Scarlett's Recovery

What a Beauty

2008-07-02T12:21:02Z

Scarlett is a true treasure. She has been calm, loving and appreciative from the beginning.
Everyday she nickers a greeting as I arrive at the barn.

On first assessment it seemed that she didn't know much about being ridden.
Truth is she doesn't know alot, but she knows how to make a kid smile.
This is my nephew, who is very inexperienced, this is his third ride on Scarlett and she is just great.

First time over the ground poles.

Just for Comparison

Becoming a Fatty

2008-06-01T17:23:23Z

Scarlett has blossomed and just continues to get fatter and prettier.
I found out that she really doesn't know anything, as far as riding goes.
She doesn't buck or rear, or fight you, she just stands there,
unless she is following her love, Bones.
She takes the saddle and bridle well, stands quietly for mounting and then just stands there. No amount of encouragement, kicking, nudging, clucking, crop, makes her move forward, backward or sideways.
This is just a prime example of how broodmares should all be saddle trained.
They don't immediately pass away after they are retired from breeding. Sadly, most breeders don't give their old mares the luxury of life out to pasture.
These old girls all deserve that, but in case that is not what is in store for them, they should be able to be ridden.
So, the next step with Scarlett is going to be a little ground work, some lounging, some ground driving and hopefully she will make a great horse for a little girl.

So here she is in all her fattness!

Update and Pictures Coming Soon!

2008-05-21T20:01:02Z

My laptop crashed. I finally got an old desltop up and running and online. I can't afford to replace the laptop, so I will have to make do.
I promise to get new pictures up soon.
Scarlett says to say hello, and she is doing great. Thanks for asking.

Happy Birthday Scarlett

2008-05-04T19:58:34Z

The weather today was perfect, it rained some yesterday.
I was groomed by my little friend Katherin, she has sweet hands.
I really didn't know what the fuss was about, but I trust all my new friends
so I just decided to see what all this birthday stuff was about.
I got to wear a funny little hat, I didn't mind, I kept mine on the longest of anyone.
I kept smelling this really good smell coming from a table set up in the yard. It smelled good, like feed but sweeter. all my friends were standing around watching me. I didn't get nervous, but I didn't really understand all the fuss.
My boyfriend Bones got a party hat too, he looked silly. Misty and Majesty also wore hats, but I wore mine the best.
At first I didn't want to taste my cake, but it smelled really good. Bones was a chicken too, so I finally took a bite, oh boy was it good.
There was plenty for all of us, me, Bones he is my new mommy's other rescue horse, Misty, and Majesty they have always lived with my new mommy and they are older than me! Cherokee also came she is a really pretty horse that used to be a race horse, wow. Mirage came too she is so black and pretty, she looks like she could be in the movies.
All the other horses got to have some "cake" too, everybody seemed to have a great time.
What a life I have now. This is the best home I have ever had.

Two Months Ago, I considered euthansia!!!

2008-04-10T20:38:36Z

I look at Scarlett now and think that I actually considered euthanizing her.

I brought her home and heard of all her medical issues, I didn’t want her to suffer anymore.
I didn't consider it for very long, although I am sure some people thought I was crazy to try and save a horse so far gone.
Well, Scarlett certainly is not suffering now.

The change in her is so dramatic.
The underlying health problems were not the reason for her emaciation; they were a direct result of her emaciation.
She was simply starved.
She eats her grain just fine, she eats her hay without problem and she grazes with joy.

She still needs to have the caslicks procedure done and she needs her teeth floated, and those things will be done in the coming months.

The great news is that the heart murmur , although still there, is now barely detectable.

I know you are all waiting for pictures,

Scarlett on April 10, 2008, just two months after coming home.

Six Weeks Have Passed

2008-03-23T19:05:03Z

Scarlett continues to thrive and gain weight. She is extremely energetic and full of life. She loves being groomed, she will stand still untied and let you brush her for as long as you will.

Dr. Logan King, my fantastic young, single vet from McDonough Animal Hospital checked Scarlett again a few days ago, and he told me to not get my hopes too high, but that her heart murmur was much harder to hear. He also said that he has heard of a few cases like this can correct themselves and that the murmur may very well be from the state of starvation that she was in.

I will just keep hoping and praying that it will correct itself on its own.

I don't normally feed the two lovebirds, Scarlett and Bones, in the barn yard, but I had them out of their paddock and I gave them their feed and here a few pictures.

First, two pans, same feed.

Is yours better than mine?

Okay, I guess I'll eat mine.

One Month Later

2008-03-10T09:59:17Z

Just one short month ago Scarlett was near death.
I had to ponder the decision as to whether I saved this mare only to
euthanize her because of her health issues or give her a chance.
Well, I am so glad that I decided to give her some time.
She is steadily gaining weight, and she is just a joy to be around.
Can you tell a difference?

I know that Scarlett still looks pretty bad, her baldness doesn't help, but I see a beautiful mare.

I realize that some people have questioned the pictures taken of under her tail, I am only showing them because this really shows her body condition and the improvement.

Three Weeks Later

2008-03-01T20:52:28Z

Well, three weeks have passed and Scarlett is a very happy horse.
Her itching is gone but her baldness remains.
She looks awful, but I can see some improvement in her weight. She has lots more energy.
Today, Bones, her boyfriend went for a short trail ride and Scarlett whinnied for him
and trotted around the paddock calling for him.
This is the first horse that Bones has ever shown interest in, I think he's in love.

