There’s a New Horse at Autumn Ridge

Please welcome Lance! Lance is a Belgian gelding who was surrendered to CDHR on Sunday. Just over a month ago, Lance was purchased sight unseen from an advertisement. Unfortunately, once he arrived at his new home, it was clear Lance was not quite the horse that had been described in the ad. His new owner knew she needed help to find him a more appropriate home. We are so thankful she did the right thing and reached out looking for help.

This past Sunday, a few of our volunteers drove out and picked Lance up.

We were told what we sadly hear every once in a while, that he can be dangerous, he doesn't like his legs touched, he doesn't like his sides felt, he doesn't want to be caught or haltered, he will kick, and even cow kick. Thankfully we are familiar with dealing with these problems as we have seen our share of similar cases here at CDHR over the years.

Lance arrived safe and sound on Sunday at Autumn Ridge. Dr. Golub was able to do a quick exam of Lance upon arrival. Lance is approximately 25-30 yrs old (unlike his ad, which stated he was 15 years old). This poor boy has a sinus infection, bad teeth, old injuries, and he clearly has seen many years of heavy work and heavy hands. He is underweight, and his body is covered in scars, he's missing hair, he bears collar and tack marks, including bit scars in the corners of his mouth. We hope we can help Lance heal, let him know life can be good, and find him his forever home.

After his initial exam, Lance was led to our quarantine barn, where he was tucked in for the night with fresh, cold water, all the hay he could want, a bedded stall, and a fan to keep him cool. After making sure he was all set, we left him to decompress and settle into his new surroundings.

First thing on Monday morning, after reviewing all the information we had on Lance, under the direction of Dr. Stacey, a couple of our volunteers worked with Lance. Lance needed a medicated bath and a treatment for lice. Lance was leery and scared, but he never once attempted to kick or run away, and we had him haltered in just a few minutes. We then took some time just being around Lance, and then slowly, the hose was introduced. It took a few minutes, but Lance seemed to enjoy his hose down; he was calm as we brushed and treated him with a medicated shampoo. He was rinsed, adorned with a nice new fly mask, and treated for lice. The most rewarding part of the morning was removing his halter and not having him bolt. Hopefully, this was the first of many moments where Lance recognizes he is safe.

Welcome, sweet boy, to the rest of your gentle, peaceful life.

If you wish to make a donation to support Lance please click HERE.