Horse trapped under trailer 'doing well'

A horse that was rescued last month after being found trapped under a trailer is said to be doing well.

The 14hh mare – now known as Minty – was taken back to HorseWorld in Bristol and given a safe home to recover from her ordeal. The team at the charity say the she is now fit and well and out in the paddock with other horses.  

Minty was found in an industrial area of Avonmouth, Bristol by the Avon and Somerset Fire Service Animal Rescue team. The area she was being kept in was a littered with rubbish, gas canisters and upturned cars and poor Minty had trapped her leg underneath a trailer, preventing her from getting up.

After being sedated by a vet, the rescue team used straps, a drag board and specialised rescue equipment to free the mare. She had lacerations from her leg where she had been struggling to escape and was incredibly nervous of people.

The team at HorseWorld say the she is now fit and well and out in the paddock with other horses

On closer inspection, the rescue team could see that the mare had been put through horrendous suffering. The inside and corners of her mouth had been badly cut and it’s thought that a bit had been left in her mouth and pulled tightly for some time.

She also had sores all over her back where a training roller or saddle pad had been left on for too long and in all weathers. As a result, Minty had no trust in humans and it took several hours for the team from HorseWorld to coax her into a trailer to take her back to safety.

HorseWorld’s managing director, Mark Owen, said: “On arrival, her demeanour was that of a horse who had emotionally shut down. Her eyes were glazed and she would completely blank us if we spoke to her over the stable door. Her injuries were consistent with brutal training methods so it’s not hard to see why, but it was utterly heart-breaking to see a horse with such broken spirit.”

With some much needed care and attention, staff at HorseWorld have turned Minty’s life around and she now enjoys days out in the paddock with other horses from the rescue centre.

To find out more information about HorseWorld, please visit www.horseworld.org.uk