On September 28th The Huppie Syndicate became the legal owner and guardians of an Arabian mare. There was a long and convoluted story about responsibility and neglect but the bottom line was that the woman that had legal possession of the mare could simply not afford to provide the proper care and medical treatment this mare needed. Out of compassion for the mare she called us in. We could not leave her. She was a 1.5 on the body scoring chart and the lady that called us was pouring feed to her. Oh my. She was lame. We knew she had an abscess in her right front foot. Her feet were long overgrown. Pitiful does not even begin to describe her. A knot formed in the pit of my stomach each time I looked at her. She is sweet beyond belief. Here is one of the first photos of her:
See those pinched lips, those closed eyes? See how she is standing up under herself in the rear, toes pointed outwards? We had no real idea of how bad she was. Our wonderful farrier and our vet met us on the day we took ownership of her. She had terrible abscesses in BOTH front feet. The right front foot abscess was so invasive that it ran under her frog and blew out the back of her heel. Rodney and Doc Ballard worked on her together.
She was in so much pain in her front feet that we actually had no idea how she was able to stand at all. Her belly is full of sand, likely from looking for any scrap of food to eat and picking up more sand than anything else. Her teeth will need done. her feet were properly trimmed, her abscesses flushed and packed, her feet bandaged and she was given pain medication. After our team worked on her we got our official ownership transfer and brand inspection. Once that was completed, she was moved to a foster home. My heart ached a bit because she was not coming home to my place to be watched over and protected but her foster home is wonderful and her new Foster Mommy is conscientious, compassionate and attentive. Smrpie has named her Wildflower Grace. Smrpie is, as you know, is in charge of naming all of our rescues.
Every few days we soaked her feet, changed her sugar-pack and re-bandaged her. Her right foot was so painful that she did not want to lift her left foot. She simply could not stand the pain of having the extra weight put on that foot. In a moment of clarity I remembered I had gotten foam for an upholstery project. I began putting that under her right foot as we worked on her. Everything was going smoothly and she was on the road to recovery.
It was only a week after we got Wildflower that her Foster Mommy called me. My hubby and I were cleaning stalls. Wildflower is starting to colic. Oh no! I drop my rake and run for my keys. In the house I stop for a minute, breathe deep.... Banamine. I grab the tube of Banamine and head toward my truck. Trailer... I should hook up the trailer just in case. On my way there I am on the phone to the veterinary clinic. It just so happens that Doc Ballard is scheduled to head up this way and he agrees to meet me. He gives me instructions on what he wants me to do until he gets there. When I arrive she is in the round pen, clearly in distress and pawing the ground. Her Foster Mom is beside herself with worry. She has done everything right. Soon enough Doc Ballard arrives and we begin the treatment for colic. She is given medication for pain.
This little girl is SO good for everything. She is tolerant and compliant and we could not have asked for anything more except... except her treatment was not working. In spite of our efforts she remained in distress. Emotion began to well inside me. This was just not fair. Doc suggested that we load her up and get her to the hospital. Since I was very concerned about the long trailer ride to the hospital and the level of her pain we discussed sedating her. My husband was on his way to help. One of us needed to drive and the other needed to keep an eye on her in the trailer in case she went down. Tensions were running high. At the hospital she was treated for colic again and hospitalized for observation. She was given even more medication for pain. We were emotionally exhausted. Smrpie and I discussed it and we both agreed that since this little mare had previously had colic surgery that we would not put her through it again.
Mercifully, by late that afternoon we were able to go and get her with instructions to monitor her closely and give her small amounts of food every few hours. At nine p.m. I was glad to be freshly showered and slipping between the sheets next to my husband. I had just put my head on his shoulder and sighed the deep sigh of exhaustion when the phone rang. I cannot seem to breathe. Wildflower is starting to colic again. I throw clothes on, grab extra gear because we are having a cold snap. My hat, an extra jacket, a hoodie as well... On the way I call the vet. Doc D is on emergency call. We develop a plan and he gives me a Banamine dose. Foster Mom is in tears. Wildflower is very clearly in distress AGAIN. I swallow hard, applying the brake to my emotions. Foster Mom and I take turns sitting with her. Finally, I send Foster Mom in to bed and promise I will wake her in two hours knowing full well I am telling a lie. Wildflower is laying on her side groaning pitifully. I get on the cold ground next to her and rub her belly. I wish I had brought my Carhardt coveralls and pretend I can feel the warmth of their insulation. When she settles and seems less in pain I get up and sit in the chair under the warmth of the lamp, when she feels painful I go back to her, rub her belly and gently stroke her neck. I worry. Every now and again, Cookie Boy the mini pokes me with his nose and demands to know why I am outside in the middle of the night and wonders if I have treats. The moon is full and high and I sit with this little mare in the cold desert night and will her to survive. I do not know if she will.
As the sun rises, Wildflower's condition improves. And she has continued to improve since.
On October 23rd, our Farrier was at the Ranch to tend to all the horses and it was time to have Wildflower's feet done. It had been almost a month since Rodney had seen her and when she stepped out of the trailer his smile was enormous. He thought she looked SO good! Rodney got to work on her feet and even he was shocked at the extent of her abscesses. The following pictures depict the extent of the infection. Remember when looking at them that White is Right. Areas that are not white are areas where the abscesses were:
Left Front
Right Front
I'd never seen anything like it. Our Farrier had never seen anything like it.
On the right front, nearly the entire foot was an abscess. It is no wonder she was in such pain, no wonder that she could not walk. In all honesty, I don't know how she could even stand. We had put her in Equine Slippers with hoof saver pads and I am thinking that most likely, that is the only reason that she was comfortable enough to stand. She sure did wear the pads down to nearly nothing. Rodney went on to shoe her on her fronts and put her in pads with a wedge. In eight weeks we will do her again.
Her story continues and she will soon be available for adoption but I have to say that from that first photo to what you see below... well... This girl sure is blooming. Here she is.... that laugh you hear? Well, that is our big ol' hearted farrier. He could not contain his delight that this little horse was so much better. Neither can we.
Oh my! What a time you huppie syndicate people and critters have had!!! The mare looks soooo good and has such spirit! It's truly a wonderful thing that she has been saved. Any words I have just can't do her story and your (that's a collective your) willingness to put so much into her blooming so beautifully!
I'll never stop asking myself why why why...
Posted by: cyndi | November 07, 2009 at 03:57 PM
I keep asking myself why too. =( Isn't she lovely? Keep your fingers crossed that she finds the forever perfect home!
Posted by: wooofwhinnywhisper | November 08, 2009 at 10:23 AM
If you are not knowledgeable in an area it is your responsibility to refer the patient to a physician who is.
Posted by: mesa doctor | July 20, 2011 at 03:50 AM