Who knows what would have happened to Maggie and her young blind foal Jedi if they weren’t saved by Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue?
The two horses were put up for auction.
Most people aren’t interested in paying for a blind horse and another who was emaciated. Thankfully the momma horse and her baby were rescued and are now healthy and thriving.
When Jedi first arrived at the Maryland sanctuary, he was constantly bumping into things. Including his own mom.
He would knock over his food and try to grab anything he could to play with.
The sanctuary’s staff also noticed that Jedi would run around and spin in circles, which was an anxious behavior.
“Even though he’s a little rambunctious at times, he’s such a sweet and cuddly boy,” Lauren of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue told The Dodo.
Maggie was a shocking sight when she first stepped off the trailer when she arrived at the sanctuary.
It was heartbreaking for the staff to see a mother and child in such a horrible condition.
Maggie was literally starving. Any nutrients she was able to get were going straight to her baby. The rescue thinks Maggie’s malnutrition might have contributed to her son’s blindness.
“It’s difficult in Maggie’s situation to be raising a foal whos’s relying on you for nutrients and he needs to grow, but you yourself are lacking in the basic necessities. Maggie literally risked her life to save Jedi,” Lauren said.
Thankfully, the mother horse and her blind baby were in loving hands that would care for them and give them the best possible life they could.
BlindHorses.org says that blind horses are absolutely able to have a good quality of life.
Even though they are blind, they can still enjoy grazing, rolling around, sitting in the sun, and grooming each other. Some blind horses have even been known to compete in dressage, teach children how to ride, and perform on a drill team.
All Jedi and his mom needed were some loving support. They were doing better within a month of being at the sanctuary.
He has a new family and new friends at the sanctuary.
They also put a bell on Maggie’s tail so that Jedi can locate his mom and won’t get anxious if he doesn’t know where she is.
And Jedi knows that the staff is always there to give him support and help him when he needs it.
Maggie has bulked up considerably and is a very healthy horse.
Jedi is also a “chunky” and handsome boy. The staff says they do not worry about him at all anymore.
“Jedi approaches his life with such confidence, vigor, and enthusiasm. It’s very inspirational to see a horse overcome so much,” Lauren said.
You can see the visible difference in these two horses now that they are well taken care of. Now Jedi always looks like he is smiling.
Learn more about Maggie and Jedi’s incredible story in the video below.
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