A trio of abused and neglected horses are finally going back to where they belong, as they will soon be set into the wild to roam free.
According to the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals, the three horses — Silver, Annie, and Phoebe — were among a group of 20 horses seized by authorities from a private owner in Maine, and reportedly suffered from “abuse and neglect from humans.”
“They were so malnourished, their internal organs were failing,” the society’s CEO Meris J. Bickford told Bangor Daily News.
Four of the horses had to be euthanized, while most were able to be adopted after being nursed back to health. But it was decided that Silver, Annie and Phoebe would be better off in the wild, as they are untamed horses who have resisted human contact.
“Silver, Annie, and Phoebe are mature mustangs that will truly thrive back in the wild,” the MSSPA wrote on Facebook. “They would always long for their freedom on the western ranges, unable to transition to domestic lives.”
So, the MSSPA partnered with Skydog Sanctuary to transfer the horses to Skydog Ranch, a 9,000-acre open range horse sanctuary in Oregon. The mustangs will reportedly arrive in two weeks, finally getting to live out their lives in peace and freedom.
It’s an inspiring turnaround for three horses who have suffered a lot at the hands of humans. Annie, a 24-year-old mustang mare, was rounded up in 2020 and was too old to be put up for adoption, so she was sold to the neglectful situation in Maine.
The older horse was understandably untrustworthy of humans: “Annie is still reluctant to trust,” MSSPA wrote. “She is the most challenging of the mustangs to handle and even had to be tranquilized with a dart gun in order to undergo routine health care.”
“Annie is a beautiful, intelligent horse with an indomitable will – she’s the boss mare of the mustang herd. Annie deserves to live the rest of her life in the freedom that is her birthright as an American mustang.”
Phoebe, 19, gave birth to a filly while in captivity in Maine, reportedly one of the horses who was adopted. While MSSPA writes that she is young enough to learn to trust humans, she spent most of her life as a free-roaming horse, and is still timid and hard to handle.
“It’s heartbreaking that human cruelty almost destroyed this beautiful horse’s sweetness and curiosity,” MSSPA wrote.
While these horses have endured a lot, it’s great to know that they will soon be able to live the rest of their lives in their natural habitat, free from the cruelty of humans.
Please share this good news if you love horses! 🐴❤️
