29 January 2025

Former racehorse injured during transport makes new start at Redwings

Glorious standing at Redwings wearing a bandage on her leg

A young thoroughbred mare, so badly injured during a journey from Ireland to the continent on a lorry that she was thought dead, has been brought back to health by Redwings.

We are now able to share Glorious’ upsetting story, one year on from her rescue, as she has now been signed over into our permanent care.

Watch the charity’s video about Glorious on YouTube here. [WARNING: Graphic content]

In January last year, a driver who was headed to Europe loaded with horses told lairage facilities that there was a dead mare on board his lorry and requested removal before crossing at Dover. The mare was not, in fact dead, but badly injured and in need of urgent treatment. A vet was called and the RSPCA alerted, who in turn asked Redwings for help. 

Glorious, so named by Redwings, had sustained crushing injuries after being unavoidably trampled by other horses on the grossly overloaded lorry. She had a large wound on her head, a fractured skull, and injuries all over her body that got worse before they got better as her damaged skin sloughed off revealing deep open wounds. Her recovery involved many months of treatment from the charity’s experienced welfare vets, as well as other veterinary experts brought in to help.   You can donate to her care here or read on for more of her story.

Glorious munches hay with a new friend, March 2024

Glorious munches hay with a friend at Redwings, March 24

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A miracle she survived

Nic De Brauwere, Redwings’ Head of Welfare and Behaviour, said: “I’m not sure I have ever seen a horse suffering so much pain and distress because of her injuries.

“Glorious was incredibly difficult to treat. She really struggled with any form of touch - anything to do with humans caused her immense upset - but her wounds needed a lot of care.

“We used sedation to allow us to do the most painful treatments at the beginning, and because that was done right, we could step back and only intervene when we needed to, so she could spend days at a time not needing to be handled or sedated to treat.”

He added: “The fact that Glorious survived what happened to her is a miracle and her recovery is testament to the efforts of Redwings’ vet team who used our years of experience working with frightened, painful horses, treating very complex wounds, to bring her back to health.”

Now physically healed, Glorious has been integrated into a herd amongst whose company she is described as ‘a very happy filly’, and work on undoing the damage done to her, which affects her behaviour around humans, is underway.   

Sarah Hallsworth, Redwings’ Equine Behaviour Manager, said: “Whilst Glorious loves her herd mates, quite understandably she doesn’t always enjoy too much interaction with people so we’re working on that.  

“She is now good to catch and we’re seeing improvement in her leg handling.

“She has friends, freedom and food, the three fs, and is enjoying the simple pleasures of just being a horse in a safe environment where, thanks to our supporters, her future is secure, no matter how quickly her behaviour does or doesn’t progress.” 

"We are deeply disappointed that despite the efforts of the RSPCA, local vets and Redwings to document her suffering, no one has been found responsible and faced any repercussions for what happened to her.

“Her case shows that there are still big improvements needed in checks and enforcement to protect horses being transported through our borders."

Nic de Brauwere

Head of Welfare, Redwings

“Whilst Glorious loves her herd mates, quite understandably she doesn’t always enjoy too much interaction with people so we’re working on that.  

“She is now good to catch and we’re seeing improvement in her leg handling.

Sarah Hallsworth

Equine Behaviour Manager, Redwings

Watch Glorious' recovery here

WARNING: Upsetting footage

The next horse may not be so lucky

Glorious was being transported to Europe for what Redwings presumes to be slaughter.

Nic De Brauwere said: “We are deeply disappointed that despite the efforts of the RSPCA, local vets and Redwings to document her suffering, no one has been found responsible and faced any repercussions for what happened to her.

“Her case shows that there are still big improvements needed in checks and enforcement to protect horses being transported through our borders.

“Glorious might not have been rescued. The next injured horse probably won’t be. Crazy as it sounds given her horrendous ordeal, she is very lucky and will want for nothing here at Redwings for the rest of her life.”

Redwings is one of the largest horse welfare charities in the UK with responsibility for over 2,000 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, hundreds of whom have endured awful experiences like Glorious. Follow the link to make a donation towards Glorious’ wellbeing, and that of all those receiving the special care that we provide.