Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre

It's March and spring is here, there's been some lovely sunny days recently bringing the visitors to the Centre, although, as I type the heavens have actually just opened and it's pouring down, so maybe not time just yet to bring out the summer wardrobe! Although we have been taking the blankets off the horses and in doing so got a little surprise as it seems that Mimosa is in foal, will keep you all posted!

Rod and Sue Weeding 

New baby donkey Valentine was born at the Rescue Centre on 15th February and obviously being born the day after Valentine's Day, what else could we have called him but Valentine! Despite an icy and freezing cold entrance to the world, both Valentine and mother Gin were well and the volunteers worked round the clock to keep them warm and well fed. Gin arrived at the Centre last summer along with Tonic and was already in foal. They were rescued after one of Easy Horse Care's volunteers, Cassandra, bought them from the gypsy owners for 400€ guaranteeing their happy and healthy future. Valentine was found at around 6am by mother and son volunteer team Margit and Pierre who were carrying out their morning routine.

After 3 lots of maggot treatment over a period of 3 months on Cookie's front feet, the recent visit by the farrier has revealed good news – the treatment seems to be working revealing there is a good blood supply to the feet and the tissue is regenerating itself. It is hopefully the end of a lot of treatment that Cookie has had since coming to the Rescue Centre. She had severe issues and laminitis, one of the most common causes of lameness and disability in horses and ponies. Our vet Gasper from Equi Health in Barcelona was visiting clients in the area and made a special trip down to the Centre and treated her and rebuilt both feet but once back at the Centre she unfortunately caught laminitis once again, believed to be due to being fed something she shouldn't have received. “It is one of the reasons why we ask visitors not to feed the horses,” says Sue, “we took her back to Barcelona and Gasper suggested maggot treatment to get up there and clean all the debris and it is paying off!

As well as Cookie, Arisco II is also well on the mend. The once purebread Spanish military horse arrived in the New Year and was slowly starving to death but he is gaining weight and looking much more healthy! He was also facing numerous surgical procedures including an operation on his fetlock as an old injury was causing calcification and breaking of the bone, but vet Dorothea has been injecting fluid and cortisone into Arisco and it seems to have improved and he will avoid the operating table for this one, however, there are still problems with his manhood that is not in its correct position. Now on steroid injections and gaining weight he will soon be strong enough to have the operation to correct it once Dorothea has decided on the best procedure. He will also be castrated.

Thanks to the Mayor of Daya Vieja's continued support and commitment to Easy Horse Care, he has agreed that we can hold a weekend market in the village. If anyone is interested in having a stall at the forthcoming market they should contact Mo, the charity shop co-ordinator, on 682 288 304 or email admin@easyhorsecare.net Pitches cost just 5€ with space for over 100 stalls! The market is going to be every weekend starting on Saturday 31^st March and Sunday 1^st April.More items of clothing and bric a brac is also much needed for the Quesada store.

Why not come and join us on Easter Sunday for our annual Easter Eggstravaganza! With the fun starting from 1pm, there will be prizes for the best bonnet for both adults and children, an Easter egg hunt, music from Cathy Carson and TAABS, a display from the pony club and the café and tea room will be open throughout the afternoon where you can enjoy hearty meals and home-made cakes.

Finally a quick update on Faith. We visited her at Equi Health in Sant Cougat, Barcelona a few weeks ago and are pleased to say she is doing amazingly well. She has just had her skin graft where 30 tiny pieces of skin were grafted on to her stump to stop the flesh from protruding. Once she has the proper skin it will harden and the flesh will stop growing which means her prosthesis will fit better and be much more comfortable for her. This is the second part of the amputation that we knew would happen and all the team in Barcelona are delighted with her progress and we send a special big thank you to Claudio and Raquel who are caring for Faith on a daily basis.

For more information on the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre call Sue on 652 021 980 or email rescue@easyhorsecare.net and don't forget to follow us on facebook and check out Faith's new facebook page where she will be chatting to Molly the Pony in America.