Day One for Comparison

Week Three Butt Shot

Scarlett still has a beautiful face, even if she is hairless.

A Little Itchy

2008-02-26T06:46:13Z

Scarlett has gained more weight this week. However, she managed to get into poison ivy / oak and has been rubbing. We are treating her according to the vet's reccomendations. Aside from itching, she seems to be feeling a whole lot better. She ran from me the other day when I was trying to catch her to put her halter on. She had her feet trimmed for the first time this week also. The farrier didn't seem to think that she has ever foundered, which is wonderful and amazing.

Scarlett at the Sale Barn - The Night She Was Rescued

2008-02-19T20:37:01Z

Scarlett at the Sale Barn

The pictures say it all. These were taken at the sale barn, before she was brought home. Keep in mind she was ridden through the sale with a rider and a western saddle. I can't imagine how painful the girth must have been, because the next day the edema on her underside was sore to the touch.

Notice the underside of her belly, the bulge you see is the ventral edema, it was very painful for her.

Pasture Pals

2008-02-19T19:58:02Z

Just Like Old Pals

Scarlett and Bones hang out together in their own special pasture now. Bones looks so awesome. He looked even worse than Scarlett when Julie rescued him. She's done an amazing job rehabbing him. The vet thinks he's around 30.

Scarlett is looking a lot better, we'll post more body condition pics this weekend. The farrier is coming this week so she'll have her feet trimmed. Sometimes Scarlett seems to stand around and "rest" a lot, at least when I'm there snapping pictures. Her ears are always up, it's so funny. I swear the horse is just so grateful. Taylor hand walks her a lot around the barn and she grazes on the early grass trying to come up, and she CHOWS DOWN. She's eating "grain" really well twice a day and she get's hay 24 /7. Poor thing, even though she's getting grain twice daily, she still walks up to, and looks in her feed buckets just making sure she didn't miss something. She nickers a lot too. It's so sweet. Stay tuned for more Scarlett ...

Scarlett and Bones

Bones at 30 ish . He wouldn't come up for air long enough for me to take a picture of his face.

I wonder what she thinks about these days. I wonder if she thinks about her previous life. She needs therapy! Poor old girl.

As I was leaving, she came up to the fence and foraged around her buckets as if to say "Did you bring me more feed?"

A Week Later

2008-02-16T20:36:15Z

February 16 2008

It was a week ago tonight that Scarlet was saved at the Pony Express. We've really seen her progress a good bit this week. She seems to feel a lot better than she did a week ago. Some of us even think she's gained a little weight. She's really starting to pay attention to the other horses and she even trotted once this week. She didn't trot very far, but as far as I could tell she looked sound.

We put her and "bones" (another recovered rescue horse) together in the front field today. Bones was also saved by Julie. He is at least 30 years old but looks great! I've been told that he was in even worse shape than Scarlet is. So the two of them hang out together and enjoy their own private round bale, safe from the antics of the herd. The edema seems to be a lot better than it was originally. She was given a shot of Lasix (sp?) and it seems to be helping. We are really hoping the heart murmur will disappear with time and recovery. We are watching her closely for signs of founder and so far so good.

Fed on a regular basis.... finally.

I asked the vet "What are these lumps on her neck?" He said "That's her spinal column."
You can even see it in this photo. I was just dumbfouned. I cannot fathom my horse being this thin.

Her new turnout area. "Bones" was eating up at the barn when this was taken.

One of her front feet. The stress rings tell a sad tale. Logan was 100% sure if she's foundered or not.

The other front hoof. Notice her square toes.

Extra skin and fluid from the edema.

These will never be in service again. She's retired.

We think she's gained a little weight this week. The edema was painful to the touch a week ago and now it's not. I think she is a lot more relaxed now.

I personally love the way they clipped, completely shaved, her inner ears, bridle path, eye whiskers, and muzzle for her debut at The Pony Express Horse Auction

I think she's going to look really good with weight.

Scarlet's Story

2008-02-15T15:42:50Z

Scarlet was Rescued at the Pony Express Horse Auction on February 9th. She is now in recovery and under the care of Julie Sheppard and Dr.Logan of McDonough Animal Hospital.

Scarlet is a very nice mare - a breeding quality mare. She's well bred - the daughter of AQHA Champion Impressive Bar Leo out of a daughter of AQHA Champion (and very famous sire) Blondy's Dude. She's HYPP N/N.

And she's structurally good - even in this terrible condition, she has a good shoulder, deep through the chest, not downhill, good pasterns, pretty neck set...this is going to be a beautiful mare when she has weight on.

Scarlet is in bad shape. She has a heart murmur, ventral edema, possible congestive heart failure - needs an Echocardiogram to determine the severity, she has a wind-sucking, air-filled uterus and needs to have a Caslicks procedure, and she needs her teeth floated. She is now finally under the care of a veterinarian, thanks to Julie, who is sucking up the cost out of her personal money.

Keep checking back, we will keep adding pictures and posts regarding Scarlet's recovery.

2-15-08
She actually trotted yesterday. It was amazing. She's really starting to "perk up". She sleeps in a blanket at night because it is getting cold at night here. The blanket is a little big but she doesn't have much to fill it out with either. We keep her in a stall at night with fluffy shavings and plenty of hay.