Rescue horse Disney has become the first of the Spindles Farm cases to be re-homed by The Horse Trust rescue centre in Speen, Buckinghamshire.
The charity was unable to re-home any of Jamie Gray’s horses until permission was granted by the courts in May, when the Gray family lost their appeal.
Disney arrived at his new home with the Horse Rangers Association – a charity that helps young people learn how to ride and care for horses – in East Molesey, Surrey on Friday 6 August.
“Disney has settled in well, given his background I thought he might be nervous about getting on a trailer again, but he was absolutely fine,” said Theresa Barrett, stable manager at the Horse Rangers Association.
Found at Jamie Gray’s farm in Amersham in 2008, Disney was severely underweight and suffering from a salmonella infection, but within a year his bodyweight had doubled.
“After everything he’s been through, Disney deserves to be properly looked after,” said 14-year-old Ranger Layla Thompson (pictured with Disney and her sister Mae).
“I hope that interacting with all the Rangers will help him forget about the past and build up trust again.”
Disney has never been ridden so it was important to find a home where they would be able to train him from scratch.
“We are thrilled that the Horse Rangers Association has been able to offer Disney a new home. I’m sure he will love being pampered by the Rangers,” said Liane Crowther, welfare and education officer at The Horse Trust.
Disney arriving at his new home was filmed by the BBC and will be screened on the Animal 24:7 programme on BBC1 later this year.
- View pictures of Disney on arrival at the Horse Trust and prior to being rehomed, along with other horses rescued from James Gray, here
