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Crosskennan took a look at the animals around them and couldn't believe the sheer numbers who had passed through their gates that year.
We keep a count of all animals, for general records but also so we can monitor numbers for the year. We have seen large numbers before, true, but when we have had such large numbers in the past we had the financial support of PSNI or Council contracts.
This year we have seen a total (as of the 20th of December) of 73 individual horses, ponies and donkeys recieving help from the sanctuary; via rescue, rehoming and vet care. For comparison we helped 64 equines in 2019.
Of these 73 equines there were ones whose owners couldn't care for them any longer due to illness, there were ones who had lost homes, or jobs, or both. There were equines who exhibited behavioural or health problems that made their current home unsuitable. There were equines who had been abandoned, unwanted and neglected. There were equines from other charities who needed help.
Horses like...
Gabriel... who was abandoned in a field; with feet overgrown he could barely move and a stomach so full of worms he was severely anemic. His whole body rocked with every movement due to his size and the pain he was in. His mane and tail had literally dragged along the ground as he was led to the trailer. He didn't put up a fight, he'd had no strength. On arriving with the vets he couldn't be castrated due to his sheer blood loss. It was a question if it was kinder to let him go; but he was a fighter and with pain relief, lots of medicine and lots of TLC he was soon on his way to being a different pony. He took up residence in Sorley's paddock and made friends with the older and wilder stallion.
Sorley was excited to have a friend and was quick to engage him in play and soon weight began to drop as his new exercise routine and feed plan got to work. His pain levels subsided as his anemia lessened and with a few visits from the farrier his foot health improved too.
In November he was finally well enough to head off to be gelded a big step on his road to recovery. He has a bit of a way to go yet but each day is an improvement and he is such a lovely pony that we know when he is ready to find a home; he wont be waiting for very long!
Chica... who was rescued originally by Cobh Rescue Horses.
Cobh rescue Horses are a rescue in Co Cork who take in neglected and abandoned horses on a weekly basis. We have had the pleasure to work with Lyn and the wonderful team at Crosskennan who have taken a number of horses from us to rehome when we were struggling with numbers and more waiting to come in.
Immediately when we arrived and saw the set up at Crosskennan and met the team we knew we had made the right decision and had met friends for life. The love the animals show these people speaks for the volume of work they do everyday. An amazing team and a wonderful place for an animal to call its home ❤️
Tara
Cobh Rescue Horses
Chica arrived with us in August and by the time she did there wasn't much physical signs of the damage she had arrived into Cobh with. The lasting damage was a lot more subtle to the eye, with liver damage leaving her with photosensitivity; a literally allergy to the sun; and nerve damage in her cheek, mouth, jaw and lip from a wound that she had arrived in with; a gash that had opened up the side of her cheek from eye socket to jaw.
The surface was healed but beneath she was still a little broken. She needed a lot dental care and with the nerve damage she was in a lot of pain. Her liver issues and subsequent sun allergy was easier managed thanks to the facilities at Crosskennan; even in the brightest of days Chica could have turn out in the barn; still receiving her exercise while not being subjected to the direct sunlight. Of course she still got some grazing time with the help of sun block, rugs and cloud cover. She has a vast wardrobe to keep her skin covered when out and it can take some time getting her all kitted out and the sunblock lathered on but she deserves it.
She is fifteen and has the body to show her age; an age with years of work in her past. She isn't sound and has pain in her back and joints at times of flair ups. Not that you would know by the way she runs about with her paddock mate Cali. With all her little problems it is uncertain if she will ever be rehomed; with her needs complex even if they are managable, she is very happy at the sanctuary we are pleased to say and enjoys her regular meals and a little bit of TLC.
Charles and his family... arrived in only in December this year; in fact they were all caught and loaded one cold winters day in our biggest rescue of the year. Four wild horses who had been inherited by a family without much knowledge. Four horses with no handling and little experience of people beyond being herded back into a field when they had broken loose.
We've helped rehome horses from homes who could no longer provide care; we've helped with vet costs and feed bills and in one sad case we assisted with the costs of vetting and the eventual costs of putting one to sleep. All part of the daily work; even if some days it is more sad news than good.
We have offered training advice to owners who were struggling with equines, with staff and volunteers travelling to homes to assist with training and handling.
We have assisted with pointing people in the right direction for help, support and training when it was not something we could do ourselves. We have been pleased to hear that in some of the cases when we didn't have a horse or pony to suit someone, our reccomendations have resulted in other rescues at other centres getting the help they needed and horses and ponies finding homes!
Thank you crosskennan from equine halfway house. You have not only provided moral support when things got tough, you have also sent potential adopters my way when you didn't have the right pony for them. This has resulted in a few ponies being happily rehomed.
There are times in rescue that you just feel alone, you have made those times less in a really hard year ❤️
Katryna
Equine Halfway House
At the current time we have fifty two equines in our care. Of these over 70% will probably still be with us by this time next year; reinforcing the fact that a lot of what we do is providing a sanctuary; but this year we have rehomed 18 horses, ponies and donkeys and we have been made aware, through our support and advice we have helped other equines find homes too.
In the end we want to provide animals with a happy home; one where they are safe, happy and their needs are met; and for some the best home they could ask for is the sanctuary and we are honored to be a part of their lives each day and so grateful that we are able to offer this to them.