Violet

Every horse steals our hearts but there are always some that we have a special soft spot for. One of those is saved for seniors but another one is saved for minis. Both are often not rideable and in the horse world that sadly can often mean they are not valued. A horse that isn't valued is at high risk of neglect and being sold into the slaughter pipeline.

We were especially saddened to learn about Violet. She arrived at Hopeful Hooves Equine Rescue Society in very poor condition, mentally, physically and emotionally. Her hooves had been neglected for a long time and the excess had recently been sawed off. That should never be done by anyone but a trained and qualified farrier and without proper x-rays to show the degree of internal damage. Her coat was in very poor condition. She had dwarfism which meant that her mouth was misformed and she had problems with her teeth and a deformed spine. On top of all that she also had a severe heart murmur. Violet was very fearful of humans and would bite and kick to protect herself. It is hard to imagine all she had been through.

Hopeful Hooves gave her excellent care and did everything they could to rehabilitate her painful hooves. But the damage that had been done from years of neglect was too much. Despite regular trims, customized special shoes, then Cavallo boots and every form of pain management, it wasn't enough to heal them. Violet was given the Last Act of Kindness to ease her suffering. She was estimated to be only 10-12 years old.

Violet was very loved by everyone at Hopeful Hooves and by the vets and farrier. She was a big spirit in a small body and will never be forgotten.