Some horses come to us for years. Some only stay for days. But every single one leaves hoofprints on our hearts.
Just two weeks ago, we met Hugo in the back of an auction pen, standing quietly, his head low, his back legs swollen and sore. He barely moved—whether from pain, exhaustion, or resignation, we’ll never know. But we knew one thing instantly: he needed us. Out of nearly 200 horses running through the auction that night, he was the one who would suffer the most if he was forced to keep going. So we chose him.
We brought Hugo home, gave him pain meds, and let him rest, hoping we could give him a second chance. But when our vet examined him, the truth hit hard. X-rays revealed devastating damage—bone chips, arthritis, displacement—injuries so severe there was no path forward without unbearable suffering. And to make it even worse, he was covered in thousands of ticks, evidence of the neglect he had endured.
Hugo was young—under 10 years old. We will never know what happened to him, what accident or hardship shattered his legs, or how many miles he was forced to travel in pain before he landed in that auction pen. What we do know is that in his short time with us, he showed us nothing but kindness. As we carefully removed the ticks, he leaned into the attention, sighing in relief. He even lifted a hind leg so we could reach the itchy spots, trusting us despite everything he had been through.
We wish we could have saved him. We wish his story had a different ending. But the only kindness left was to let him go with dignity, knowing he was loved, knowing he was safe, and knowing that for at least these last two weeks, he was finally someone’s priority.
Run free, Hugo. We are so, so sorry.
If you’d like to honor Hugo, please consider donating to our auction fund. We will be attending the same auction on March 1, hoping, as always, to bring home the ones who need us the most. Hugo was just one of many—we can’t save them all, but together, we can make sure more horses find safety instead of suffering. 
