(Animals) Almíbar, the surviving horse of the eviction of Mollet cared for by the workers of Incasòl

[Askor lml]

The Administration is now looking for a suitable home for this 25-year-old equine

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Syrup is neither small, nor furry, nor soft. In fact, it is not even a donkey. Of course, the metaphor with Juan Ramón Jiménez's donkey is strictly fulfilled in the jet mirrors that it has for its eyes and the tenderness that the old horse awakens when following the workers of the Institut Català del Sòl (Incasòl) around the castle of Mogoda. ) in charge of taking care of the property. And now him too, until the Administration finds him a suitable home.

The Incasòl is prepared to act as the main public landlord in Catalonia, monitor urban plans or facilitate business landing in industrial estates. But not to care for animals. Since last June, however, he has been the custodian of a 25-year-old horse named Almíbar. He was found during an eviction from a rustic piece of land in Can Vila, in Mollet, within the Sierra de Galliners park. The lawyer in charge of the investigation called the institute to ask for instructions. "Material goods go to the Patrimony of the Generalitat but nowhere does it say what to do with an animal", explains Carles Moliner, chief of staff of the entity.

The first thing was to take him to a safer place than the post where he was tied, in the open, next to a barrack and an orchard that its occupant visited on weekends. Toni Pérez, the castle's butler, and José Luis Sánchez, maintenance manager, went after the animal. "The owner showed us the horse's license and told us that he had made the Rocío pilgrimage," Sánchez recalls as he gives her feed in a metal bucket. They tied him up and, walking along the entire side of the C-17, took him to his new temporary home.

“We had no idea what to do with a horse. A colleague who knew about the subject helped us while the vet came, ”Sánchez continues. "He was not malnourished, but it was necessary to fix his hooves, teeth and vaccinate him," he adds. The first thing was to buy him a real halter, not the one made with ropes and knots with which they found him. Now they have their block of salt, an automatic water dispenser and 4.3 hectares to wander.

His home, for the moment, is the stables used by the Marquis de Comillas (owner of the Castle before it was taken over by the Generalitat in the 1980s) when he spent the summer. Syrup feels at home: he sees an open door and does not hesitate to lean out. He lets himself be loved and watches as if he knows that he is being talked about. The years are noticeable - the average life of a horse is around 30 years - but his height and bearing reveal a splendid past on the journey through Doñana.

Both workers are heartbroken. They love the equine but they know that it cannot stay in the castle. A judge determined that the Incasòl is the custodian of the horse and will become its owner when, in the absence of the owner, the cost of maintenance is exceeded what it would be worth. Something that will possibly happen soon. An appraisal of the animal has not been done, but the entity already spends about 80 euros a month to take care of it, including civil liability insurance. "He's finished with all the figs, pears and medlars," says Pérez.
Almíbar likes company. He enters the building and looks curiously at the lollipops they eat in one of the rooms. These days the pace in the castle is frenetic, as they are working to turn it into a center for academic events and headquarters for urban planning and environmental research groups. The horse poses for photos. And he approaches so that his caretakers caress his mane and back, so arched that he could hardly bear to be ridden by a child.

"The ideal destination would be an equestrian show that has a social project in line with the age of the horse," explains Mercè Conesa, director of the entity. The Institute, likewise, will have to continue responding for the maintenance of Syrup. José Luis and Toni change their gestures when they are reminded that the day of goodbye will arrive. The only thing they hope is that wherever you go they will give you a lot of love. Until the day that, like Platero, his belly swells like the world and his stiff legs rise to the sky.
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