Sam is one of nine equines who was rescued from a small family business run as a community interest company hosting pony parties and claiming to provide equine-assisted therapy sessions for vulnerable people.

When Sam was rescued, he was severely emaciated and very distressed. Once Sam had settled, he was examined and found to be extremely underweight, scoring just 1.5 out of 5 on his body condition score.

When Sam had his first dental check it revealed he had some issues that were causing him discomfort. He had areas where his food was packing in between his teeth which was causing painful inflammation of his gums. With lots of repeat appointments, Sam’s teeth were able to be cleared but he will need careful monitoring going forward and he will likely require more frequent dental checkups than other horses.

Despite this Sam is recovering well so far. He is a sweet soul and a true gentle giant. Because of his past he gets nervous at times, especially in new situations, but he responds well to positive, gentle encouragement from his team of grooms. He is very bonded with Kahlo, so it was fantastic that they were able to move to our Home of Rest for Horses together as they receive further treatment.

Our behavioural team is working patiently with Sam to help him through situations that still cause him distress. We will continue to closely monitor his progress; he is being very brave so far as he continues his rehabilitation journey.