Valentina’s story is a bit different from most of the stories of the rescues we have here.
She was rescued before by a kind-hearted man some time ago who nursed her back to health, but it was clear that she had experienced trauma in the past. His neighbours had some land where he could keep her and look after her. Unfortunately, recently the neighbours informed him that Valentina could not stay at their land any longer.
Her previous caretaker, understanding the fragility of Valentina’s state and the importance of finding the right environment for her, sought refuge for her in our sanctuary. Despite being approached by others with intentions of buying her and utilizing her for heavy riding and racing, he knew that Valentina’s path to healing required a different kind of support, one rooted in patience, understanding, and love.
While we typically focus on animals who are still in the process of rehabilitation, Valentina’s story touched our hearts, and we felt that it was in her best interest to come to the sanctuary. Though she was nervous and insecure, bearing the scars of past trauma, we were committed to helping her find security once more.
She arrived at the finca on Valentine’s Day, so we named this lovely girl Valentina. And heartbreakingly, she left us on Valentine’s Day too. From the very beginning, Valentina was a beautiful soul – gentle, curious, and quietly affectionate who touched the hearts of so many of our volunteers. She formed deep bonds within the herd and had a way of choosing her people, standing close, watching, connecting in her own calm, thoughtful way.
Like many white horses, Valentina suffered from melanomas (cancerous tumours), and for the first year and a half they were stable and unchanging; she lived happily and comfortably with no side effects, no pain, and no loss of quality of life. However, over the last six months, we began to notice changes as her external tumours slowly started to grow, and volunteers reported small moments where she seemed “not there,” brief absences we hoped were harmless but were, in reality, early warning signs.
Then everything changed very quickly… Valentina developed severe neurological symptoms and repeated colic episodes. We fought for her day and night with medication, intensive support, fluids, constant monitoring, and hope layered on top of hope; each time we resolved the colic, it returned and with every day her neurological condition worsened. Eventually she reached a point where she was no longer truly with us – still breathing, still moving, but no longer conscious. The most likely cause was a tumour within the brain, something sadly seen far too often in white horses with melanoma, affecting not only the mind but also vital nerves, including those controlling the digestive system, explaining the relentless colics.
We tried everything, and when there was nothing left to try, we made the only decision that was truly for her and gave Valentina the peace she deserved. She may have left this world, but she did not leave unloved. She left cared for, respected, and deeply appreciated for the incredible soul she was, surrounded by tears and by people whose truly loved her. Valentina came to us on a day about love, and she left wrapped completely in it.
