
For Friendicoes it’s a lifelong commitment; one we take very seriously. But without the help of kind folks out there it is a herculean job at the least.
You can make a donation today by clicking on Donate.