June 21, 2026, I saw a post on Facebook and received an email plea shortly after, a plea we wanted to help assist. We reached out to Carolyn, the daughter in Louisiana, to get some more information and see what options there were to help the family in such great need. After a long discussion it was decided to bring the horses to the rescue. The family needed help as quickly as possible so 3 days later we made the four hour drive to pick them up. |
The day before we picked the horses up it had been over 100 degrees, the day we moved them to the rescue it was in the upper 90's. We did take breaks during the transport, offering water and time to rest. With any equine that is important, but these are all considered senior horses at ages 19-28. They are extremely bonded, almost clinging to each other through this process. We had stalls set up for them in the barn with outside turnouts for each allowing them to be next to each other and us to observe the food and water consumption as they transition to new surroundings and people. It is NEVER easy with elderly horses, especially ones who have been at the same place for 18 years. Spanky had the biggest time adjusting, he is 28 years old and the leader of this group. But he wasn't eating well nor drinking. Our big concern was dehydration which often leads to colic. His first morning I took his vitals and reached out to Dr L right away. He was starting to get dehydrated and had an irregular heart beat. We schedule a time to bring him to the vets office. The other two were doing better, but Chapps wasn't eating as well as I would have liked. Both Spanky and Chapps were given Banamine and within an hour, Chapps had pooped and his vitals were good, not Spanky though. |
I knew by the time we got to the vet IV fluids would be the best course of action. Dr L felt so too. During her examination she noted he was 150 pounds underweight for his height and the irregular heart beat I heard was caused by Atrial Fibrillation, that totally changes his treatment options for his age. Before we started IV fluids we put fluids and Epsom salts directly into his stomach by tubing him. When using a nasogastric tube they often open their mouth and Spanky opened his very wide. That was when we realized he only had his upper front molars, his other molars weren't just expired with no chewing capacity, his other molars were completely gone. The food he had been fed for a long time included whole oats and solid grains, it was no wonder he was underweight, he had no molar teeth to chew that or get any nutrients from them. When he finally did poop, it had the whole oats and grains in solid form in his manure. No wonder he was struggling, no nutrients from his food and not able to eat hay at all. The family that gave us the horses had no idea he wasn't processing the feed because they had others helping them feed the horses so no one was out there to make these observations. Spanky ended up spending the night at the vets office so he could receive slower drip fluids and be watched for his condition to stabilize. Being separated from his herd, he was having a tough time with anxiety. He was given a mild sedative to help him through the stress. He was monitored through the night and I was able to pick him up the following day. Before bringing him to the rescue, he received more fluids directly to his stomach via the NG tube. This time it had mineral oil in it so we could tell from his manure when the highly soaked pellets Dr L, had him eat passed through his system. |
While all this was going on, I continued to watch Chapps and Kit Kat, monitoring their food and water intake and taking Chapps vitals to get him past his mild colic. The pain meds did the trick for him but his anxiety of being in a new place AND Spanky not there necessitated him having pain meds for a few days while his system adjusted and we were happy to eventually see consistent poop for him. When Spanky arrived back at the rescue it was a grand reunion for the three and they all started to do better. By Monday, 3 days after their arrival, they were all drinking, eating, pooping, urinating and vitals were within normal limits. Our temperatures were still in the upper 90's, but they did well adjusting to their new home. We recently turned them out in a larger pen we built attached to the barn so they can stretch their legs and meet the other horses and donkeys over the fence line. |
Chapps, Kit Kat and Spanky are doing much better. Spanky has already put on over 20 pounds eating a senior feed designed for equines with no teeth. He has perked up enough that we can have Dr L out this coming Monday to do his dental, sheath clean and discuss his long-term needs. We will also set up a care plan for Chapps and Kit Kat including dentals, deworming, vaccines, etc. This past week they all got their hooves trimmed. Spanky's vet bill was $1184.00, which has been covered by wonderful donors who were able to follow his situation on Facebook and Instagram. This coming vet bill will be an additional $1200 or more with dentals, sheath cleanings and blood work. Additionally we treated Spanky and Chapps for ulcers caused by the stress of all the changes they have gone through, Spanky had a summer sore in his sheath area which is healing very well so with the meds needed for all of that, plus vaccines and dewormer, another $500 in medications. We are reaching out to you and hoping you will consider a donation to help us cover these costs. No donation is too small and every dollar raised will go towards their care. While taking on three at a time can be a lot, these horses desperately needed a soft landing and a place to live out their lives and we have provided that. To make a donation you can click the link below where you can use a credit or debit card, PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo or from a bank account. Zelle email is: Donate@equinewellbeing.org For Checks: Equine WellBeing Rescue 8369 Buckskin Trail Snowflake, AZ 85937 Thank you for believing that every horse deserves comfort, dignity, and the best care we can provide. Your generosity makes that possible every single day. You change lives! With heartfelt gratitude, Christine and all of us at EqWBR |
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