Pony Saphira
in the trap of criminality
Photos and videos of the seven-year-old grey apple mare Saphira weresent via Social Media. Riding educators became aware of the beautiful mare and got in touch. More videos were sent, and the total cost for the pony transferred to the dealer.
Saphira was the victim of criminal horse traders
The anticipation of the pony was abruptly nipped in the bud when the transporter stood in the yard. The vehicle was anything but a horse transporter. Inside the van stood three ponies tied tightly together. Unable to turn their heads left or right, dripping with sweat and completely exhausted, the ponies stood there waiting for the strings to be loosened.
It also turned out that the pony delivered was not at all the pony that had been presented in the video. Driver did not want to know about it, and drove again. The new owners kept the pony, because they felt sorry for it and did not want it to be loaded into the Sprinter again.
Saphira was fully sedated and was carefully brought into the box. Two things were clear: Saphira was not the advertised and paid for pony, and the new owners had become the paying victims of a criminal gang. However, one thing was equally clear to the animal-loving people: the pony was to stay with them.
Saphira was seriously ill
Saphira had been taken over fully sedated. The vet's diagnosis was devastating for her and the owners. A severe bacterial infection was spreading in her body. She was treated with antibiotics for two months and received many injections. This in turn required a lot of tact.
No one was allowed to get too close to Saphira and touch her. She was hellishly afraid of people and ran away as soon as someone approached her. Here only patience, knowledge in dealing with fearful animals and as always love helped.
Slowly Saphira gained trust in her humans
Even after a long time in the riding stable, Saphira is still skeptical and wary of people, but she has learned that people also mean well by her.
In the herd of horses at her owners' stable, she had obviously built up a strong bond with her herd. However, this went so far that when an adjuster wanted to fetch his horse for riding, the mare would protectively stand in front of it and try to "chase" the people away. Saphira should be a school horse, but she absolutely refuses children. A new forever home had to be found.
Saphira finds peace in the B-stall at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf
After all that Saphira has been through, peace has finally come into her life. In the B-stable at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf, she found a new herd that has accepted her well. Here, she can put her protective instinct aside a bit, because horses are not ridden and no one takes a horse from the herd unless, for example, it has to go to the clinic.
Saphira is already looking forward to when the pastures will open in spring and she will enjoy nature and the peace and quiet with all her friends from the B-stall.
