From the brink of death to the arena
WHEN rescuers found former racehorse Ebony they could see every bone in her body.
The mare's black coat was bleached and stretched over her emaciated body. With no fat and few muscles left, her body had begun to eat away at her organs.
It was one of the worst cases of neglect that JaMels Equine Rehabilitation Horse Rescue had ever seen, Moranbah show horse trainer Alana Hogan said.
Ebony was days away from death when she was rescued in February 2017, Ms Hogan said.
She said the extent of Ebony's neglect was horrific, but not surprising. "The majority of horses have experienced some form of neglect," she said.
"She was emaciated and had a body score of less than one which means that her organs had started to shut down.
"You could see every bone in her body. She had no muscles, no fat content left. So her body had started to eat away at her organs."
After two years of rehabilitation her new owner, Ms Hogan, said Ebony was ready for her debut performance at the Clermont Agricultural Show next month.
Ms Hogan said her recovery was all thanks to JaMels Equine Rehabilitation Horse Rescue. The organisation takes on former competition horses, older horses, unbroken horses and finds them new homes.
But the drought had hit the rescue organisation hard, Ms Hogan said, because, as farmers struggled financially they were being forced to give away their horses.
