ERNIE

Ernie arrived to The Horse Trust from a multi-agency rescue operation. He was one of five horses found starving and emaciated in a field with no grass and broken fencing, which they attempted to escape through onto a busy road on multiple occasions in search of food.

Ernie was supposed to arrive at our sanctuary alongside his friend, Bert, but due to the impact of the neglect he’d suffered, the heartbreaking decision was made to put Bert to sleep on veterinary grounds. Ernie understandably took time to trust our team and, whilst grieving his friend Bert, we were unsure how he would cope whilst we got him back to a physically and emotionally fit state.

We are very thankful for our wonderful former research horse from Nottingham Trent University, Scarborough flyer (Scabby), who took Ernie under his wing. They are now the closest of friends and can often be seen grazing, rolling, or getting up to mischief together.

Ernie has come on leaps and bounds since arriving and whilst he’s still a little nervous, he gains a lot of confidence when he catches a glimpse of our groom’s ginger biscuits! His sweet nature is beginning to shine through, and he is quite the detective out in the field, always wanting to know what is going on. He loves a head rub and will lick your hand to signal that he wants a cuddle.

We are so proud of Ernie as he continues to improve. As with all of our horses, particularly an older rescue horse like Ernie, we will continue to keep a close eye on him to ensure he remains healthy and happy.

If you would like to directly support Ernie, you can now do so as his sponsor, and receive plenty of cute updates in the process!