Arthur – Companion Gelding

Chestnut Quarterhorse Gelding

Date Arrived – 7th August 2021

Age: Estimated at 13-15 years old

Height: approx 13’3hh

Ridable: No

Hendra Vaccination Due Date: 3rd June 2025

T&S Vaccination Due Date: 27th February 2025

Dental Float/Check Due Date: 16th September 2025

Microchip Number: 991001004297017

Special Needs: Not really, Arthur will need a gentle and understanding human though as he gets nervous and unpredictable if you get angry with him or raise your voice.  Someone with a good understanding of horses and how to handle a traumatised horse is required.

Adoption Fee: $250 this is to help cover the many costs associated with rehabilitating our horses

Where to start with Arthur’s story! I received an email from a lady who was quite desperate to have the horse that lived with her saved, she had tried the RSPCA numerous times who said he was ‘fine’ although it was obvious this horse was far from fine. He was an older stallion, living in a small tennis court type yard which was full of dust and bricks and a padlock on the gate. Arthur was totally emaciated and wobbled with each step; we were honestly not sure he’d be able to stand up for the float trip home. Arthur’s rescue was one of the saddest rescues I’ve done. Seeing such a beautiful boy reduced to this condition was beyond heart breaking. Thankfully when we asked for Arthur to load onto the float he went on without hesitation, he was SO ready to start his new journey and get away from that yard.

On arrival Arthur was assessed and a feeding plan had to be set out so we didn’t overload his very weak system. His feeding plan started as numerous small mash feeds with unlimited Teff Hay (lower value hay helped prevent him scoffing it too fast) all throughout the day and night, anywhere from 8-10 feeds over the period of 24hrs. It was quite cold when he arrived so we rugged him up with various rugs that we had on hand to keep his thin body warm, we described him as looking like a fence post with rugs draped over it.

Six months later and you honestly wouldn’t recognise him as the same horse! As you can see from the photos below, he transformed into an absolutely stunning boy, he really became the horse he was supposed to be all his life. Arthur is not only an incredibly good-looking lad, but he is also quite a quirky personality! He is very smart and likes to work out ways to get into places he shouldn’t (like learning how to lift the roller door to the feed shed) he will also happily wander over to you for a gentle cuddle and scratch. He’s a super sweet little guy who really has forgiven humans for the hell they put him through. Arthur is easy to catch out in the paddock (especially with a treat!) and he has learned how to hold his hooves up for trimming and tie up, although he will need someone who is very patient and firm but kind (emphasis on kind) to continue his education on the ground. He can be a very ‘one person’ type of horse and now that he has bonded with me, I find he is most cooperative when I’m asking him to do something rather than when other people ask. This means that Arthur will likely become your absolute best mate if you give him the time, love and patience, he requires to bond with you. I’ve really fallen for this special guy and it will break my heart to see him go, but he deserves to be someone’s number one boy.    

Arthur’s one ‘bad’ habit is that he is still somewhat grumpy around food, if you’re carrying his food bucket, he will run circles around you trying to make you put it down, he will sometimes put his ears back and throw his head around but he has never actually lashed out at me with his teeth/feet, he’s just quite dramatic… I’ve been able to do a training with him around picking up his food bucket and moving it and standing patting him while he eats, and while he does put his ears back sometimes, he doesn’t do anything nasty – he’s pretty much all talk! Further gentle training around this would be ideal, remembering Arthur was starved for anywhere from 5-10 years of his life and he had literally no contact with any other creature during this time, he is doing his best to learn communication.

At this stage Arthur is not ridable, after all that this boy has been through, I don’t think being trained for riding is something that he needs in his life after recovering from so much neglect. This may change after another couple of years of recovery living as a companion with good healthcare and a healthy diet, but he will currently be rehomed as a companion only. His body was so under-developed on arrival, putting extra strain on him is not worth it. If your goal is the ride him then he probably isn’t the right horse for you as he may never be suitable.

Preference will be given to applicants who live close by so Arthur wouldn’t have to travel a long distance, transport can also be arranged through Elysian Fields Sanctuary if required.

If you think you can offer Arthur the perfect forever home, please complete an application, we would love to hear from you! Arthur deserves a life of love and luxury after many, many years of neglect.

Please note: Some people have experienced an error with the form not being sent when clicking “submit” if this happens to you please email me at kate@elysianfieldssanctuary.com.au so I can double check it has been received.