Vinny
Rescued: Septemer 17, 2011
Vinny came to us via a German woman who was forced to suddenly return to her own country and could not take her horses with her.
She pleaded with us to help and, concerned for the welfare of Vinny – an old and unsound horse, then aged about 17 and unlikely to be wanted by anyone else – we agreed to take him in September 2011.
When he arrived, Vinny had a severe skin condition that caused his entire coat to fall out each summer. This old horse also suffered arthritis and joint problems – yet he was still being ridden before his rescue.
We immediately placed Vinny on arthritis medication, which dramatically relieved his symptoms. We also put him into permanent retirement and will ensure he is never ridden again.
Interestingly, fed on a diet of Fast Fibre, Vinny’s skin problems have completely healed up, too. This specialist high-fibre, low-starch and low-sugar feed is boosted with essential vitamins and minerals. We firmly believe a balanced diet is crucial to horse health, which is why we import Fast Fibre from the United Kingdom. We are so happy to see Vinny thriving on the right feed.
Now in a much better state of health, we can see why this old boy was originally named Vistoso, which means ‘gorgeous’ or ‘flamboyant’ in Spanish – Vinny (our shortened version of his name) truly is a beauty.
What’s more, Vinny immediately landed himself a girlfriend upon arrival at our centre. The second our girl Hope set eyes on this handsome man, she fell in love. The two now go everywhere together, a happy ending for two happy horses.
As a non-profit foundation staffed almost entirely by volunteers, we rely on your donations to continue our work to save horses like Vinny, and to cover their ongoing feeding and care costs. Find out how you can help here.
– Story written by Koren Helbig