Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre

Our mission is to rescue and rehabilitate abused, neglected and abandoned horses, ponies and donkeys, while campaigning for the better treatment of animals across Spain. We are a no-kill foundation and provide each rescued animal with a safe and loving sanctuary – either here at our centre or via rehoming – for the rest of their lives.

Mimosa

Mimosa on April 24 2017 - photo Elaine Warnock

Rescued: August 2, 2011

Young Mimosa was discovered locked in a cage-like enclosure near San Luis, extremely malnourished and neglected.

Her rescue actually began with a terribly thin horse named Blanca, who was tied beside a road near San Luis without food or water, prompting a resident to call our centre.

One of our nearby volunteers went to investigate and, after giving poor Blanca some water, ventured further down the path toward some buildings.

There, our volunteer found skeletal Mimosa locked in a cage, with another horse named Oscar nearby. Two donkeys named Gin and Tonic were there too, trapped in an old building in darkness and wading around in their own urine and faeces.

Mimosa in 2013

We immediately went to the property to assess the situation for ourselves and then contacted police. The police warned that we were on private property and advised us to leave. The warning came too late, and the owners arrived as we hung up the phone.

We spoke to the owners and, since there was no police back-up on site, we offered to purchase the horses and donkeys. After a heated discussion, they agreed to sell Blanca on the spot. The battle to free Gin and Tonic continued over the next few days.

But it took almost two months to rescue Mimosa, while Oscar couldn’t be freed until late 2015. The whole ordeal gained extensive local media coverage, which assisted in our plight.

Mimosa in May 2011

Finally, negotiations to secure Mimosa’s release were settled and in August 2011 she was brought to our rescue centre, safe and free at last.

We immediately noticed that Mimosa, aged about six and a half when rescued, suffered psychological problems as a result of being caged for so long. She is also prone to going lame and at times needs specialised farrier treatment.

But we began to notice a marked improvement in Mimosa’s mental state from about April 2012, when we placed a new rescue named Luna in her field. Luna, too, suffers psychological issues, likely as a result of past abuse and we hoped the companionship of other horses might help to bread down her mental barriers. It worked wonders.

Luna and Mimosa on April 24 2017 photo Elaine Warnock

Mimosa and Luna hit it off straight away and have been inseparable ever since. On the odd occasion that we’ve had to temporarily remove Mimosa to treat ongoing problems with her hooves, Luna has called out non-stop and is simply inconsolable until her best friend returns.

These days Mimosa, which means "affectionate" or “loving” in Spanish, is very much living up to her name. While still wary of strangers, she is much more trusting around humans she knows. It is so wonderful to see her grow healthy and happy after fighting for so many weeks to free her.

Mimosa with Kamilla in September 2016 photo by Eckhard Strittmatter

As a non-profit foundation staffed almost entirely by volunteers, we rely on your donations to continue our work to save horses like Mimosa, and to cover their ongoing feeding and care costs. Find out how you can help here.