Blanca
Rescued: July 12, 2011
Death: October 9, 2018

Blanca was spotted tied to a signpost on the side of the road near San Luis by a local resident passing by in a bus. Because Blanca was extremely emancipated, this resident immediately contacted our rescue centre for help.

Little did we know that saving Blanca would be catalyst for the rescue of two other horses, Oscar and Mimosa, and two donkeys, Gin and Tonic.

One of our volunteers lived just down the road, so we sent them to investigate on our behalf. Sure enough, there was Blanca. She had no food or water and was extremely malnourished. She had been tied up in the hot sun for goodness knows how long. Our volunteer immediately went to fetch water for Blanca before venturing further down the path toward some buildings.

There, our volunteer found a building where Oscar was being kept, and where Mimosa was locked in a cage. Gin and Tonic were there too, trapped in complete darkness and wading around in their own urine and faeces.

We immediately went to the property to assess the situation for ourselves and then contacted police. The police warned that we were on private property and advised us to leave. The warning came too late, and the owners arrived as we hung up the phone.

We spoke to the owners and since there was no police back-up on site, we offered to purchase the horses and donkeys. After a heated discussion, they agreed to sell Blanca on the spot. We can thank our wonderful volunteer for acquiring her.

The battle to free Gin and Tonic continued over the next few days, and it took almost two months to rescue Mimosa. The whole ordeal gained extensive local media coverage, which assisted in our plight.

Once in our care, Blanca recovered well, although she continues to suffer from damaged hooves and joints caused by mistreatment.

When rescued, Blanca was wearing shoes that were well over a year old and her feet had grown so long that her joints were under extreme pressure. She was still being ridden, and those combining factors have destroyed her joints for life. We manage the situation and keep her comfortable with specialist shoeing that prevents her from going lame. Of course, she is no longer ridden.

Blanca is a strong-minded girl with a survivor instinct. She knows what she wants and is the boss of her field, which she shares with Mimosa, Dakota, Luna and Chulo. She is given the space and freedom that she requires to be happy, and is very friendly to people these days.