Posted on 21/03/2024

A 15-year-old Clydesdale horse called Seamus was discovered slowly starving to death in a field with no grass. The gentle giant was so starved when he was found that it was touch-and-go as to whether he would survive. Thanks to the intensive care he received at Penny Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre, Seamus has made a full recovery and been successfully rehomed back to his native country of Scotland.
“When I saw Seamus I was shocked to see a giant skeleton, with bare patches of flesh where there should have been a thick, brown coat. I could see he’d had to crane his neck through the fence to reach any morsel of forage, but this was simply not enough to sustain him.”
Field Officer Seema Ritson who rescued Seamus from the hillside field.
Over the course of eight months Seamus slowly recovered at our Lancashire centre and his placid temperament, which persisted despite his previous neglect, meant that Seamus was quickly rehomed when ready.
Seamus’ rehomer Nikky had previous experience with Thoroughbreds and Highland Ponies but Seamus was her first heavy breed.
“Although we are experienced with horses, caring for a Clydesdale has been a learning curve as big as him! Transport was a bit tricky due to his size, but we found an experienced transporter of Clydesdales to bring him home to Scotland. We cannot thank World Horse Welfare enough for giving him a chance of life and entrusting us with his follow-on care.”
Seamus’ rehomer, Nikky
“Previous donations helped make this rescue possible – so thank you from the bottom of my heart. It’s only thanks to donations from those that care about horses that we are able to do this, and we desperately need to be there for so many more horses like Seamus. Donations could help us rescue horses in need and provide them with round the clock care, rehabilitation and a brighter future. Any amount can be truly lifechanging.”
Seema Ritson
Now the face of our latest fundraising appeal, Seamus is just one of hundreds of horses rescued and rehomed by us every year.
Topics
Related News

20 horses rescued from a life of misery
Twenty ponies rescued from a scrap yard can finally look forward to a happy and secure future, thanks to the hard work of World Horse Welfare.

Our Help for Horse Owners support service offers preventative solution to growing problem
It follows a significant rise in the number of welfare incidents involving large groups of horses needing help.
Recommended Blog Posts

Autumn worm control: which worms should you test for?
Field Officer Chris Shaw explains which worms you should be testing for in the autumn – and why it’s so important to test before treating.

Clipping to help overweight horses and ponies lose weight
Hall Farm Yard Supervisor Adele tells us how clipping can be a really useful weight management tool, especially for horses and ponies who can’t be worked.

Empathy, education, and evidence: the take-home messages from our 25th annual conference
Find out how an international line up of speakers explored “When does use become abuse?”.
Enjoy reading stories like this?
Join over 65,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter

Join over 65,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Sign me up now