Riches to Rags: War Envoy’s Journey to Recovery Begins
It’s shocking when you find out a horse who has participated in a prestigious race went from flying across oceans and top-notch care to starving in a mud pit. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to War Envoy.
We want to be clear that this is not about the breed or the industry. Bad people do bad things.
When we arrived in Franklin County, Kentucky last week, the goal was not to return with multiple Paso Fino and Thoroughbred horses with esteemed pedigrees. We came to rescue 13 starving, neglected horses from a mud-pit where they’d been without access to food and water for far too long. Their breeding, racing history and decorations were of no importance – in fact, we didn’t realize they existed until we scanned their microchips. All we knew was that these animals deserved better and that we would give them a second chance.
We were surprised to find upon returning to Willow Hope Farm that many of these horses were registered, microchipped and had once been very well cared for. War Envoy was one of the first horses we identified, and we were shocked to learn he’s been all over the world, winning hundreds of thousands of dollars for humans, only to end up in knee-deep mud with other horses who had also been left behind. With no one to advocate for them, these horses became “nobodies,” wasting away and waiting to die. But now, at Willow Hope Farm, they’re all going to be “somebodies” again and can receive the compassionate, individualized care they deserve.
War Envoy has likely been in multiple hands since his racing days. The reality is that many horses of many breeds end up like this. We, as a community, must ask ourselves how we can better stand behind War Envoy and horses like him as they retire and seek out new careers.
It will take months for the Franklin County herd to recover from the severe emaciation, malnutrition and neglect they’ve suffered for so long. Our team is dedicated to treating each and every one of them with the tender loving care they deserve, no matter their history, because no horse deserves to waste away once their obligations to humankind have been fulfilled.
Please continue to follow our Equine C.A.R.E. team’s Facebook page for updates, and donate to support lifesaving equine rescues like this one. Now is an especially powerful time to support horses in Kentucky thanks to our friends at Eleemosynary by LMH Inc., who are matching ALL donations to our Equine C.A.R.E. program up to $15,000. That means your gift will support 2X as many horses at our Willow Hope Farm as they look forward to bright futures. Thank you for caring.
