Rehoming

A tale of three princesses

admin Germany, Good News, Rehoming

A tale of three princesses

Where does one even start with this incredible story- over the past few years we seem to have accumulated a little herd of elderly grey mare ponies. All the same size, all with big personalities, all with the same story, abandoned for one reason or another.
But these 3 amigos will stay in our minds and our hearts for a lifetime. Introducing- Cassie, Dottie and Faith, three girls from 3 different parts of Ireland, who made their way to us here at HHO, they are older ladies ranging from about 14-17, they were here quite a while but we noticed the three stuck together, where there was one, you would be sure to find the three of them, they happily lived in each others company. When they were not rolling in muck- they had an air of elegance, flowing manes, gentle personalities, almost aging with dignity and a lifetime of stories to tell, with just enough attitude to let us know they were full of their own importance, they affectionately became known as the “princesses” to us here at HHO. 

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My Delilah

admin Before and After, Cruelty Case, Germany, Rehoming, Rescue

Hey there Delilah!

Each and every rescue horse has it’s own story to tell. Delilah’s story was one of the most heart breaking , angering and distressful we have ever experienced. To understand, you have to feel the scene. In winter 2016, we got a call about a field of horses, no food, no water, no care. With every passing day another passed away, another statistic. Upon arriving at the field we could see the urgency and action needed to be taken now. Bones scattered the area, walking further and further in we were met with decomposing carcasses, young horses, old horses all shapes and sizes, all succumbed to the same fate.
As we looked around we set about rescuing the living ones, no easy task in such a sparce area but we perservered and managed to get the remaining 9, weak, weary, shaking with cold and hunger we loaded them one by one, mammys and babies, youngsters and older ladies all made as cosy as possible on the lorry. We were afraid of the journey so a snail’s pace back to longford, there was no choice, we couldn’t leave them in what could only be described as a graveyard.
The next week is one that will haunt us all at hungry horse, an endless round of lifting weak horses, 5 in total, helping them get their footing, willing them to fight. Fight back and to see the future but sadly for these 5, that future wasn’t to be. More tears were cried during their time at HHO than we ever thought possible. We’re not easily shocked, or startled, we’ve seen things that we never believed we would but one by One, we lost them, we were too late.
And then there were 4, scrawny, hungry, saddened horses reaching to us to help them. So we swallowed out tears and put the horrors behind us and kept it together for their sake. Delilah being one of them, we distinctly remember watching Delilah and saying ‘at least she ia not in as bad a state as the others, she will make it’ and as those words lingered in the air a sudden realisation dawned on us- why were we accepting this? We shouldn’t be drawing comparisons to her comrades, here In front of us stood a mare, who you could count every Rib, her back bone protruding, covered in rain rash, yet we had said ‘at least she’s not as bad as the others’- despite everything that had happened a new anger boiled inside us, for Delilah and her remaining companions, these horses should have had the world at their feet but they were left to rot and die.
Luckily Delilah and her remaining friends began to thrive, with good care and some compassion. Soon we hardly recognised them, their lifelessness only a distant memory, day in day out they were stronger until the day each one of them went home.
Home to their families, the hell they went through just a distant memory. As we loaded Delilah on to a lorry Germany bound, we couldn’t help but be proud of her, after everything, she oozed with confidence, her trusting nature a testament to the mare she always was, even when she was suffering so badly. Delilah left us over a year ago now, she settled in to her home and gives great joy to her family, we can’t help but smile when we get sent photos of our girls new life- being the princess we always knew she was.

What is it they say? One man’s rubbish.

Delilah. From Sad to Happy

Mystery’s story. From unwanted to wow! Look how fantastic she looks now?

admin Before and After, Germany, Good News, Rehoming

To tell HHO Mystery’s story, we need to step back to the summer of 2014. The summer started the same as every other, watching for the grass to start growing, almost measuring it to see when there was a sufficient amount of fresh grass to allow our ever growing herd out, and the day came! There is nothing quite like the joy when we begin the annual great escape, the fun and frollocks of the ponies when they hit that fresh grass after being confined all winter long, the wet, windy, cold days just a memory.
So each year we come up with a plan, we divide our herd in to groups, our boys in one place, our girls in another, our mares in foal, our yearlings and so on. Day by day we start letting them out to their designated spot.

Whilst checking our cob group one morning, something just doesn’t look right, walking through them, looking at all their little faces, something is puzzling us. We were sure we only had 8 in this field, counting again and again there was 9. This surely warrants a closer examination, standing in the middle of these cobs, a little face lifts from the grass, one we hadn’t seen before. A frail and wobbly little girl, a sad little face, a face that told the tale of a whole winters suffering. Still puzzled by how she got there, who she was, this is the moment when you ask “are we actually losing the plot?, How could we not know this pony?”. Then as the cogs inside our heads start turning we realise she had been put there purposely, for us to find. Thus gave rise to a very fitting name HHO Mystery.

From that day to this, no one ever called us enquiring about her, no one ever reported her missing, no one ever even cared if she lived or died. But she did live- and she blossomed and grew and fitted in to life at HHO with her new found herd. Her character developed, her passion for life shone through and suddenly she wasn’t the mystery cob anymore she was just Mystery.

