"Saving a Life Means the World to the Life You Saved"
Be a Part of Pilgrim's Journey
💔🐴 Pilgrim’s Story – From Survival to Hope 🐴💔
Last summer, a horse we now call Pilgrim was abandoned in the wilderness near Elk Garden on Whitetop Mountain, within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area.
Domesticated horses are not meant to survive on their own in the wild. Abandoning a horse—especially on protected federal land—is not only neglect, it’s illegal. But Pilgrim didn’t know that. To him, it may have felt like freedom. He roamed the mountain, grazing and finding water where he could, relying on instinct and resilience. People spotted him and tried to help, but Pilgrim had tapped into something ancient—he avoided capture at every turn, embracing a life he wasn’t truly equipped to survive. As winter approached, kind-hearted individuals did what they could, bringing hay and grain when possible. But as the harsh mountain winter set in, access became difficult, and consistent care was no longer possible. Over the final months of winter—into early 2026—Pilgrim’s condition declined drastically.
He began to slowly starve.
By the time he was sighted again in late March, Pilgrim was barely alive. Emaciated to the point of a skeleton, too weak to stand for long, yet still holding onto that deep instinct to survive—he continued to resist capture. Thankfully, the incredible team at Wilburn Ridge Pony Association—who care for the true wild ponies of Grayson Highlands State Park—knew he didn’t have days left. He may not have even had hours. A small group of experienced horsemen made the difficult but lifesaving decision to act immediately. They rode up the mountain on horseback, carefully roped Pilgrim, and were finally able to secure and load him into a trailer.
From there, he was brought straight to our rescue.
Now, Pilgrim is safe—but his fight is far from over. His recovery is slow, delicate, and requires careful refeeding, medical support, and constant monitoring. After everything he’s endured, he is finally getting the chance he should have had all along.
✨ Pilgrim survived the mountain. Now he needs help to truly live. 🐾
Help Us Save Pilgrim
If you’re able to help, any donation goes directly toward Pilgrim’s care, feed, and medical needs as he fights his way back.
Please consider being part of his recovery. Every dollar helps give Pilgrim a second chance.
Pilgrim Needs You – His Fight Isn’t Over
Pilgrim has survived the unthinkable—but these next critical weeks will determine if he truly makes it.
He is now under intensive veterinary care, and every step of his recovery must be done slowly, carefully, and correctly to give his body a chance to heal after severe starvation.
So far, his care has included:
• Initial veterinary exam
• Bloodwork to assess organ function
• Antibiotics (one lung is compromised)
• BioSponge to support his gut during refeeding
As his body began receiving nutrition again, it went into overload, causing severe diarrhea, putting him at even greater risk of dehydration and energy loss. Because of this, Pilgrim is being fed multiple small meals daily and closely monitored around the clock.
✨ The first 2 weeks are critical for survival.
✨ The following weeks begin a long road of rehabilitation that will take months.
Right now, he is too fragile to even be dewormed. When the time comes, that process alone can be extremely taxing on his body, so we must wait until the vet feels he is strong enough to handle it safely.
In the months ahead, Pilgrim will also need:
• Continued veterinary care
• Dental work
• Hoof care
• Ongoing nutritional support
• And emotional healing after everything he’s endured
Timeline of Pilgrims journey
one of his original sightings
Settling into his new wild routine
Enjoying his new found wild life
Still fat and healthy on the wild mountain pastures
Hard to see in this photo because of the shadowing but his ribs, hip bones, tailhead, entire spinal process and top of the ribcage are total skin over bone. He is a body score of 1
Full body view the day after he arrived at Rugby Rescue