Crosskennan Lane’s exquisite equines

OVER the years, horses and ponies have come to Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary with a common desire; the desire to be cared for and loved.

Tormented by their past, the majority of the equines have been abandoned or neglected; others simply cannot be cared for any longer. Crosskennan Lane expresses that: “every one of our permanent residents has some reason that makes them permanent” with “many having lasting issues relating to their previous lives”.

The striking stories of these equines serve as a reminder of the scars they bear. For example, ‘Sorley Boy’, a Welsh stallion, which was rescued on Cavehill after being left there as a yearling for nine years is in good health, despite being 30 years old. However, due to a lack of social interaction, the sanctuary states: “he’s terrified of people, but he likes his people and he trusts them”.

‘Lucas’ is another example, as a retired racehorse he suffers from digestive issues after being left to starve in a slaughter yard.

Next is ‘Stan’, a 14-year-old pony with a quirky attitude, which unfortunately suffers from a fractured hip, lameness, joint, and back problems, leaving him unable to be ridden.

Regardless of his “cheeky” personality, he is described as a “nightmare of a companion”, who tends to tease other horses, starting fights.

Unlike ‘Stan’, ‘Hercules’ is a 16-year-old horse – despite his troubled mind, he loves to play ‘boo’ and hang out with his friends ‘Lucas’ and ‘Solomon’.

Beyond providing for these equines’ basic needs, the team at Crosskennan Lane says “each animal, be they rehomed or still at the sanctuary, belongs just as much to the team as they do to the sanctuary. When one is sick, we feel it like we would if our own pets at home were ill”.

Many of these gentle giants are returned to Crosskennan Lane’s care due to a change in circumstances or a loss of interest; with often a decline in the horses’ health being a reason.

Therefore, Crosskennan Lane has established a loan-only policy.

Although this policy may appear inconvenient to some, the sanctuary voices that “the loan ensures every horse we rehome will never end up passed on, forgotten or mistreated”.

Crosskennan Lane urges the public to take expenses, experience and commitment into consideration before deciding to loan a horse or pony. The sanctuary adds “having a field is not all that is required, and in fact, for some ponies, a field of grass could actually kill them”.

Horses and ponies can be adopted by completing the application form that is available on www.crosskennanlane.co.uk/ adopt

For equine enquiries, contact: rehoming@crosskennanlane.org.uk

If adoption is not an option, the sponsorship programme allows the public to sponsor one of the three permanent equine residents. You can keep up to date with appeals for specific equine items by following https:// www.instagram.com/ crosskennan lane/?hl=en