Chulo
Rescued: February 3, 2011.
Chulo is a grey gelding, believed to be about about six years old when rescued in 2011, and a very good-natured pony. He came to us when his owner contacted our rescue centre because she could no longer afford his upkeep.
Chulo (which means "cool" in Spanish) had been bought as a young horse by an English girl, who unfortunately put him into a working riding school far too young. As a result, he tilted his pelvis.
Chulo was then brought to our part of Spain and placed in another riding school, where he went on to dislocate his shoulder. Because he could then no longer be used in the school, his owner was told she’d have to pay his vet bills and full livery fees.
Unable to afford these costs, she contacted us. We agreed to take poor Chulo because nobody else would have him now that he was basically unrideable.
When he arrived, we noticed Chulo had developed the habit of “wind sucking”, which horses usually develop as a result of boredom or stress. It is therefore probable that he had been locked in a stable for long periods of time. This makes him prone to colic, so he needs to live permanently outdoors.
Chulo can now be ridden but only extremely lightly as he does have a lot of problems. He's not suitable for arena work as he can’t go in circles and he also struggles to walk in straight lines due to his tilted pelvis. He’s actually probably more suited to being a companion horse.
Chulo is a little aggressive in a group and doesn’t like other males, which is why we’ve placed him with a group of females, where he lives very happily. Around humans, he is absolutely lovely, with a very kind nature.
As a non-profit foundation staffed almost entirely by volunteers, we rely on your donations to continue our work to save horses like Chulo, and to cover their ongoing feeding and care costs. Find out how you can help here.