Lapo

Lapo He's an English thoroughbred with a horrific history: he was exploited in illegal horse racing in Sicily, which, as is well known, takes place in mafia circles. He was rescued and seized by the police in 2013 following a television report by Striscia La Notizia, which later came to document his arrival at the rehabilitation center. As soon as we saw him get off the truck, our hearts sank: Lapo bore the obvious signs of the abuse he was subjected to: a swollen front and back leg, scars on various parts of his body, burn marks (a brutal method to speed up the healing of tendon inflammation), and a state of severe malnutrition. He walked with difficulty due to the pain, and even had marks and wounds on his gums, caused by modified mouthpieces (bites) designed to cause even more pain. He was reduced to a zombie, but despite it all, he had a great will to live. In fact, after just a few weeks, Lapo was already reborn: his transformation in physique and expression was such that today, if we compare images of him today with those of then, it is hard to believe that it is the same horse.