Hero is a 6-year-old Shetland/Hackney Cross – bigger than a mini, but smaller than a pony -  measuring about 40” at the shoulder. Picked up from a horse hoarder, we learned that he spent the first five years of his life in a small, dark enclosure, on a manure pile standing about 4 feet high. Forced to stand at an angle because of the slope of the manure pile, his muscles were atrophied and back legs seriously underdeveloped. When he arrived at SVHC in May 2023 he was terrified of human contact, and unable to be handled.  He quickly became a volunteer favorite, and after a summer of loving care, attention and training on our ranch, Hero is transforming into a confident, loving, and strong little horse. Surrounded by so many volunteers that loved him, (many of whom made special trips to the ranch to visit him), Hero epitomizes all that SVHC stands for.  Hero was adopted to his forever home in April 2025.