As this video says, in some parts of Romania, it is still a common practice to keep wild horses chained by their front or hind legs. It keeps them from running away, but it is also cruel. Surely there must be a better way.
In this clip, we see the heartwarming rescue of one of these horses. The poor mare finally gets freed from the chains wrapped around her front legs with the help of a veterinarian, Ovidiu Rosu. It was preventing her from walking properly or even walking at all. She lived in her homeland of Letea, Romania when this was filmed. This practice would likely land a person in jail for animal cruelty in other countries.
The film begins with a view of the horse, raising both front feet at the same time in an attempt to just move from one spot to another. It is painful to watch. Ovidiu Rosu catches the wild horse, and she was given a sedative to get her to lay down, and they cover her eyes to help her stay calm. Then we see the chains being cut off and how they had cut into the poor horse’s skin. It brought tears to my eyes.
But the best moment was when the mare’s foal walked up to the vet and nuzzled his own face to his mother’s savior. The mare was tranquilized and under anesthesia at the time. The foal was staying right by his mama’s side.
What a wonderful thing this vet did to save this horse from this torture. No animal should be treated this way, and we are thankful there was someone to step up for this beauty.
