Horse Named Trigger, Who Was Pulled Behind Truck, Now Recovering At Shelter
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- A horse that was the center of an animal abuse investigation, is now on the road to recovery. In a video posted last fall, the horse name Trigger was seen being pulled behind his owner's truck down a snowy road near Grand Lake.
A video of the incident was posted to social media, and created a lot of public outrage. CBS4's Matt Kroschel was the only reporter at the scene, as the Grand County Sheriff's Office seized Trigger from the owner's home. He was later taken to the Dumb Friends League Harmony Equine Center in Franktown.
"He has come a long way," explained Garret Leonard, the Director of the Harmony Equine Center. "We will never understand how somebody could do this to a horse. It's up to us to try to help him."
When Trigger first arrived at the center, he was evaluated by a veterinarian. Leonard said luckily, the horse didn't face any fractures from the incident. He is however, dealing with soft tissue damage.
"He's a little bit reactive around that pull because last time something was around his head was a bad experience for him," Leonard said. "It will just take some time."
To help with the physical pain, Trigger sees a chiropractor once a week. Leonard said their biggest concern however, is his mental health. Trainers work with him nearly every day to help him regain trust.
"Day to day we give him the confidence to see that it didn't hurt. That didn't hurt me today, they treated me well today," Leonard explained. "Then he can look forward to tomorrow."
The center says Trigger is showing great progress. When they first got him, he was stoic and slowed little emotion.
"We reward him with the tiniest step of progress," Leonard said. "Now you can tell he's a bit of a different horse. He blinks, a good indicator of relaxation. He moves his lips, good indicator of relaxation."
Leonard said they will continue to work with Trigger until they feel he is ready for adoption.
"He's going to turn out to be a fantastic horse," he told CBS4.
The Harmony Equine Center said they are able to help horses like Trigger recover from abuse or neglect because of their donors.
LINK: Harmony Equine Center