MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – A local horseman is lending a helping hand, or rather a hoof, to a few four-legged friends in need.
Alison Johannesen is helping nurse pony Charity and Case back to health. She talked about how she decided to help and how the ponies are recovering.
The day started with a casual trip to the Mandan horse sale with a friend in August.
It ended with Ms. Johannessen loading the two ponies into a horse trailer and calling her husband, Cameron, to let him know about the new addition.
“I noticed the murder buyers bidding on him behind me, so of course my heart broke for him and his mother,” Johannessen said.
Johannessen said she decided to give the mare and stallion a new, loving home because she knew what their fate would be if they were purchased by a slaughter company.
The mare Charity is approximately 8 years old and the stallion Case is approximately 16 weeks old. Both animals were severely malnourished and lacked proper hoof care.
“When I picked them up and went into their enclosure, she walked me right up to her and gave me some love, and then she followed us to the trailer,” said their new owner. Ta.
At the time of purchase, the ponies weighed less than 320 pounds combined.
Johannessen focused on feeding the animals nutritious food so as not to upset their stomachs or cause further health problems.
Charity and Case see a farrier regularly, about every three weeks, to fix any hoof problems.
“He had loose tendons in his back, so basically due to nutritional deficiencies, his tendons weren’t strong enough to support his weight, so his back legs collapsed,” Johannessen said. said.
Thanks to Johannessen’s efforts, the ponies are making a full recovery. They are both gaining weight and are seeing a lot of improvement in their hoof health.
You can follow their journey by searching “The “Charity Case” ponies” on Facebook.
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