Zoe
We got word from two lovely ladies about a horse
that they had rescued. Seems the previous
owner decided he didn't want this older QH mare, so he
quit feeding and watering her! The lady that found
her persuaded the owner to sell her. Because
this savior lady did not have a place to put this mare,
she boarded her while she searched for a suitable home. This was
a difficult task as the mare is a walking
skeleton. The savior lady got a vet out,
had the mare's feet done and contacted TIER. We wish to thank
these wonderful ladies for caring enough
to help this mare!!!
Since TIER does not have any openings at our facility,
we contacted a lady who had offered to foster
horses and lives close by. Zoe (her new name and prounouned
Zoey) is rehabilitating at a wonderful home nearby. She has a
loving personality and does not like bermuda! HA!
She is getting 3 small meals a day of bermuda
and Timothy/bermuda pellets. She loves the pellets! We
do not want to feed her alfalfa at this point because it is too
rich for her starved system. Once Zoe has
been restored to health and evaluated she will
be available for adoption.
Update 12-16-00 - Will you you look at this girl
now? Zoe's foster mom has done a terrific job
of caring for this lovely lady. Foster Mom Lynne has had her teeth
done, several visits from the farrier and loaded
her up with hugs! Zoe has a kind nature
and gets along well with dogs. Because the main concern for
Zoe was to bring her back to health, she has not
been evaluated as to riding abilities yet.
From the looks of her.....she is quite healthy indeed! HA!
Once she has been evaluated, Zoe will be up for
adoption in the near near future.
Update
3/13/02 - Hi! I'm finally getting on this computer to tell
you all the news about Zoe and her new home. We brought Zoe home
on 3/10/02, Sunday afternoon without any problems at all. She
smelled the hay in the trailer and walked right in, saying good-bye
loudly to her friends next to Foster Mom Lynn's house and shaking
the whole trailer with her whinnies. She rode quiet all the way
home and was welcomed by the nearest horses to her new home by
a whole lot of "who are you?" calls. Zoe was led excitedly
into the backyard to meet her stable companion Maggie, a 10 year
old Morgan mare, who was anxiously pacing and calling out to her
from the time we pulled up out front. The two of them got along
so great! It was better than anything I could have imagined. Within
a few moments, the two of them couldn't be led away from the other.
There was none of the nastiness that we had expected and talked
about that could occur with new horses. The two mares had been
alone for so long that they both seemed excited just to have a
pal around. Only a few squeals from Zoe, and Maggie was just eager
to get close to her. No bites or kicks yet.
Then on Monday,
when I let Zoe out of her pen to cruise around and work out her
joints, she would only go about 5 feet before immediately returning
to Maggie to touch noses. After about 10 minutes of this, I decided
to let Maggie out. I was amazed! They were glued at the hip. Zoe
actually started trotting to catch up to Maggie and stay right
at her side. For the rest of the afternoon until feeding time,
they grazed side by side and should one of them move a little
too far away, the other would quickly catch up before relaxing
and returning to graze.
On Tuesday
afternoon, I decided to take Zoe out for a walk and start getting
her use to her new environment. I found out that she needs a little
refresher on being led and stopping. She's eager to please and
learns fast. Within only 15 minutes she was leading pretty well.
The water in the gutters scared her a little at first too, but
a few times over the curb and she was going quietly like she's
done it all her life. (probably has to) As I was leading her out,
Maggie and Zoe consistently called out to each other, and when
I returned Zoe to her pen, Maggie was covered in sweat! After
only 2 days! I now have a great pair of girls, and I can't wait
to keep working with them both, because I just know the trail
rides with these to mares are going to be the best!
Thank you
Gail for all your help in finding us a good match. And for your
patience and kindness with my impatience. I will have those pictures
by the end of the week and I will drop them off to you. I truly
believe in what you are accomplishing and someday hope to be able
to help a lot more than just Zoe. But for now, she's a helluva
girl!
Update
10/1/04 - Wednesday morning and afternoon Zoe was fine.
Around 5:00 p.m. I noticed she had lost her balance and would
turn or spin to right throuh the pasture. Yellow discharge in
right nostril. She went down and I gave her 9 cc's of Banamine
IM. Before the banamine had time to take effect, she was up and
walking like nothing happened. Eating and Drinking fine, but her
balance was way off. I spent Thursday waiting for our regular
vet to come out as he had an emergency surgery (young show horse/trailer
accident/eye removed). I did give her a dose of banamine paste
Thursday morning (per vet), yet she was still quite unsteady
The vet came
out and checked vitals, temperature, gut sounds, etc., etc. All
were within the norm. By the time vet arrived, there was no longer
any nasal discharge. I had been giving her bute to reduce inflammation
and pain as she was an older mare with arthritis (all that spinning
had to take it's toll on those old old joints)and she had stepped
on her left ankle so many times as she spun that she had cut herself.
I wrapped the wound. I also tried a shipping boot, but it made
it more difficult for her when she would spin and her right foot
would hit the boot.
The Vet had
me TRY to walk her in a straight line. Poor gal gave it her all
but just could not do it. She was propping herself on the fence
to keep from losing her blance and thus going into circles. In
a short time, the hair was being removed from her rump where she
rested against the fence. Soon it would have turned into a sore.
Neurological
testing was done by our vet and he found a section about two hand
widths from her withers toward her head that were unresponsive.
Also, along her hip line there was no response. Vet does not think
it was West Nile. Perhaps it was a stroke, a lesion in her neck
or it could have been a number of things. Although the Bute &
Banamine seemed to help a bit, she was still very unsteady and
I fed her along the fence line as she propped herself up. Sigh......I
felt so bad for this old girl who had at one time been a show
horse and was then left in field without food or water to starve
and was covered in rain rot when she came to us. Once she had
gained weight, she was adopted to a family that fell in love with
her kindness and beauty. She taught the husband of the family
and their 7 year old to ride. As their skills increased, they
wanted to ride the trails and riverbeds in the area but Zoe was
not suited to this as she had very arthritic knees in the front.
She was returned to TIER and it was hoped that she would be able
to teach another youngster to ride, groom and hug horses. She
did help novice volunteers and visitors learn to lead a horse,
to pick up and clean hooves, how to groom and how to feed the
much needed carrots. To come so far from the bad times and then
to experience this was absolutely heartbreaking.
We could have
had cultures run, x-rays, etc. but it was doubtful that whatever
was going on would be treatable at her age and in her arthritic
condition. We made the decision to let her go. We could have sent
her body to the State lab for a full necropsy, but funds are so
low that we chose not to and the vet was quite sure her condition
was not something that was communicable.
Other than
the unsteadiness, she was bright-eyed, alert had a good appetite
and wanted to be back with the other horses. She nickered everytime
I went to check on her. We miss this beauty so very much!
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