Star
#260 Older
Bay TB mare. Star. Appx. 15-3 to 16 hands. Registration papers
not yet available, but will be. This mare is very sore in the
front end. Apparently she has been sore for quite some time. She
did not get in foal this year and somehow found her way to a feedlot.
6/6/2001
- This lovely lady has a home! Lesley is in the midst of arranging
transport to bring this lovely girl to her to spend the rest of
her days. A vet check was done and it was found that this mare
is foundered. So, Lesley has been searching for a transporter
that will assure the mare receives pain medication on her journey,
thick bedding and frequent stops. She has found a transporter
and the mare will be leaving Friday 6/8/01 on her way home! Lesley
has gone the extra mile to help this mare with no expectations
of performance, rideability or breeding. This is a true rescue
story!
Allright Lesley!
6/10/01
- Just to let you guys know,I'm really impressed with my hauler!
Ray Melhuish of M D Transport.(Found out per his voice mail he
works for Miranda Downs too btw) He calls every 24 hours,and when
I told him we were working to get the barn ready(is first horse
afterall) so we might not be near the phone he said "Well
I'll keep trying til I get ahold of you",and he has!He's
actually been calling morning AND night.
He devoted 1/2 the trailer to her in case she considered lying
down,but as of yet she hasn't done it.He stops every night for
layovers in a stall,and keeps deep bedding for her ouchy feet-he
says she still won't lay down in a stall either?He says he stops
every four hours to evaluate her and make sure she can go on.When
I asked him how long it would take again,he said it all depends
on her.He's shooting for the 15th,but if she can't take it that
fast it will take longer obviously.I forgot to ask him,but he
obviosly doesn't have too many more horses on the trip with her,if
any since,he's basing everyone's arrival on her.He also said he's
got alot of info for me when he gets here,as he had a mare just
like her.Which I can use more info-her being my first horse and
all.
I really like this guy(and his australian accent LOL)so whoever
recommended EASYHORSESHIP.com THANK YOU! That's where I found
him.
I'll let you guys know more as I do.
6/16/01
- SHE'S HOME SHE'S HOME!
Ray (MD Horse Transport) had a nasty storm following him all the
way from the Dakotas and had to lay up frequently because of lightning,which
she hates,and wind.She got here this morning,about an hour before
my hay delivery even,and was in great condition.She was a little
drawn up,but was almost completley back to normal this evening
with some electrolytes and lots of water. She is a DOLL! She is
such a lover and even gives horse hugs by pulling you to her LOL.
She is so laid back it's even comical-even the circular saw nearby(long
story) didn't even faze her.She has yet to figure out the chickens-she
is FASCINATED by how such a little thing can make soooo much noise!She's
so curious about everything around her.She follows like a dog,and
she puts her halter on by herself-all you have to do is hold it
up and she trots over
and sorta "slides" into it HAHA.I have shavings in half
of the barn and this evening she decided to stretch out for a
nap-I'm glad she feels so safe. Good news though-she is NOT standing
all sprawled out like she was.She has not had bute in almost 48
hours and is still up and moving freely.She even got a few wild
hairs and trotted the few steps from the back of the barn to the
front.She is a little weird too,she takes NO treats-not carrotts,apples,sugar
cubes,or even the horse treats I bought? The trailer floor was
littered with the pieces of carrot and apple Ray put in her food
this morning.Just hay,water and a tiny bit of sweet feed and vitamins
thank you!
On another
note, we left not long after she got here to go to the local auction
down the road with intent of buying some tack and more "horse
junk" and maybe a goat for company right now.I did get a
cute weanling goat,and also came home with Merlin. Unfortuantely
I bought the goat before Merlin.He's a 6 y/o TB gelding,and is
the EXACT height and color she is, they look identical except
for the star-which he has none.He's a little on the thin side
but quite sound.Merlin has definitely "picked" Kenny
over me,and now kenny is hooked too-oh won't we be cute with our
matching mounts LOL.
I couldn't
have gotten her a better buddy if I let her pick one herself!
After a few squeals and a few bucks by HER to determine who is
boss,they settled down and munched hay side by side. Went out
around midnight to check on them and she is sleeping all sprawled
out again and he is resting his chin on her flank "standing
guard" dozing. The vet will be out monday for both, and the
farrier soon after.
Sorry so long, I'm just bubbling over - Lesley
Update
6/22/01 - just got in from the vets......Good news is that
there is NO rotation in Star's hooves.There is still a lot of
pain,but it has been steadily getting better in just a week.I
started her on B-L solution and have been weaning her off of the
bute-she's actually doing better with the natural stuff,then again
it could be the rest,all the leg rubs,and expensive hoof "goop"
that is supposed to improve circlation.Whatever I'm doing,or a
combination of all,she is perkier(is that a word?)her appetite
has gotten better,and the pain is lessening so she is moving around
more.I also ordered her some corta-flex for the arthritic ankle.They
seem to believe she will be sound enough for trail riding before
too long! YEAH!
