Equine WellBeing Rescue, Inc.: Updates - Grace, Whiskey, Biscuit and more!

Happy New Year to all!

We are 11 days into 2024 and we are having our second snow storm of this week so it is the perfect time for me to sit down and give you all an update of what's happening at the rescue. While it doesn't look like much, the winds are gusting 30-40 mph so we are glad each of the pastures have shelters so they horses and donkeys can get out of the wind and snow. We have the mini donkeys in the barn along with a few horses getting daily nursing care, more on them below. The moisture from the snow is needed and we are not getting nearly as much snow as others here in the White Mountains.

On Dec. 16, 2023, we were contacted by a rescue in Scotts Valley, CA, asking if we could assist them if they were the winning bidder on one of the Alpine Wild (feral) horses via an online auction. The very next morning Julia, from Canham Farm Horse Rescue excitedly told us they were the winning bidder on a weanling and were hoping we could transport it to the rescue and take care of it until transportation could be arranged to California. Luckily Dr. Laird, was scheduled to be here on the 20th, so we picked the colt up on the 19th and quarantined him in the barn.

Did I say he was a wild horse? Very nervous, unused to any human interaction and recently separated from his herd. Thankfully we have quite a bit of expirence with unhandled horses, especially foals and weanlings. Our volunteers, not so much. For most of them this was a brand new expirience.

Wanting him to be comfortable we put Shooter, who is 18 months old, in the adjoining stall. That worked great and Kam (named Kamikaze by Dr Laird) settled right in. I started to desensitize him to people by spending time in the stall with him using slow movements and gentle tones. By the time he left, he would tentatively get hay out of my outstretched hand. A nice change from the frantic colt on arrival.

It was important to find someone to transport him who has hauled many feral and unhandled horses, for that we contacted Marlene Dodge, Valley View Equine Rescue, a well expireneced person with the perfect trailer. As it turns out she doesn't live very far from Canham Farm Horse Rescue and was able to make a special trip to get Kam to California and out of Snowflake before this series of winter storms arrived. On January 6th, we said, "goodbye", to Kam. He arrived safely and is settling into his new home wonderfully. Yay and Phew!!!

On January 3rd, I saw a post on Facebook of a gentleman from Iowa, who was snowbirding in Arizona with his two horse and staying in his living quarters horse trailer. The day before, while out for a trail ride, the trailer caught on fire and was a total loss. Kevin Ryan lost ALL his belongs and his horse tack, supplies, feed and hay.

We immediately reached out to a lady named Sorcha, who made the original post to find out what we could do to help. We immediately sent $500 from our Equine Emergency Food Fund, purchased almost $300 of buckets, health care and grooming supplies and feed, which they were able to pick up immediately. We also set up a Facebook fundraiser so people could make tax-deductible donations through us that would be sent to Kevin.

Yesterday Kevin got a replacement trailer, many others sent him clothes, household items and financial donations. We were able to send him an additonal $1000, the generous donations from people who saw our Facebook post. The horse community stepped up to help this elderly man at a time when he was not sure what he would do being homeless with two horses to care for. We have invited Kevin to visit the rescue anytime and are so glad we could play a small role in helping he and his horses.

This has been a very busy winter so far. In December, we received a call from a man named Ron, who had a horse wander up to his fenceline and it was on State Trust land and no one in the area recognized the horse. He wanted to know if we could help. We contacted the brand inspector for that area and got permission to pick the horse up since the land it was on had no water source and was mostly lava rock with little grasses. Ron, put hay and water over his fence till we were able to retrieve the horse. On December 4th, we arrived and had to walk her one half mile to get to our trailer. She was limping SO BAD on her front feet we weren't even sure she would make it that far. We posted on social media and other sources this "found horse", in hopes the owners would claim her. After 10 days, neither the brand inspector nor us had gotten any inquiries on her. Ron had a contacted all the neighbors and ranchers who run cattle in the area and again, no one recognized this horse. The poor thing had been abandoned on rocky land with no water in the middle of December!!!

As soon as she arrived we contacted the Dr Laird, who was coming out to treat Whiskey and she was able to take xrays of both front feet and do a complete exam, our farrier made an emergency call. He removed the horrendous shoes on her feet that had been on for at least 12 weeks and had a 3 inch wedge that was causing the coffin bone in her feet to angle upwards (negative angle) instead of downward at the same angle as her hoof. NO WONDER she couldn't walk, it would be like having the heel of your shoe under your toes causing you to walk awkward 24 hours a day.

Within hours of the shoes being removed she was already walking better, but still limping a little, especially on her right front hoof. A few days later Dr. Laird was back out giving Whiskey a 3 day treatment (update below) so post-shoe removal and trim x-rays were taken to see if her coffin bones were at a better angle and they were. Dr Laird also performed acupuncture on Grace.

Dr Laird diagnosed her with Navicular Syndrome, prescibed pain medicine and ulcer prevention medicine to protect her tummy from the side-effects of the pain meds, joint and herbal supplements. The boots arrived and they were a big help in protecting her front feet but only a temporary fix. Our goal is to see if she can go barefoot. Feeling better we took the boots off and after a few days decided to let her out. Oh darned, if she didn't come back limping again.

