Goodbye beautiful Charlie

We’ve had to say goodbye to dear old blind horse Charlie. Here's the account from Lucy, who was by his side when he crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

"As I stroked him, I imagined him as a little foal again, knowing that once upon a time he must have been by his mother’s side... We found this poor blind horse nearly two years ago in the Palestinian city of Qalqilya. He was harnessed to a cart and despite being over 20 years old and completely blind, he was being forced to gallop along a busy road.

We managed to flag down the men in the cart and persuade them to bring the horse to us for a rest and a drink of water. When we saw he was blind, lame and malnourished, after a series of discussions in Arabic and lots of translation, it was decided that Charlie, as we later named him, would stay with us for a rest and treatment.

He ended up staying with us permanently and has led a contented little restful life for the past 21 months. Tragically though yesterday he suddenly collapsed and could not get up. The vet came and worked to try to save him but it was not to be. Charlie seemed to want us to sense his time was up and our vet gently euthanized him.

It is always so desperately sad once they’ve gone, and as Charlie lay still on the ground, his beautiful mane and tail were stretched out as if his spirit was running free somewhere.... The life he led must have been intolerable with daily toil, hardship and suffering as it is for so very many others."

Without the help from wonderful, generous supporters like you, Charlie would not have had the opportunity to live out his last 21 months out in peace and experiencing Lucy's love and care. Thank you!

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