Rachel's Story
Rachel was discovered in an emaciated state by the RSPCA and with the help of World Horse Welfare she was brought to Totem. We were already full with equines at the time but everywhere else had turned her away and it was us or her being put-to-sleep we wanted to give her a second chance.
When she arrived with us, age 19, her spine and all her ribs were showing and she had been kept out in a field with little grazing and no supplementary hay or food.
We discovered from her passport and from doing some research, that Rachel - full name Total Rach won around £35,000 in her racing days. But like many race horses once she stopped winning and was getting too old to breed from she ended up in a terrible state.
When she arrived with us, age 19, her spine and all her ribs were showing and she had been kept out in a field with little grazing and no supplementary hay or food.
We discovered from her passport and from doing some research, that Rachel - full name Total Rach won around £35,000 in her racing days. But like many race horses once she stopped winning and was getting too old to breed from she ended up in a terrible state.
An examination proved there was no veterinary reason for her emaciated state she had simply not been fed enough. So we kept her well rugged and stables with daily turnout and that we put her on a special diet, from Saracen horse feeds to get her back to a healthy weight.
Within a month Rachel was looking like a different horse and a month or so after that she was offered a new home. |
Rachel went out on loan to a home for a year but after a change in their circumstances she has come back to Totem. Although is good health, Rachel has recently started experiencing occasional lameness and so we have retired her as ridden equine. As an older Thoroughbred, it is unlikely we will be able to find her a companion home - although we will try and if not she will have a retirement home at Totem.
