A 10-week-old Arabian foal is recovering at Lucy’s UK Donkey Foundation after being found with a significant untreated injury to a hindleg that resulted in the colt walking on his fetlock joint.
The tiny chestnut, called Danny, also had cigarette burns on his body and the whereabouts of his dam are unknown.
“The poor soul was really not in a good way. He came from a West Bank Palestinian village near Bethlehem, where he had been abused, injured and neglected. He had even had cigarettes stubbed out on him,” said Lucy, who founded the sanctuary in Israel.
“Even though he is at least in part of Arabian breeding, which should, incidentally, make him ‘valuable’, he had sustained a significant injury to his right hind leg which was left untreated, resulting in him being forced to walk on his fetlock.”
Splint and a special horse shoe
A vet estimates that the foal was injured at least a month before he was rescued.
“At first we were unsure whether he may have been born with a deformity, or whether it was an injury, but our vet confirmed that it was a result of severed ligaments,” said Lucy.
“He prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine along with some physiotherapy, and of course rest.
“We also tried making a splint to help encourage the lower leg to be in the right position, but our farrier has since told us that he will come by next week to check Danny and see about making him a special horse shoe to help him.”
Torture and abuse
Danny was originally spotted by a volunteer at an animal shelter in Bethlehem. They had to pay the foal’s abusers in order for them to hand him over into their care.
This is not ideal, explained Lucy, because it teaches people that if they abuse their horses, ponies or donkeys, they will be given money for them.
“There are cases sometimes, though, when you find you are faced with no alternative, because it’s just not possible to continue to witness the torture and abuse,” added Lucy.
“We worry very much about the mother of this little foal since we could get no information about her or her whereabouts. The anguish she must be going through without her foal by her side doesn’t bear thinking about.
“Danny is extremely sweet and is busy making friends with the donkeys, but isn’t so sure about our two big boy horses — Storm and Cowboy — as they’re not quite so tolerant of him yet.”
To support Danny’s recovery and help other abused equines, donations to Lucy’s UK Donkey Foundation can be made online here.
About the Foundation
Lucy’s UK Donkey Foundation is home to our 52 donkeys, horses and other animals rescued from horrific abuse in Israel and surrounding territories. In order to carry out its important work, it raises funds in the UK.
Donations also fund mobile veterinary clinics in Israeli Arab villages and areas of the Palestinian West Bank, although these are currently on hold due to the war.
The sanctuary also carries out work to educate donkey owners about better handling and care, and helps them to understand that their equines are sentient beings that will improve their livelihood if they are cared for well and not suffering.
To find out more about the sanctuary, click here.
