Dolly

01/30/2004 - Hello Dolly!
Dolly's previous owner had taken this mare in to care for her as she was starved. Neighbors called Animal Control when they noticed the skinny horse in the owner's yard. AC went out in December and then again in January and instructed the owner to have a vet check done with blood panel by a certain date. Dolly's owner called TIER as they did not have the funds for veterinary services and indicated they were willing to surrender Dolly to TIER. We spoke with Animal Control and it was agreed that Dolly would come to TIER.

Dolly is appx. 14.2 hands and weighs about 700 lbs. She has an old injury to her left front flexor tendon which appears to be a rupture and ringbone. She does not exhibit any lameness. Her teeth need major work, but due to her current condition, dental work will be done in intervals.

Sweet little old lady? HAAAAAAAAAAA!! A real rascal! Doesn't want ya to catch her fer nuthin. But, once ya do.....after weaving & bobbing to get her where you can grab her.......she's fine. Poor thing was HUNGRY! She was trying to eat the dead grass as I led her through the back yard to a corral. Ate everything the first night (2 cans of pellets soaked and a large flake of alfalfa). I don't think she came up for air until it was ALLLLLLLLLLL gone. Dived in the next morning at breakfast and finally got full around 10:00 a.m. She cleans up her chow quite nicely and is now taking her time to eat/rest a bit and then eat again. She is bright eyed and welcomes me loudly at morning feeding time. We let her out to wander at will. She is not very interested in the other horses right now, most probably due to lack of energy. Once she begins to put on weight she may be more interested in others. She would prefer that humans leave her alone unless they are the bearers of food! HA!

2/2/2004 - Vet exam - Temperature, Pulse & Respiration Normal. Heart murmur. Teeth need more work at intervals.

2/4/2004 - Farrier - Michael LaGrone flew in from Oklahoma (Barefoot Trimmer) to work on one of our Special Needs horses and we asked him to take a look at Dolly to recommend treatment. Michael's first words were "Poor Girl. Let's make her more comfortable" and he went to work even though it was getting dark and Michael had another client to see before he headed to Northern California. Dolly's feet were quite long as she had not had farrier care for a long time. Michael talked to Dolly like she was an old friend. When she exhibited signs of being uncomfortable, he would let her rest while he stroked her and talked to her. I cannot say enough about Michael, his skills, knowledge and "bed side manner". Plus, Michael felt so bad about Dolly's plight that he donated his farrier work! If anyone is interested in barefoot trimming, Michael flys into Southern California every 4-5 weeks. Once he has visited his Southern California clients, he drives to Northern California to help horses. Michael's contact number is: 405-880-4577.

Dolly needs a lot of food, vaccinations, wormer and time to recover from her starvation. Extensive dental work (~$150) will be needed, but it will be done a little at a time so it is less stressful for her. As she gets her energy and health back we will be evaluating her to see what kind of forever home will be best for her.
If you would like to donate to Dolly's Dental Fund, be sure to specify that on your donation. Dolly is also available for sponsorship.

March 2004 - Dolly has been with us for a month now. Our farrier made a special visit to see if we might be able to help Dolly be a bit more comfortable on her injured leg. As the injury to her flexor tendon is quite old, our intention is to lend support so that there is not so much strain on that leg. An eggbar shoe w/pad was placed on the hoof with the injured leg so that weight might be more evenly distributed. A regular shoe was placed on her other hoof so that she would stand even and wear would be equal. The farrier and I discussed putting a wedge on the foot with the injured leg to lift and straighten the flexor tendon. Since the injury is old, it is thought that this might cause her more discomfort than is necessary right now. Over time, the application of a wedge might be used, but for now we are just lending support to the leg.

Dolly is no finicky eater that's for sure! She cleans up all her hay and licks her bowl with the wetted down pellets clean! She has put on weight in this past month and is no longer as ribby as she was. Her hips and shoulders are still pominent, but she is filling out. Poor Dolly's starved condition was not a short term one. She had been without proper feed/care for quite awhile according to our vet. So, it will most likely take quite awhile to gain the appropriate weight back. Slow weight gain is what we are looking for as we also have to take into consideration her injured leg and how much weight will be comfortable for her.

When turned out, Dolly munches grass and does clean up around Prince's pen. She loves to roll in the roundpen and (when it is sunny) doze by the back fence. She will let you rub and brush on her, but is still leery of anyone moving toward her head and, if you walk up to her while she is out and about, she will quickly trot back to her pen. She hasn't formed any attachments to any of the other horses, but she really hasn't had much of chance to spend time with the others yet as we were waiting for her to gain some weight/strength before putting her in a group situation. The recent rains have limited turnout in the arena area due to the mud.

Dolly has the most beautiful, soulful eyes. She is still mistrustful of contact, but she does daintly take apple treats if you promise not to move too quickly. We are very greatful to have her with us and wish to thank Bobbi F. for her donation towards Dolly's upcoming dental care. Thank you Bobbi!

Update 4/18/04 - New pictures of Dolly will be up soon. Just waiting for the last of the unhealthy reddish coat she was wearing to shed out. I have to say I am totally surprised at her coloring. Not at all what I would have expected, but then again, I ain't no expert.

Dolly's sponsor, Bobbi, came to visit and help us bathe her. Dolly wasn't real pleased with us splashing water everywhere and getting ourselves soaked in the process. She went along with all the hoopla with a disgusted look on her face. But, when it came time for brushing, she was in seventh heaven. Dolly does love to be brushed and brushed and brushed! Bobbie managed to get most of loose coat off her but she still has the fuzzy reddish stuff on her legs and neck as it didn't seem ready to fall off and reveal the beautiful coloring underneath.

Just in case you might be wondering what color she is turning out to be, here is a hint: Can you say Chocolate???

Update 5/9/04 - In March, Dolly started shedding that unhealthy coat she had been wearing. We became a bit concerned as she was BALD in all the spots where her coat was leaving her fuzzy body!!

By the time April 2004 rolled around, Dolly seemed to be filling those bald spots with a dark colored hair! Both our vet and farrier agreed that she was going to be "one of those chocolate palamino type horses".

In May 2004, the pictures show a completely different colored horse than the one who arrived here, Not only had she put on weight, been wormed, a pedicure and a visit from the dentist, but thanks to Bobbi F., Dolly's Sponsor Mom, she has also had a recent visit from the chiropractor. Even though she seems to want to hang onto those fuzzy leggings of hers, her coat is becoming an even darker/richer color with each passing day.

Talk about the Ugly Ducklying turning into a Swan!! WOW