An unusual and one-of-a-kind shelter "I believe in life" in the village of Kudryashi near Novosibirsk was organized by Tatyana Shelestova. Every horse here has its own story, the journalists of the OTS TV channel tell. Someone was raised for meat, someone lost a sports form and became unnecessary.
"I was working in a private stable in Kudryash, and it just closed. The owner was going to get rid of the horses, and I asked him to give them to me. That's when my first horses were sold to me at the so-called "meat price". I placed the horses at the recreation center, agreed with the director, came up with a project plan for what to do with abandoned horses. It was in December 2006, and that's how the story of my shelter began," says Tatyana Shelestova, head of the I Believe in Life shelter.
Many of the animals in the shelter are yesterday's athletes, horses are written off due to injuries, and, as a rule, they become unnecessary. So, 24-year-old Agifar turned out to be among the wards of the shelter. In the past, the sports horse took part in competitions and won prizes.
"Agifar is a legendary horse, he reached Europe, won prizes, played for Russia, where he was injured. He had torn ligaments and tendons. And now no one needed him, one owner dragged him as best he could, - Tatyana Shelestova shares. - And not a single athlete who has won medals on it, not once.... I say, at least they could bring a kilogram of carrots, but no."
There is a cow horse in the shelter. Lyubasha, that's her name, was noticed by summer residents in the meat herd because of the unusual color. They thought it was a cow. The fate of the blue-eyed horse could end in a slaughterhouse. But Tatyana Shelestova collected the money and bought Lyubasha back. Now the animal lives in the shelter in love and care, as well as 14 other horses. And everyone has such a story here. Some grew old and became unnecessary, some were raised for meat, some came here from rental centers.
"All the horses that stand in parks or in the Altai Mountains go to rentals. These are horses with impaired digestion, ulcers, gastritis, all these horses have torn backs and sore legs," Tatiana never tires of repeating.
And in the shelter "I believe in life", animals crippled by man begin a new life. There is a special approach to each, special food and conditions of detention. Tatyana Shelestova has had a love for horses since childhood. As a child, she was engaged in equestrian sports, but realized that it was impossible to treat her wards like exercise machines. It is necessary to negotiate without spurs and a whip.
The animals in the shelter are kept at the expense of the horse riding school organized here and the care of other animals, which has owners. Recently, hippotherapy classes have been held here. Tatiana does the housework alone. Moreover, she plans to expand the shelter. After all, now not only horses live on the same territory, but also goats, sheep, chickens, dogs and cats.
Photos from Tatyana Shelestova's personal archive.