Bourbon was discovered in a heartbreaking condition
When our Welfare Team first discovered Bourbon, a two-year-old Arab colt, he was in a heartbreaking state. Standing alone in a small, barren field with hard ground and no natural grazing. Bourbon was severely underweight — his ribs and hips clearly visible, his coat dull and lifeless. It was clear he’d endured a very difficult start to life.
Because of your support, we can be there for horses like Bourbon, who is still on the road to recovery.
Will you help us to keep horses safe and warm this Christmas?
The rescue is just the beginning
Bourbon was signed into our care and made the journey to our Beech Trees Veterinary and Welfare Assessment Centre, travelling in our new horsebox kindly funded by supporters like you.
His body condition score was ‘poor’, and he was severely underweight. From the moment he arrived, our care team began his recovery plan, giving him the loving care that he desperately needed. We started a gentle feeding plan with fibre-based feed twice a day and unlimited hay, gradually increasing his grass access over a month to avoid health issues like colic.
However, Bourbon had continued to lose weight, and we suspected early on that an underlying health issue was the cause.
In August, Bourbon’s weight dropped from 276kg to 266kg in just five days. This is dangerously low for a horse of his breed and age, as a healthy weight would be between 386kg to 454kg. Blood tests revealed that his liver wasn’t functioning properly, which may explain his difficulty gaining weight. The tests indicated some damage to the liver. He was therefore started on a supplement to promote liver healing.
Bourbon is still receiving essential veterinary treatment, and his journey is far from over.
You make rescues like Bourbon’s possible
Bourbon was in a desperate situation, but with your support, we rescued him in time and set him on the road to recovery. When horses are in such a severe condition, it can take months or even years of expert care to get them back to full health.
Thanks to your support, Bourbon will spend this Christmas safe, warm, and surrounded by people who care for him. But his journey isn’t over, and we can’t do it without you.
