In the winter of 2023, HorseWorld received a call that would change a young pony’s life forever. A member of the public had discovered a dead, emaciated pony in a field and immediately reported it to the RSPCA. On further investigation, another young pony was found in the same field - still alive, but extremely malnourished and weak. The survivor was brought to HorseWorld, and we named him Soul.
You can watch his rescue below:
At the time of Soul's rescue, our facilities were already full to capacity and the exceptionally wet winter was putting huge strain on our team. But when we heard about Soul, we knew we couldn’t turn him away.
On the day of the rescue, the weather reflected the mood - bleak, cold, and rainy, with flooding across the roads. When our team arrived, they found Soul standing miserably in the corner of a flooded field shelter. His only food was the hay the RSPCA had managed to provide before our arrival. He was hungrily tucking in as though afraid it might be taken away, a heart-breaking sign of how long it had been since he’d had a full belly.
As our grooms approached, Soul didn’t resist. It was clear he had been handled before and he quietly accepted a headcollar, walking straight up the ramp into the trailer. But as we closed the door, he let out a whinny, calling for his friend. Of course, no whinny came back.
Soul’s companion, later identified as Denz, had not been so lucky. A post-mortem revealed no food in his system, no fat reserves, and a horrendous worm burden. It was likely that Soul’s own body was in a similar state, which meant his rehabilitation would need to be extremely cautious and carefully monitored. His young life hung on a knife’s edge.
The ponies’ owner was later traced and prosecuted, but our priority was to focus on the living - on giving Soul the second chance that he so desperately needed.
Soul's road to recovery
Soul was estimated to be between seven to nine months old when he was rescued. Foals normally spend at least their first six months by their mother’s side, making it all the more shocking how quickly Soul and Denz had deteriorated without proper care.
With round-the-clock attention from our grooms and the expert guidance of our veterinary team, Soul began to gain strength. His feed had to be carefully managed to avoid overwhelming his system, while his worm burden was treated gradually to give his weakened body a chance to recover. He lived for quite some time in the safety of our isolation unit where he could be monitored and have the time to heal and recover.
Finding friendship
While Soul was grieving the loss of Denz, he found comfort in an unexpected friend - another young rescue pony called Forest, who had also endured a traumatic start in life.
The two bonded quickly, giving each other the companionship and playfulness they had both been missing. With Forest by his side, Soul’s sadness began to lift, and his cheeky, curious nature started to shine through. Their friendship became a crucial part of his emotional recovery.
Soul today...
Against the odds, Soul has made an incredible recovery. From the depressed, starving foal we first met, he has grown into a happy, playful, and curious youngster. Together with Forest and the rest of the HorseWorld herd, he enjoys the safety, friendship, and love he once lived without.
At Christmas, we launched a special appeal in his honour 'Soul’s Stable of Stars' to remember his rescue and to help other horses like him find safety, care, and hope. The response was incredible, showing just how deeply his story touched people’s hearts.
Today, Soul is also one of our much-loved sponsor ponies. By sponsoring Soul, you can play a direct role in his ongoing care and be part of his amazing journey from heartbreak to happiness.
