Charm and Lilly, two Shire Horses RETURNING FROM SWITZERLAND REHAB

During the year A startling phone call was received by the animal rescue centre at Gut Aiderbichl in 2017. The owners of the seven Shire Horses were unable to provide the necessary care for their beloved horses because of their advanced age, putting their carefree lives in jeopardy.

Seven Death Candidates Had Become Seven Happy Shire Horses

The state of affairs was dire. It would have been simpler if the owners had agreed to hand up their horses individually, but they refused. It was true that the livestock hauler would have forced the horses to be put to death if Gut Aiderbichl had not been able to consent to take in the seven horses. Not out of hatred or a lack of concern for the animals’ well-being on the part of the owners. Conversely, they found it just incomprehensible to split up the group of horses who had spent many years getting to know one another.
This hopelessness was ended by Dieter Ehrengruber, and a short while after the magnificent Shire Horses relocated to the Begegnungshof Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf’s main stable lane.

We could understand the urgency when the horses disclosed a secret.

It was discovered that the horses could not simply be placed side by side in the horse stalls. That’s when the noise started. The whinnying explained to us that they were always standing in a known order, which had recently been broken. The seven horses, Ted (sadly dead), Pioneer, Tinkerbell (sadly deceased), Queen of the Roses, Oakland-Lilly, Charm, and Emma (sadly deceased), would also often stand in the half moon on the pasture.

The sheer size and imposition of the shires is astounding.

The owners were animal lovers, and their Shires had never been ridden or exploited as workhorses. They were just left to be horses for a very long time, treated by the humans as if they were children.

The horses didn’t like having our grooms take care of their hooves. To enable the completion of the required hoof care, training was completed and efforts were made to have the huge hooves lifted.

Charm and Lilly’s hooves were becoming more and more problematic, so in 2021 they were sent to the rehabilitation centre run by the Sandgrueb Foundation in Egg, Switzerland. It is possible to cure horses with severe, chronic ailments at this rehabilitation facility. The on-site professionals provide the ill horses with efficient long-term therapy along with an unfathomable level of commitment and understanding. In this facility, Charms and Lilly’s mallenders, for instance, received effective treatment.

Charm was first afraid and insecure, rather than excited about the therapies. However, Lilly asserted her supremacy by putting the treating physicians to the test in a unique manner. With time, Charm shed her fears and Lilly matured into a kind and compassionate person. How delighted Pioneer and Queen of the Roses were to see their buddies home after almost a year of recovery in Egg, Switzerland.

Charm and Lilly in particular still struggle with hoof care, but they are resolutely tackling the task at hand.

EVERY STONE IS TURNED IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF HORSES

Ageing will also affect Charm, Pioneer, Queen of the Roses, and Lilly. The Sandgrueb Foundation, Vetsuisse, Faculty Zurich, and Vetmeduni Vienna work closely together to take the necessary steps to maintain and, if needed, enhance the horses’ quality of life.

Numerous methods and medical treatments may enhance one’s quality of life. Sensor halters gather information on the horses’ mobility, eating habits, amount of time spent resting down, and overall health. Medical treatment work, such that done by the veterinarians in Egg, has amazing benefits, as Charm and Lilly demonstrate.

We wish our Shire Horses many more years of good health; our grooms, the farrier, the specialists at the Sandgrueb Foundation, and the Vetmeduni Vienna medical missions provide all the necessary support.

Only those who seek it out may really understand the horse’s soul.

Visit Charm, Pioneer, Queen of the Roses, and Lilly on Henndorf’s Hauptstallgasse, and allow yourself to unwind with the enormous horses. Savour the tranquilly, strength, and kindness of these amazing creatures.