The farrier-recommended by the vet as best with founder-may not
be able to get here til friday,but is trying to make it sooner.
I'll be taking pics today-we've been so busy around here I just
haven't gotten to it-but will have to mail them since my scanner
died.
Somebody went to the trouble to teach this girl right-unlike her
partner in crime Merlin who thinks fly spray is medival torture.She
will stand stock still for flyspray,rinsing w/ the hose,and everything
else.She spooks for NOTHING-not even barking dogs,or a stupid
chicken who tried to perch on her back,not even when I couldn't
grab the plastic bags from the shavings fast enough and they blew
between her legs!So much for the "flighty" thoroughbred.She
is so patient,even with her unexperienced Mom.What a love of a
horse :o)
Update
7/5/01 - Star has improved DRAMATICALLY! After looking at
the exrays he thought possibly majority of her pain was not the
founder-but rather her tendons,from the way she had become accustomed
to standing.She got basic shoes in the front with pads and 2 degrees
of wedge.After just one you could see her starting to lean into
her legs more.She has stopped taking shuffling baby steps,and
now stands normal.It took quite a bit of walking for her to figure
out that it didn't hurt anymore.He will be back in four weeks
to take out the wedge and pads.Now you can really tell how much
her arthritis is bothering her-she limps pretty badly-before it
didn't really show up as she was just sore all the way around.I've
got her on corta-flex,but we are still in the loading doses,hope
it gives her some relief. Thank god for the drop in the bucket
discount-Most all of her stuff is coming from them.
I mailed some pictures of her wednesday,you should get them soon.I
took them the day the new floor in the barn got put in,Star WAS
NOT happy she had to just stand for two almost two hours LOL.She
did get plenty of attention from me in that time to make up for
it HAHA.She also has a grazing muzzle on it's way, so she can
go out with her buddy now that her herd sour is under control.I
think she finally figured out that neither of them is going anywhere,and
pretty much doesn't even care when he leaves now. I looked up
her stats and pedigree on del mar pedigree query,very impressive.Two
of her babies are on there as well. Another suprise-Merlin is
more than likely a standardbred x(not TBx)-I figured,but was confirmed
by the vet and farrier.Surprise part-the shoes he had on were
amish DRIVING shoes,and the tiny mark on his back was most likely
caused by a harness.Hmmmmm:o)
What is it
about the smell of a freshly opened bag of shavings that makes
them think they simply MUST roll in it?Star doesn't even wait
until I'm finished-she likes to "spread" them herself.
Update
7/11/01 - I called the vet out for her "looseness,"(which
is due to her rapidly dwindling muscle tone)and the fact that
this medication seems to have No affect on her whatsoever,other
than terrible taste. She has her good days and her bad days-yesterday
was really bad,and the summer heat didn't help either.The corta-flx
didn't seem to be offering any relief even.She and I both were
getting pretty depressed and disheartened.
Around here
we have an unusual feeding ritual-I don't have the luxury yet
of a seperate feed room,so they both stand at the gate and watch
me mix it up.When it's ready I unlatch the gate and let Merlin
out- we both run out of the barn to his designated "spot,"
then I come in and give Star hers.She always takes a few steps
out of the gate and visits with Mama chicken til I come back(there's
nothing she can get into except her own bowl of food)and never
any need to close the gate-she doesn't move around much w/o being
made to. HA!
This morning
I did the usual,but when I turned around to go back and give Star
hers-I smacked face first into her!She trotted right out the door
with us!This morning she has taken her first "normal"
steps.I almost cried.
Doc said that
that it would take awhile for both the meds and even the corta-flx
to build up and actually start to help,but he didn't say it would
be this drastic and overnight when they did kick in!I know we
will still have our good and bad days,but this is her first true
"good" day since she got here.I'm sure the weather change
helped some too-from 90+ to 70.
I got a little
taste of the real Star too,instead of letting me put her halter
on and take her back in-she headbutted me and walked back in herself
LOL.As long as I was inside the pen,she was uninterested in her
feed(she's been a chowhound lately)and more interested in getting
affection-I think she's in her own way trying to say "thanks":o)
New Photos
- 7/13/01
Update11/23/01
- Just wanted to thank you all for the help that you have given
me and Star and to let you know that her pain finally ended today.More
than likely, despite heavy antibiotics she had gone septic and
rather than her heart valves it went to her brain.She went quickly
with me by her side in the form a seizure she could not shake.
She
fought a hard fight and to the end she showed a determination
and will to live that simply amazed everyone who came into contact
with her-a fighter to the end is how she chose to be remembered,and
it will be how I will always remember her.
DealNashua-Star
4/4/82-11/23/01
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