Miya the feedlot filly....RIP sweet girl!

Filly left at the Fallon Feedlot 4-10-12

Miya was a last minute package on a load coming back from the feedlot in Fallon, NV.  On my way to pick up two mature horses and return them to the San Diego area, I got a last minute call asking if I could put a baby on board too.   Her bail had been paid by Lisa Bone of Toby's Legacy Equine Rescue and Debra and her network were working on placement for her during our trip southbound.

Loaded in the safety of our trailer 

No immediate takers, so we made room for her at our place and when I was putting a halter on her before unloading her from the trailer I noticed she had a corneal ulcer, something we were very familiar with because SHALA came to us in September 2011, with corneal ulcers in each eye. 

Based on her teeth we figured her to be about 6-8 months old and not know how long she had been moved around before getting to the feed lot, she was underweight.  Usually that is accompanied by a parasite load that needs to be treated right away and sometimes anemia.  We started treatment right away to deal with all these issues. 

A few days later, mid-April, we got hit with some unusually hot days and unlike a normal horse sheds their winter coat, her hair was coming off right down to the hide.  The excessive heat and mal-nutrition probably played a roll in that, but I had never seen hair shed down to the hide before.  Over the next several days she lost half her body hair.  Though she has dark skin that wasn’t likely to burn, we kept her where she would get shade during the hottest part of the day.  Sunscreen irritated her skin.   We also gave her a medicated bath to deal with any fungus or bacterial that may have exasperated the hair loss.

Loss of hair to her face and neck

Loss of hair on her neck

Loss of hair on her hind legs and thighs

Not knowing her history, we can only assume that she was pretty much unhandled when we got her.  Having put a halter on her before she got out of the trailer made working with her so much easier, she quickly found out she enjoyed being brushed a couple times a day and though she was not fond of getting ointment in her eye, she stood very still for me to do it.  She even allowed fly spray without much fussing.   At her age a lot of young ones fear they spraying part of the fly protection so her calmness was a blessing and definitely allowed us to provide the care she needed.

Sadly when Dr. Heaton came out to visit the ranch we determined that she has permanent scaring to her left eye leaving her little visibility.  Ryan felt she already had some scarring when she arrived, but the treatment was able to stop the rest of it.   Her overall health prior to her rescue probably was much of the cause for it scaring rather than healing.  He felt she compensated for her sight loss well, so it may have been going on for a few months already.

The white is the scarred area to her left eye

Her hair has started to grow back in, she has had complete parasite treatment, we got her feet trimmed and now her eye treatment was finished.   We continue to feed her supplements and feed in addition to hay to get her good and strong and have put her in the pasture with SHALA and Cinnabon.

Keeping a close eye on her while she made her adjustment to being with the girls and also in a large enclosure with fencing we wanted to be sure she didn’t injure herself or the girls push her around too much.   It has been joyful watching her run, kicking up her heals with gay abandon in her new found freedom.

She loves people and will approach the fence for attention and if we go in the pasture she walks over. .  She is a little easy to startle from her left side if you don’t talk to her while approaching and I try to touch her left shoulder rather than approach her face first and that seems to help her.   But her adjustment is amazing.   

I took her halter off when we moved her into the pasture so she would get hung up on anything and the girls wouldn’t grab it with their mouth and try to pull it off or pull her around in it.  

Horses will do that.   If only one is wearing a halter, the rest feel like they are obligated to harass and pick on the horse.  We see it all the time with the geldings.  Fly masks are also a fun target for their playfulness.  I am pretty sure that more fly masks have been ruined from other horses trying to remove it from the one wearing it that any other reason.  Just like kids picking on each other. 

Miya's hair finally growing back in and she's enjoying pasture life

Miya seems to have settled in.  She is the youngest of the three, but won’t let herself get picked on.  One morning last week it was almost chilly out and the girls were full of their Wheaties, running and bucking back and forth across the pasture.  They decided to chase after Miya and showing her wisdom at a young age she put a stop to it by running and standing behind me.  I had to laugh because SHALA and Cinnabon put the brakes on looking at me and she stuck her head around from behind me and I am pretty sure she had her tongue sticking out at them.  Neener, neener, neener!   

She runs like the wind, has confidence and enjoys human interaction and handling.  We have found her such a fast learner.  I guess she has had to be with what she has been through in her short life so far.   We need your help!  We are not a long term facility and try to rehab and rehome the horses into loving families.

Miya & Cinnabon

She is healthy enough to go to a new home where she can settle in, stay and build a relationship with people for years to come.  Her ability to compensate for her limited sight on her left leads me to believe she will be rideable and her ‘can do’ attitude is not seen in all horses. 

If you can give her a home, or know someone who can give her a home, please contact us about adoption.   In the meantime we need to raise funds for her food and other needs while she is here, so if you can help us get the word out, help with donations and help us to provide for her needs she will continue to grow strong and healthy, even with her sight deficit. 

UPDATE: In October of 2012 Miya, SHALA and Dixie all went to a sanctuary in central California to leisurely live out their days with 400 acres of land to roam.  Sadly on 2-1-13 Miya hadn't come in with the rest of the horses and when they found her she was distressed.  Returning with a halter to bring her into the ranch they found she had passed and suspected perhaps she had run into a tree or hit her head on something as the herd was coming in.    RIP sweet Miya.   Your days were few, but filled with love. 

Donations can be made through PayPal using email address  Donate@EquineWellBeing.org , checks can be mailed to EqWBR at PO Box 324, Ramona, CA  92065.  

No donation is too small to help feed and care for the horses here and all are appreciated so very much.   Please help us help her. 

Thanks so much,

Christine Griffin, President

Equine Well Being Rescue Inc.

760-703-4860