Danny arrived like any other through the doors of TEHP.
A kid dragged him on the end of a scraggy rope. He swayed as he walked, threatening to collapse at any point.
The grooms greeted the child and asked for his name and the case history of the newcomer. They accepted him on the spot to be fostered in care and called for the founder of TEHP to come and look at him.
She gasped when she saw him, what a sorry excuse of a pony.
Danny was a light apricot colour with 4 white legs and splashes of white all along his stomach. He had a wide white blaze and kind brown eyes. The most peculiar thing about his appearance though was the little black dots that covered his body. Upon closer examination she reeled away.
“He’s covered in bloody ticks, don’t put him in the manage until we get every single one off him”
The grooms scoffed and fetched a halter. They grinned as they turned the hose pipe on and filled a bucket with water. That’s right, ticks are Ashleigh’s job.
It took no less than 2.5 hours to pull all the ticks from Danny. He had them under his stomach, in his ears, on his eye lids, his bum cheeks, under his tail, EVERYWHERE and he was sick, deathly sick with Equine Babesios.
Once cleaned and medicated, photos taken for facebook Danny was allowed in the ménage. He didn’t bother to say hello to any of the other foster horses but folded his legs up neatly and lay down in the sand and did not move for 8 hours, he even pee’d where he lay. We could not convince him anywhere otherwise.
Danny’s photo was loaded online and he quickly drew a fan club. What a poor sorry horse he was. The next day fared better for Danny and he stood up and filled his belly with wonderful food he probably hadn’t eaten his entire life. But then the unthinkable happened.
Here is an extract from postings on facebook.
“Danny’s owner had just purchased Danny before he came to us 2 days ago. Now he’s taken Danny because a man wants to look at him. If this man offers even 150le more than what Danny’s owner bought him for he will sell him. Makes me so sad to see the horses pushed from pillar to post until we find their bodies out in the desert. Danny is the sweetest little horse you could imagine, he is so kind and gentle. A 2 year old horse should be enjoying his time frolicking not being passed around and starved. Either way Danny’s owner promised to bring him back for the rest of the week as he has been sponsored. Lets make this week the best time for little Danny. I’ll make sure to spoil him everyday with lots of treats and hope he remembers our kindness in the dark days to come.”
It was quickly learnt when a man wants to “look” at a horse and the horse is taken from the premise that almost certainly means he is never coming back. Being fairly naive I wasn’t to realise.
This was what was to follow: extract taken from Facebook postings.
“I waited anxiously all afternoon for Danny to return but by 10 pm I was restless so went to do the rounds to check on any late night cases. I filled Danny’s stable with a slice of Hay, and a hard feed: corn,barley,sugarbeet,bran, and chaff just in case he came after I left, the owner after all promised he would come back for the week of his sponsorship. When I rounded the corner of the Main Street of Nazlet I saw a 2 skinny horses eating out if the trash. One was Midas, a case we have followed for months, the other horse eating plastic bags and food scraps for dinner was Danny. I almost burst into tears. This is the same owner who owned Mish Mish. After talking to the owner Ahmed convinced him to sell Danny again. We were meant to pick Danny up last night and I was all armed for photos and good news but there was a wedding and so we have been told today we can pick Danny up. For all those who wished to help Danny can you please contact the page. I thank you all for your support it has been a rough 48 hours. Danny has, like so many, slipped through the cracks of buying and selling and found himself somewhere that not many leave.”
Heartbreaking to find beautiful Danny eating out of the trash. But the owner said we could purchase Danny and even though he had let us down when we went to pick Danny up I was still confident it was a sealed deal. How wrong was I……
Extract taken from facebook postings:
“A hand clutched the end of the rope so tightly the knuckles showed white. She didn’t understand half of the conversation between the men but knew the argument was over money. The horse at the end of the rope gazed at the other horses eating out of the trash. He wanted to go with them to eat dinner, he didn’t realise there was a comfy stable and more food than he could imagine only a handshake away. She checked her pockets and counted the grubby notes again. There was a set amount and no more, she can’t pay excessive amounts, this is to prevent a business being made out of starved horses. But this wasn’t just any starved horse, it was a 2 year old, emaciated almost to death, but with a spirit so gentle and kind but so strong and so desperate to be alive.
She looked at him again, the horse has a wide blaze and dangling over his unscarred nose was a rusty chain held on over his head by white baling twine. She could feel the panic as the owner threw his hands up and made towards her. She didn’t think she could hold the rope any tighter and yet found her grip unbreakable on the rope connected to the halter of the skinny horse. The man’s arm stretched out, asking for the rope of the horse. She reached back into her pockets and pulled out another grubby 50le that was meant to be for her dinner and gave him the rest of the notes. Instead of taking the horse he shook her hand.
That was it.
The skinny horse walked slowly back to the stables, as he rounded the last corner he picked up a trot suddenly, perhaps he remembered his few days spent there and the kindness he received. The doors to TEHP opened and the horse was greeted with whinnies.
She pulled the chain halter from his whip marked head and let him loose in the ménage,
“Welcome Home Danny”
Stories from Danny
Danny was missing from the ménage this morning. I last saw him at 2:30am and was up again at 6 to bottle feed so was obviously worried when I saw Mish Mish pacing and stressing. I however found he had let himself out of the ménage and then let him self back into the box…. He wasn’t quite smart enough to close the door on his box though
Danny’s nose has resumed regular dimensions after his snake bite and when I compare his photo to the auction photo cover of him he seems to have gained some weight!
Danny using Mish Mish as a big furry pillow. I’m waiting for them to stop snuggling so I can put their blankets on
Danny after recovery in the ménage
Danny starts light work.
theegypthorseproject 
So sad but beautiful that you could help him!!