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Rescued Horse Retires To Key West

Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Monroe Sheriff Rick Ramsay checks out Trigger at the horse's new home — the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Animal Farm.";

A horse that arrived in South Florida emaciated and covered in sores five months ago is now enjoying retirement in Key West.

Trigger was confiscated from his owner in November in Miami. The owner reportedly rode him 700 miles from South Carolina with no money to feed the horse or himself, according to a press release from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

This week, the healthier, fatter horse was delivered to the Monroe County Sheriff's Animal Farm — which is located beneath the county jail in Key West. The animal farm takes in rescue animals of all types and is open to the public, free, twice a month.

Trigger was emaciated, with saddle sores on his back and sores in his mouth, when he was confiscated in November.

By the time he was confiscated, Trigger had saddle sores so extreme that he wouldn't let anyone near him and had sores in his mouth. The owner had been riding him with the bit backwards "to give him better control," according to the sheriff's office.

"He is blind in one eye, so we have to make sure we talk to him to let him know where we are when we are close by," farmer Jeanne Selander said in the press release. "His wounds are all healed now. He has been eating well and all the loving care he has been given by the South Florida SPCA shows."

Update: Here is a video of Trigger playing on 4/24/2017

Nancy Klingener was WLRN's Florida Keys reporter until July 2022.
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