He's a Percheron. As in a very big guy. And he's finally found his forever home at Beauty's Haven Farm and Equine Rescue in Florida.
The gelding named "Gentleman" first came to the attention of Beauty's Haven in the fall of 2006. A friendly, sweet senior, he has a name well suited to his
disposition.
The Florida rescue learned that Gentleman had once been used to pull carts or buggies. Information on the horse suggested that after his partner died, Gentleman had been sold to a kill buyer and was headed for a slaughterhouse.
Horse lovers - many of them fans of the late Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro - mobilized to raise funds to buy the horse. However, after he was released from the kill pen, he developed pleurisy. The Beauty's Haven staff arranged for him to stay at a Pennsylvania rescue while he recuperated and until he was well enough to travel to Florida.
That October, the Percheron arrived and was at a decent weight. Aside from normal medical maintenance such as floating his teeth and trimming his feet, he appeared to be in good shape. His sunny disposition made him a hit with the staff, who lavished him with attention.
Once the aging gelding finished rehab and was determined to be sound, he was ready for adoption. In March, a rescue with a therapeutic riding program formally adopted him. The Beauty's Haven staff delighted in the fact that Gentleman was going to a rescue that specialized in draft horses.
However, three months later, the rescue notified Beauty's Haven that the horse was losing weight. He had been moved from a pasture full of younger draft horses to a geriatric pasture so that no other horses would run him away from the hay. The adopting rescue added that the staff was working on his weight.
The gelding named "Gentleman" first came to the attention of Beauty's Haven in the fall of 2006. A friendly, sweet senior, he has a name well suited to his
The Florida rescue learned that Gentleman had once been used to pull carts or buggies. Information on the horse suggested that after his partner died, Gentleman had been sold to a kill buyer and was headed for a slaughterhouse.
Horse lovers - many of them fans of the late Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro - mobilized to raise funds to buy the horse. However, after he was released from the kill pen, he developed pleurisy. The Beauty's Haven staff arranged for him to stay at a Pennsylvania rescue while he recuperated and until he was well enough to travel to Florida.
That October, the Percheron arrived and was at a decent weight. Aside from normal medical maintenance such as floating his teeth and trimming his feet, he appeared to be in good shape. His sunny disposition made him a hit with the staff, who lavished him with attention.
Once the aging gelding finished rehab and was determined to be sound, he was ready for adoption. In March, a rescue with a therapeutic riding program formally adopted him. The Beauty's Haven staff delighted in the fact that Gentleman was going to a rescue that specialized in draft horses.
However, three months later, the rescue notified Beauty's Haven that the horse was losing weight. He had been moved from a pasture full of younger draft horses to a geriatric pasture so that no other horses would run him away from the hay. The adopting rescue added that the staff was working on his weight.
Published by Vonda J. Sines - Featured Diseases & Conditions Contributor
Vonda J. Sines has been a writer and an editor her entire adult life. She left a conventional 8-to-5 career to pursure her passion of writing from dawn to dusk. She has worked as a horse, dog and cat rescu... View profile
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- Beauty's Haven Farm and Equine Rescue web site
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