Logistics technician by day, horse rescuer the rest of the time. Such is the astonishing double life of Magaly in Dordogne. Since 2021, the young Bergeracoise has been at the head of the association The stable to you the honorspecialized in the rescue of equines. “My parents’ neighbors were in the racing world,” she says. I realized that these horses don’t always end well. They go hunting with hounds, in clubs, the mares become surrogate mothers and some go to the slaughterhouse. »
The surviving trotters that it welcomes have sometimes never even raced due to not having passed the qualifications. But everyone suffered the stress. “They suffer from stomach aches, they have a lot of ulcers. Because few people know it, but horses have stomach acid problems, they need to be able to eat every four hours. » Called upon very early, trotters also present joint problems. So, Magaly, supported by her companion, pampers these animals, re-educates them, at least for a year, before finding them a new family.
Critical States
And there are also all the others, often ponies, neglected or even abandoned who she finds in critical states. Like Capucine, the first pony she saved after discovering the cry for help from a Bergeracoise on Facebook. “She had very long feet, she breathed very poorly and suffered from an ulcer in one eye,” Magaly describes. Both “warrior” and “little dragon”, Capucine has “her moods” and is “very difficult to care for”. “We had to catch him with a lasso,” adds the Bergeracoise.
Some animals like Capucine were in deplorable conditions when they were rescued.
Loic Mazalrey
“We are not a reconversion stable, we do not work the horse in the saddle until it has an adopter”
And then there is Perle, deprived of care for years. As is often the case, it was the neighbors who raised the alarm. “What is easiest for us is to buy back the horses because if we go to trial, we have to allow two more years before obtaining a seizure order,” notes Magaly.
For Perle, it took a month of patience for her to agree to get into a van. “I left it there and went there every day. One Sunday, she was frightened by a loud noise and she took refuge in the vehicle. It was her safety, she was ready. »
More than 60 horses saved
Magaly can tell dozens of unfortunately “somewhat banal” stories of this type. Since the creation of the association, it has saved around sixty horses, or around one per month. Because animals in distress come from all over France to find refuge in this 14-hectare paradise, located near Bergerac. For Magaly, the financial and human investment is very important. “To finance the association, I do activities in retirement homes with the pony Feiko, in this case, I take a day off from work. I don’t want to depend on anyone. »
During their stay at L’Écurie à toi l’honneur, the horses first benefit from a veterinary check-up then treatment with an osteopath or even equine shiatsu sessions. “We see the result directly, they start galloping! » But before all that, it sometimes takes a lot of patience for the horse or pony to accept humans. “All horses are different and we cannot apply the same method, this forces us to constantly question ourselves. »
Tailor-made rehabilitation
Once the residents are “ok with humans” and “physically ready”, Magaly offers “tailor-made rehabilitation”. “We are not a reconversion stable, we do not work the horse in the saddle until it has an adopter. It’s a bit like a foal, we educate it at the same time as we educate ourselves. »
Horses can enjoy 14 hectares of meadow.
Loic Mazalrey
For this, she works with Amandine Clève, a young woman, who has an equine pension in Mussidan (24) and who followed training from Andy Booth, a specialist in communication between horses and humans. On average, equines stay between one and two and a half years in this pension like no other. “Here, they live their real horse life! »
Information on the Facebook page L’Écurie à toi l’honor or by email at ecuriecdc@gmail.com.
