From the moment that Louie arrived, his hooves have been painful.  He has very thin souls and hardly any heal.  What that means is that Louie has very little cushioning when he walks.  We have tried using boots to make him more comfortable, but Louie kicks them off.

This Spring, Louie started noticeably limping.  First, on his left front and then, on his right front.  He could barely walk and was so painful that he was laying down, which is totally out of character for him. We knew that he needed help.

Fortunately, Louie had an appointment with Dr. Lauren from Henderson Equine clinic already scheduled for his Spring vaccines.  Dr. Lauren was able to diagnose Louie with abscesses in both feet,  She was concerned with the location of abscess on his left hoof because it was directly under the frog and looked unusual.

Dr. Lauren took x-rays to see the severity of the abscess.  She found that Louie not only had one abscess in his left hoof, but two.  Dr. Lauren devised a treatment plan of soaking and wrapping his hooves. We went to work.

In true Louie fashion, he has taken his treatments like a champ. He patiently stands while his hooves are soaked and allows us to wrap them without much fuss.

Immediately we started seeing results. He started walking much better and was back to going on adventures. We will continue to keep an eye on him to make sure that he is comfortable and happy.

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Barney had shut down from the heartache of losing his friends. In a few short years, he lost Titan, Jesse, and Fox. The loss of Titan hit Barney the hardest. By the time that he lost Fox, he had become solitary. He didn’t let anyone in until he meet Gabby.

Gabby arrived and immediately had an impact on Barney. Her calm demeanor put Barney at ease, as did her ability to communicate with a flick of her head instead of a strike or a bite. Barney quickly realized that Gabby had no intention of hurting him.

It didn’t take long for Barney and Gabby to go out on adventures together. Some days Gabby would lead to find a place to eat and other days Barney would to find a soft spot to nap. The two of them were inseparable.

Meal time was no different. They would eat their feed in the barn together and then retreat to the “patio” for their hay. Where ever one was, the other was right there. Days and weeks passed and their bond grew stronger.

As Gabby’s hoof began to get worse, Barney was by her side to comfort her. It didn’t matter if Gabby’s hoof was being treated or if she was resting. Often times Gabby would lay in the barn and Barney would stand over her while she slept. He would ever so gently lean down to touch her with his nose and make sure that she was okay.

On the day that we let Gabby go, we walked her outside the pasture that she shared with Barney. As Barney realized that she was not with him, he began to get upset. Gabby quietly called to him and Barney was able to find his way to her.

The beautiful pair spent the rest of the day together. Blissfully happy to be in each other’s company.

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Horse rescue, by its nature, has always centered around “The Horse”. “The Horse” needs rescuing, retraining, and rehoming. But isn’t a piece missing?

“The Horse” is rescued from a situation where “The Person” was neglectful.

“The Horse” is retrained for “The Person” to ride.

“The Horse” is rehomed to “The Person” to be the caretaker.

What horse rescue takes care of is “The Horse,” but fails to address “The Person’s” needs.

Blame Game

More and more people are approaching rescues looking for a “Dead Broke” horse. What they are actually looking for is a horse that a person at any skill level can ride. Unfortunately, some people fail to realize that horse ownership is a never-ending learning process between rider and horse. Even a “dead broke” horse can learn bad habits from a well-intentioned person.

“The Horse” is labeled as the problem and is returned, instead of “The Person’s” lack of knowledge being addressed.

The Solution

“The Horse” and the “The Person” need to receive the same level of education. Rescues have a duty to not only the “The Horse”, but also “The Person” to provide the tools to make him/her the best horseman that he/she can be.

Resources

To improve our horsemanship, we take part in the Forever Foundation and listen to podcasts from Stacy Westfall and Phil Haugen.

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For the last three and a half years, Barney has been the fabric of Roanchar Ranch Draft Horse Rescue. It was not his size that made an impression on people, but his presence and outlook on life.

Most people who visited the ranch never realized that Barney was blind until they were told. He confidently walked around the pasture and acknowledged anyone who came to his gate with a tilt of his head. He rarely walked over to greet anyone, but he didn’t need to to make an impact on people.

One time during our Healing Horses program, Barney was able to reach a child who was totally shut down. The child would not speak to anyone, except for his Mom, even though he knew the other children. He would not even participate in any of the activities. It was not until we took him over to meet Barney that everything changed.

As soon as the child heard Barney’s story and learned that Barney was blind, you could see his demeanor change. He started asking questions, like how did Barney make new friends and how did he trust people that he didn’t know? He leaned into the gate to get a better view because the child was visually impaired too.

The child returned for several more sessions where he fully participated in all the activities. Each time, though, he asked to be taken to see Barney. He wanted to know how Barney was doing and about the adventures that Barney had been on.

That was Barney’s gift. To teach people that any obstacle, be it physical or emotional, can be overcome by taking whatever life gives you and embracing it.

While Barney’s physical presence at the ranch will always be missed, we know that he lives on in the lessons that he taught us all.

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Gabriella, aka Gabby Girl, came into our care in November, and it took a blink of an eye for her to endear herself to everyone.  She regularly could be seen sharing her dinner with Charlie or Louie or hamming it up to the camera, https://youtu.be/ljo3dm8IL8s, on our weekly Facebook Lives.

