Horses are some of the most intelligent animals on the planet and are used by humans across the world. Many treat them with the grace and honor that such a smart animal deserves while some, sadly, do not.

Arthur is a 30-year-old draft horse that was on his last leg of life.

A Belgian draft horse, Arthur is a large and beautiful creature. Unfortunately, he fell into the wrong owner’s hands. Living a life of abuse and neglect, Arthur was an incredibly hard worker who received little love from his owners.

After a lifetime of abuse, this horse was finally ready to give up.

The years of labor and suffering eventually wore Arthur down physically and, more importantly, in his spirit. In this dreadful state, his owners took him to a few auctions until realizing he wasn’t worth much in his old age. They finally dropped him off at a high-kill auction and was nearing the end of his rope.

Thankfully, Cindy Daigre saw a glimmer of strength in Arthurs eyes.

Cindy runs Ferrell Hollow Farm, a sanctuary for senior horses and cats. Located in Tenessee, Cindy met Arthur and his friend Max at an auction in Pennsylvania. Cindy happened to find them right before they were transferred to much worse circumstances. She said in an interview:

“I pulled both Arthur and his buddy Max from dealers in Pennsylvania where they had been bounced around from auctions and were heading to New Holland, a high-kill auction, next.”

Arthur was in rough shape, and Cindy wasn’t sure if he was going to pull through.

The trailer ride from Pennsylvania was brutal on the two senior horses. Arthur couldn’t even stand when they arrived. After a vet exam, it was discovered that Arthur had dermatitis, mites, and was lame in his front feet. He was also incredibly malnourished.

The first love Arthur was shown was a bowl of food, and some deserved head pats from Cindy.

Over time, Arthur began recovering and was even able to stand again! He kept eating, also discovering that he loved hay more than fresh green grass!

Arthur’s friends Max had some issues of his own.

In the interview, Cindy said:

“Max has a back injury with neurological issues as well as feet issues. He was physically abused and was so full of fear upon arrival and had no use for people. He was actually dangerous to work with.”

Max needed to learn how to trust again. Thankfully, he had a friend who could help him!

“…they do care for each other and would be upset if they were to be separated. [They have] a friendship formed through tragedy and then compassion.”

Over time, the two senior horses healed from their wounds, some physical, others emotional.

Two years after their rescue, these two friends are living the good life! Happy and healthier than ever, the duo is living the dream.

Horses may be more like humans than we think. Sometimes all we need is someone to care for us and a friend to help us through.

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Source: Animal Channel, The Dodo, Ferrell Hollow Farm