On February 4, 2017, some community members of Flint, Texas saw an emaciated horse roaming loose. They put a dog leash around his neck and called the SPCA of East Texas. The SPCA contacted Pegasus, and we instructed them to have the Smith County Sheriff's Department pick up the horse so that we could follow up. The Sheriff's Department informed us that this aged gelding had traveled more than 12 miles from the time he was first spotted until he was caught. Smith County published public notice as required in attempts to locate his owners. No one came forward, and so on February 24, 2017, The Pegasus Project accepted the horse after his holding period expired. We named this sweet old man Cole.

Cole was in very bad shape. He limped from multiple abscesses in both front feet. His teeth were in abysmal condition, and he was severely emaciated, wormy, and had several skin lesions. Our dentist aged Cole at 25+ years old.  Our first mission was to provide proper nutrition and to get him comfortable. Cole was suffering from chronic diarrhea, and we began treating that as well.

Cole has multiple brands on him. This tells us that he was likely a ranch horse who served his owners well before being neglected and discarded. It's a shame how some people treat horses as they age. They are often thrown away like yesterday's trash. 

Over the course of the next few months, Cole thrived. He began to gain weight, and his coat transformed into a shiny, healthy sheen. After about five months, all of his abscesses cleared, and we were able to put him in a large pasture with three other horses. He is now a healthy old man who lives happily in a kind herd. Because Cole has few viable teeth, we must soak his meals and feed him twice per day. He eats 4 quarts of high quality feed twice per day, in addition to soaked alfalfa pellets and soaked beet pulp and alfalfa hay. Taking care of elderly horses is not easy or cheap. But proper nutrition is very important to keep weight on the old guys.

 

Cole is available for adoption as a companion horse. He is sweet, loving and kind. He gets along well with other horses, and he's quite active in his pasture. He walks, trots and canters all around, and he loves mealtime. I f you are interested in adopting Cole, please understand the effort required to provide for all his nutritional needs. 

Click the following link to view all of his photos:  COLE