Without a doubt, though, her best friend was Barney. As the seasons changed from Winter to Spring, you could regularly see the two of them going out on adventures together.  Sometimes Gabby would lead and other times it was Barney, but they were always together.

As Gabby’s hooves began to fail, their bond grew even stronger.  While Gabby laid down to rest, Barney would dutifully watch over her.  Always careful not to step on her, Barney would stand as close as he could so that he could lean down and check on her.  When she was ready to stand, he carefully would back away so that she would have enough room.

Gabby sought out Barney for comfort.  Many times during our evening checks, you would see Gabby resting her head in Barney’s side as they both napped.  Up until Gabby, Barney was always suspicious of other horses touching him and would move away.  Gabby had a way of gaining everyone’s trust and trusting everyone.

A regular part of Gabby’s hoof treatments was to apply a saline solution, wrap it, and put on a therapeutic boot.  This was all usually accomplished while Gabby was most vulnerable, laying down.  As a prey animal, horses will not allow you to approach them while they are down unless they feel completely safe and secure. 

Late last week it became apparent that we were no longer able to manage Gabby’s pain.  While she was still willing to go out on adventures with Barney, they were much shorter and it took an incredible amount of strength and energy for her to walk.  We decided that we would help her cross the rainbow bridge and end her suffering.

In Gabby’s short time with us, she left an indelible mark on all of our hearts.  She loved without hesitation and showed grace despite being let down by people over and over again.  She will be so incredibly missed.

History

For months, Louie has been having these episodes where his back legs would have spasms and he would tilt his head as if he had a headache. We knew that something was obviously wrong, but we’re struggling with a diagnosis. He had lameness tests and x-rays, but nothing was pointing to the cause. Finally, while he was on stall rest for the laceration on his side, we took a blood sample.

Diagnosis

The blood work came back positive for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). In common terms, he is suffering from spinal cord damage and/or brain inflammation caused by a single-celled organism called protozoa that infects a horse in the form of a parasite. There are two protozoa that cause EPM, Sarcocystis neurona and Neurospora hughesi. The latter is rarer and is what Louie has.

Treatment

There are three prescription drugs that are FDA approved for treatment:

• Marquis
• PROTAZIL
• ReBalance

We decided, after speaking with Dr. Lauren from Henderson Equine Clinic, to use Marquis. We will need to give the paste for 28 days. One of the drawbacks of the treatment is that it could potentially make his symptoms worse for the first three days. Knowing that we are going to continue with his Equioxx to help support him.

Outcome

While successful treatment can eliminate the parasite, we, unfortunately, do not know the damaging effects that the parasite has left on Louie’s nervous system. We are hopeful that we have caught it early enough, but are also aware that Louie could be affected again even after treatment.

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You think that you have your barn and pasture horse proofed to minimize injuries from happening. Then it happens. Your horse is injured. What do you do?

RECOGNIZING SIGNS OF DISTRESS

It is easy to know your horse is hurt when you see a cut, but there are other ailments that are not as obvious, but are just as critical, such as colic or illness. That is why it is important to know your horse’s normal temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate, as well as normal behavior patterns.

WHAT’S NORMAL

Normal ranges for adult horses are: 

• Pulse rate: 30 to 42 beats per minute.
• Respiratory rate: 12 to 20 breaths per minute.
• Rectal temperature: 99.5′ to 101.5′ F. If the horse’s temperature exceeds 102.5′ F., contact your veterinarian immediately. Temperatures of over 103′ F indicate a serious disorder.
• Capillary refill time (time it takes for color to return to gum tissue adjacent to teeth after pressing and releasing with your thumb): 2 seconds.

Each horse has an individual temperature, pulse and respiration rate. You should take several baseline measurements when your horse is healthy, rested, and relaxed. Write them down and keep them within easy reach so you have them to compare to in case of an emergency. Your first aid kit is a good place to keep them.

FIRST AID KIT

It is a good idea to have a first aid kit in your barn and trailer, in addition to a smaller version when you go out on a trail ride. Amazon sells kits, but here is a shortlist to get you started:

• *Cotton roll
• *Contact bandage
• *Cling wrap
• *Gauze pads, assorted sizes
• *Gauze wrap
• Adhesive wrap and adhesive tape
• Leg wraps
• Sharp scissors
• Hemostats
• Steel cup or container
• Rectal thermometer with string and clip attached
• Surgical scrub and antiseptic solution
• Latex gloves
• Flashlight and spare batteries
• Permanent marker pen
  * Material that should be sterile.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Any number of emergencies that can happen. In most situations, it is good to follow these guidelines:

1. Keep the horse as calm as possible. Your own calm behavior will help achieve this.
2. Move the animal to a safe area where it is unlikely to be injured should it go down.
3. Get someone to help you, and delegate responsibilities, such as calling the veterinarian, retrieving the first aid kit, holding the horse, etc.
4. Notify your veterinarian immediately. Be prepared to provide specific information about the horse’s condition, such as pulse, respiration, and temperature.
5. Listen closely and follow your veterinarian’s instructions.
6. Do not administer drugs, especially tranquilizers or sedatives, unless specifically instructed to do so by your veterinarian.

SUMMARY

Emergencies are stressful for you and your horse. Being prepared will help you and your horse stay calm. Act quickly by calling your veterinarian to minimize the extent of the injuries.

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