A tiny foal who was dumped at six weeks old has been taken on by a broody mare – and learned to trust people thanks to positive reinforcement training.
The colt, named Malcolm after one of his rescuers was found alone and terrified a few months ago, but has made huge progress, and is learning to “be a normal horse”.
A spokesperson for World Horse Welfare said: “Malcolm was utterly terrified of humans after being found in July in a large open field, with a railway line on one side and a busy road on the other. Staff from World Horse Welfare rushed to his aid, fearing the frightened foal could bolt into danger at any moment.”
The charity’s director of UK Malcolm Morley, an experienced equine vet who leads UK welfare operations, said staff knew they had to get Malcolm to safety as soon as possible.
“He was so terrified after what he’d gone through that he needed to be sedated before he could be caught and loaded safely. It was a huge relief when he was on his way to our centre and the compassionate care he so deserved.”
The colt arrived at World Horse Welfare’s Glenda Spooner Farm “absolutely petrified of humans”.
Centre manager Claire Dickie said even stepping into the crew yard, an area designed for working safely with unhandled horses, would “send him careering around in panic”.
“At six weeks old, he should have been playful and curious about the world around him, so it was heartbreaking to see him so afraid,” she said.
It was far too early for Malcolm to have been weaned so the charity’s team has been hand-rearing him, which gave groom Amy McCormack the chance to build a relationship with him.
“Positive reinforcement is a vital training tool for us,” Amy said. “This means we’ve used feeding time to help Malcolm link people with good things. Wither scratches – a favourite friendly gesture for horses – have also helped to teach him that humans can be associated with comfort and safety.
“He’s now happy for me to touch him all over, which is huge progress. We’re taking it steady so as not to overwhelm him at any point, but I’m so proud of him already.”
The team also found a foster mother for Malcolm to help him learn to interact with other horses.
“We can’t tell you her story yet, as she’s part of a prosecution case,” said Claire. “But it’s amazing how she immediately took Malcolm under her wing. She’s had a foal of her own previously and got very broody when we had new foals born on the farm this summer, so we thought we’d try her with him.
“She adopted him straight away and is doing a wonderful job showing him how to be a normal horse.
“Given how his story began, it’s amazing to see how far he’s come. In time, we hope his tragic start will be just a distant memory and that he’ll go on to live a happy, healthy life in a loving home.”
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