She had bruised her foot so when our farrier got back after Christmas, he put shoes on her front feet. He felt she could be turned out so we tried it again and AGAIN, she came back lame. Our hearts sank as we were thinking maybe this is why she was abandoned..... When we got her in and cleaned her feet we were overjoyed to see she had an abscess on her right front, probably brewing and now with all the hoof care finally able to burst so her hoof can heal. Our farrier looked at Grace on Wednesday, cleaned up the area around the abscess and said she is once again looking good. We still have her in the barn, especially through these storms, but we will update Dr Laird and make a new game plan.

Grace got her name from Ron and his wife, who felt it was by the grace of God that she found their yard and they were able to give her food, water and help. She is such a sweet horse, we think she is in her mid to late teens and with a little arthritis in her knees, probably used for roping or ranch work at some point in her life. We will do all we can to help her feel better and enjoy retirement and a place where she is loved.

Now an update of Whiskey. We are so happy to say that the fecal transfaunation was successful. You may remember that he was hospitalized on 10/25/23, diagnosed with colitis and endotoxemia. He spent 7 days in the hospital and was released to us because with my equine veterinary technician training and expirience we could continue the IV catheter therapy here at the rescue. He continued to have diarrhea so a veterinary internal medicine specialist recommended, doing the transfer of microorganisms from a healthy horse to the ill horse. This is done frequently for humans and is becoming common again with horses.

The procedure took 3 days, with the vet coming each day to inserting a nasogastric tube into Whiskey's stomach and transfering the liquid with the good microorganisms into his stomach. Dr. Laird also did acupuncture on Whiskey while she was here. All of the therapies combined did the job because he is now out in the pasture with the other horses, enjoying life again. What a roller coaster his illness was. We were so worried that he would not pull through and now joyful that he has. I love this horse to pieces.

Most of you haven't met Biscuit yet. She actually came to us on 8-21-23, after Dr Laird asked if there was any way we could help this nine year old mare who might have to be euthanized because of a fractured bone in her right hind foot. Dr. Laird had spoken with the surgeon at Chaparral Veterinary Medical Center and she felt Biscuit could make a full recovery from surgical repair of the fracture that included plates and screws to hold the fracture together while the bone fuses and the foot heals. Down side is that the recovery period requires stall confinement and can take up to a year. Our board discussed making the investment in her care and we all agreed that a young, healthy horse should get this opportunity. Biscuit had her surgery on 8/23/23, spent a month at Chaparral before coming her to receive her rehabilitation care and therapies.

Therapies have included special supplements, accupuncture, ozone therapy, Kinesiology, Bemer therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic and physicial therapy. She is still confined, but we have increased the size of her enlosure two times now so she can have more movement, but she is not able to be out in the pasture yet. Recent xrays show her bones healing as they should. Her biggest issue has been treating ulcers which were a side effect of the pain meds needed the first three months. She is now on a daily dose of Equioxx (previcox), walking well within her 24 x 36, indoor/outdoor stall. Currently her supplements cost $18/day, but are needed to give her the best chance of full recovery.

This week's snow storms have brought the 'piss and vinegar' out in this sweet mare. Clearly she is feeling better and while watching all the other horses and donkeys having fun in the snow, she just had to kick up her heels. This type of behavior is rare, but needed when confined now for five months. It shows us she is truly on the mend.

Biscuit is a therapy horse and patients of Essential Solutions, mostly children, come to the rescue to receive their integrative equine therapy with Biscuit. We are excited with this therapy at the rescue, we will become an eligible non-profit so donors who are residents of Arizona will be able to receive a tax credit from their state income tax.

Biscuit and Grace are still residing in the barn. Whiskey is out in the pasture but still comes in for dinner as we slowly get his weight back on him after his two month illness. Kamikaze has safely arrived at his home at Canham Farm Horse Rescue and his Shooter is back in the pasture enjoying room to run. We now have Ramey the white donkey in with Forest, the blind little horse and they are getting along great. Shooter just had too much energy for Forest, wanting him to play when he really couldn't. Now Shooter can play with the full size horses and Forest has a steady companion his same size.

We closed out last year with several equines whose adopters needed help and asked if they could be returned. Those include the donkey named Paublo who had been with his family since 2017, Cinnabon, an orphaned foal we rescued in 2011 and had been with her adopter since 2015, Jazzy and Hank came back when their adopters informed us they would have to move and couldn't take the horses with them. We have two mini mules that were adopted in 2015, whose owner was recently diagnosed with cancer and is unable to care for them through her treatment. We will pick them up next week. All of these and others will be available for adoption come spring. We always leave room for our adopted and fostered equines to return as a safety net in times of great need and it is bittersweet to have them returned as their owners go away in tears. Their return is never an easy decision. We are blessed that we are here to help each and every family when life throws them unexpected curve.

I would like to extend a special thank you to Earth Song Ranch all natural & herbal products for donating several of their products to help Whiskey, Biscuit and Grace. Jessica Lynn has been so gracious donating her wonderful product which is a huge savings to us.

We hope you are well and that 2024 brings us all wonderful blessings. Thank you all for your love and support. Working together we are changing lives in many ways.

YOU make such a difference~~~

Below is Forest with Ramey enjoying the sun and the snow.