Victorious in His Own Right: One Rescue Horse’s New Path

In October 2023, a 26-year-old gelding, now named Valiant Victor, arrived at Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) in Woodbine, Maryland, with seven other horses that had been seized by animal control as part of a neglect case in Carroll County, Maryland.

Victor had suffered from years of mistreatment and, as a result, was severely underweight, scoring 3 out of 9 on the Henneke Body Condition Scale.

Once in the care of DEFHR, he was admitted to its rehabilitation program, where he received immediate care including vaccinations and deworming. To help him gain weight steadily, he was put on a diligent feeding protocol that allowed him to slowly increase his hay intake, and subsequently senior feed, during the course of several days and weeks. 

After six months of rehabilitation, Victor was given a clean bill of health and the green light to move into DFEHR’s training program led by DEFHR Head Trainer Sara Strauss. Strauss’ objective was to give Victor the skills he needed to become a solid equine citizen for a future adopter.

“My initial goal was to see what he knew, determine if he could be sound as a riding horse, and to get to know his personality,” explained Strauss.

“My first impression of Victor was that he was extremely social. He saw me entering his field and he left his buddy to say hello to me.

“Later, after our initial session, I rinsed him off and, almost immediately, I felt like he was asking to explore the outdoors. I let him go free in the arena where he sauntered around and found a place to roll in the sand. He did it a few times and I said out loud, ‘Are you done?’ He heard that, walked over to me, and put his nose on my stomach. I think he’s an intuitive fellow and has a need to be with people.”

After becoming acquainted with Victor on the ground through grooming, leading, and tying, Strauss moved him into the round pen where she discovered his flowing gaits.

“He went out on the lunge line nicely and waited for my cues to ask him to move out,” shared Strauss. “He was super responsive and light.

“I love when older horses hold up so nicely,” she continued. “He’s sound and lovely to watch. It’s amazing that he can pick up the canter and hold it on a circle after being neglected and out of work for a long time.”

While Victor’s larger-than-life personality and beautiful movement charmed Strauss from the beginning, his extra enthusiasm became overbearing at times.

“He was pushy when he first came in and would bulldoze people if he wanted to get somewhere,” commented Strauss. “He can also be spooky, so it was clear to me that he needed to gain some personal boundaries and build confidence. We’ve done obstacle work with tarps that has helped him overcome the spookiness, and basic leading groundwork has helped him to find his personal bubble and be more aware of humans and their personal boundaries.”

In the few months since their initial session together, Strauss has watched Victor blossom into the best version of himself. She feels he is ready for the next step in his journey—to find a loving forever home—and she knows he will win over the hearts of potential adopters at first meeting.

“Everyone loves a social butterfly, and that is Victor,” laughed Strauss. “He loves kids and is very good at standing still while people pet and admire him. He’s also very good at making you feel like he really likes you.”

Though it is evident that Victor was a riding horse prior to his neglect, Strauss would like to find him a retirement home with someone who is happy to have him as a companion and potentially work toward light riding.

“Victor is slightly sway-backed, and it will take months of solid groundwork to help him become strong enough to carry weight again,” stated Strauss. “We decided to offer him as a non-riding companion horse with the idea that the adopter could pursue restarting him under saddle if they were willing to put in the work.”

In the short nine months that Victor has been at DEFHR, he defied the odds. Years of neglect coupled with his older age meant the cards were stacked against him.

It is clear, however, that Victor had the mindset and fortitude to come out on top and live up to his name. Victorious in his own right, Victor is now ready to begin his new, bright path forward.

For more information about Victor and other horses available for adoption at Days End Farm Horse Rescue, visit: https://defhr.org/available-horses/