Mystery stayed with HHO a little over a year, where she was overlooked time and time again, no one seemed to want this beautiful little girl, but lone behold- Mystery’s Miracle happened. A family from Germany fell in love with our girl and asked to bring her home and just like that she left us for her new life.

From unwanted to wow! Look how fantastic she looks now? Loved, this is what dreams are made of, 3 years at home, full of love and security.

 

Mystery. From unwanted to wow!

 

11 Donkeys & 1 Big Move

admin Donkey, Good News, Rehoming

Donkeys on the move

 

Today is a day that will go down in HHO history, a new and exciting adventure, almost weekly we see a transport truck roll in to the yard to bring our ponies and horses to their new homes, it is nothing unusual and has become normal at HHO but this morning a little after 7 am, the very first load of HHO donkeys began their journey to a new life in Scotland and there was actually tears.

To help you fully understand why there is a constant struggle for homes in Ireland, donkeys are often notoriously neglected, taken for granted animals, maybe even seen as less important, we’re faced with hundreds of donkey complaints, donkey problems and donkey neglect annually, we do our utmost for each and every one of them to save their lives, correct the overgrown hooves and put back together the pieces of broken little hearts, the amount of donkeys that come to us far exceed the homes stepping forward. We were reaching a breaking point with them- there was no more room, space just wasn’t there, there was no light at the end of the tunnel for these little pets and we were sweating- what about the next donkey, can we help it? Where will we put it? What is the long-term plan? Can we start a campaign to make all the good people of Ireland aware these donkeys need help and most of all need good families of their own. 

In the midst of constant worry about these donkeys and we were quickly clocking up the numbers, we reached out to Donkey Welfare agencies and got a response- yes, we can help, yes, we have homes, already vetted and waiting for the donkey of their dreams and it spiraled.
Today 11 beautiful little boys left us to begin an adventure of a lifetime, crossing to Scotland where they will be placed in loving, secure homes and we couldn’t be happier for them. 

We cannot even express how grateful we are to the good people of Scotland for helping our own donkey crisis. To the Donkey Sanctuary in Ireland for supporting when and where they could, Sai Sanctuary for also supporting and advising and taking as many donkeys in as they could, to our farrier who is always on hand to help mend these manmade problems.

 So as they travel in comfort, we eagerly await news of their arrival, we’re hopeful it will be the start of something wonderful for these Irish donkeys.
Thank you to everyone who helped and to those considering adopting a donkey or two, please get in touch, there are so many who need help.

 

 

Alice in Sagoland

admin Equine Welfare Progress, Good News, Rehoming

A dream life for our Alice

 

This is HHO Alice, it’s so wonderful seeing how far she’s come since we took her in.

As you can see she is loving her new life across the world in the beautiful country of Sweden.

We only wish the best for her in her new home, as we do for all our rehomed horses, ponies, and Donkeys.

Let’s keep up the good work, and continue to help Ireland’s precious equine.

Thanks to all our supporters

 

Goodbye Girls and Boys

admin Germany, Good News, Rehoming

We’ve had another busy week at HHO but a journey has finally come to an end for another 10 of Ireland’s Forgotten

Last Friday we packed little suitcases and waved goodbye, to Twinkle, Shannon, Sparky, Rubble, Eddie, Menthos, Spirit, Angelina as well as Forgotten Dory and Forgotten Maeve.
We’re incredibly proud to have had a small part to play in their journey home, to be but a stepping stone for them, between their past and their new families.

They reached their new families over the past few days in Germany and Austria and we couldn’t be prouder of our little army taking on Europe. Each one with a tragic story of their own, cast aside in favor of a new life.

Good luck our little pets and we’ll be watching as always

 

Sathya Sai

admin Donkey, Equine Welfare Progress, Good News, Media, Rehoming, Rescue

An update on our donkeys from other days as it turns out we have 3 very old ladies in their late twenties early thirties we needed sanctuary for them fast, And big thanks to Sathya Sai Donkey Sanctuary in Sligo for making space straight away.
Look at the ladies being greeted at their new home, it really would melt hearts to see these animals getting all the love they deserve.

PLEASE SUPPORT THEIR WORK

http://www.donkeys.ie/

From little acorns

admin Before and After, Equine Welfare Progress, Germany, Good News, Rehoming, Rescue

It doesn’t seem so long ago we were reporting about a little 6 week old foal being thrown over our wall. So fragile and small, needing round the clock care and his little body battered and bruised from the impact.

It’s hard to believe that over a year has passed and our little Maple has blossomed in to a stunning young man, full of happiness and confidence. Loving each day of his life. Maple immediately captured all our hearts at HHO, he was the little one who no matter how your day was brought a smile to our faces.When Maple recovered and was strong enough he was offered for adoption and his perfect family found him.
Maple left us just over 3 weeks ago and we think you’ll agree he seems to have found his hooves with Isabel and her family in Germany. 

We’re so proud of how far he has come and we look forward to watching him develop over the coming years. Every late night and bottle feed was worth it.