Bel & Mini Whinny

[sbhr]

Bel (Beltain Fire Dance was Jet City Baby) and Mini were purchased (ug ) by us to get them out of a terrible situation. Our renter told us that her friend was selling a Appendix QH mare, which we were NOT interested in. We didn't want another horse at that time.

Well, divine intervention, being what it is, interrupted and our tenant mentioned it again while Staci's mom was visiting. She wanted to go and see, so grudgingly (ya, right! who ever goes to see a horse 'grudgingly')-we went.

Well.......according to this lady ---> "Jet City Baby" (out of Jet Deck) was being sold because she was "LAZY". She had had several people come to see her and try her out. Reports were... she was just one boring mount. No fire, no spark.

I looked down at her feet. Horrors of all horrors, what did we see? Rippled, foundered, massively deformed feet. Bad foundered, not just a little laminitis. She had some trouble walking up to see us. This 'horsewoman' (in her own words) let people RIDE her like this !!! She didn't see a problem with her feet!! I am NOT a vet, or a farrier, or even very skilled at what I do, but it didn't take skill to see that she hurt, her feet were deformed and she was at the brink of loosing what life spark she had. Plus, she was covered ( ) in lice. eeeuuuuuuuu

Well, Jet City Baby laid her head over my shoulder and closed her eyes and sighed. Her neck relaxed and she started 'sleep breathing'. I had tears in my eyes. Some of those tears were in fear of the loads of lice crawling on her. I looked at Carol (Staci's Mom) and she was angry. She asked the seller how much she wanted. $1500. Gasp! I think NOT. Carol said....we'll take her!! (WHAT?)

Ok....Carol....and we'll pay for her how? Well, a long story short(er) Carol paid for her. We arranged transport for the next day. I would have gladly walked her home if she could have withstood the trip. I just wanted her OUT OF THERE. Horses there were walking on fallen fencing, hot wire broken and laying in big loops all over the ground by the water trough...Tomorrow could not come soon enough!!

We arrived and I held my tongue (hard for me). As we were trailering her, we noticed a small pony looking to see what was going on. I also noticed the pony had mats and dread locks about a foot long. She also appeared to have NO tail and her feet were curled into Genie slippers with the toe pointing back toward her shins. Wheres her tail? Weird.

I asked about her....the seller said she hated that pony. Couldn't catch it, she was just a pain in the a**. Said she was 1/2 Hackney Horse, 1/4 Bashir Curly and 1/4 Welsh and about 7 mos old. She was cuter than hell!! Then we noticed her pooping. A huge stream of brown liquid....cascading down her legs. Ah HAA! Theres her tail! Matted and molded onto her right back leg. Stuck to her like it was glued there, with the new poop making a nice new coating of goo. "You can have her if you can catch her"

Well, hell .....we couldn't leave her there. So while others were trailering Jet City Baby, I quietly walked up to her and she backed away.....but she just couldn't stand the thought of 'leaving', so she stayed relatively close. We were about 20 feet from the trailer and JCB was loaded. I turned as 'if' to walk away and she took a step to follow. She was about 5 feet from me at the time. I turned and hurtled myself at her, and got her in a bear hug. I lifted her up and carried/dragged her to the trailer. I can only imagine how funny that looked!! She was in.........and we were on our way.

We clipped her toes and coral dusted them both when we got home. GROSS GROSS GROSS

The vet came, the farrier came.......Euthanize Jet City Baby I was told. She had coffin bone penetration and would not recover.

I didn't believe them...she wasn't ready to die. She was only 3. Her eyes were bright and her head was held high...not time yet

She was my first founder horse (but certainly not the last!). She is doing well now. Past the founder and her feet have healed. She is , ah........quite marish, but I love her to pieces.

Mini has turned out to simply be a joy! Smart, funny and quite the escape artist. She can't be more than 10 hands, and after the mats were stripped out (that bashir curly, I tell ya....) she was the most beautiful color!!

So, they are both here.....doing well.
Thanks for listening!!!!!!!!!


kim

Here is Bel......I think I did this right!!


i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/dustyfeathers/Bel.jpg

[falseimpression]

Oh Kim, I have tears in my eyes. How shameful of some "horsepeople"... some horses are lucky to be at the right place at the right time, when the right people come by.
Bel looks like a beautiful girl.

[sbhr]

O thank you !!

I think (then again, I AM biased) she is too. This picture is 2 years after her founder. She is my pride and joy.


kim

[schwung]

What a wonderful yet heartbreaking story. People are unbelievably stupid sometimes.

I think you need to rename Bel "Blue Bel". She has a decidedly blue tinge in that photo.

[slackreins]

"...and upon seeing the wrong, set about to make it right." Thanks for the heartwarming story.


Tinker Bell and Blue Bell....

[sbhr]

slackreins said:

"...and upon seeing the wrong, set about to make it right." Thanks for the heartwarming story.


Tinker Bell and Blue Bell....

O NO.....Blue Bell and Tinker Bell.......

( actually I called Mini "Tinker Bell" just a while ago when I fed them a late lunch, just to see how that 'felt') Slackreins........ !! heck, that just might stick !!

[jonquiltn]

I want to see Mini Whinny!

;D ;D ;D

-A

[gypsygirl]

I wonder if there is a good book with big pictures that we could all carry around in our vehicles that we could use as a tool to show these people that what they are doing needs to be changed. The vet books I have read show some real stuff that shows the before and after pictures and describes in detail what to do and not. Maybe the Humane Society could come up with a short version with just pictures and the words Not OK and OK, um this pictures is a good example of Jailtime!!! This pictures is a good example of what your horses feet should look like everyday!!! A publishing company that needs a write off could donate to the cause and the H. S. could filter them to all the rescues and foster homes and we could hand them out to people and say wow look at this cool new book. I thought I knew everything about horses and I learned so much from this book. Then we would be friend, not enemy!! Ya sure, well one can dream

[critterseverywhere]

Actually gypsygirl, I think that is a FABULOUS idea. Hmmmm...wonder how much work that would be to put together really. Seems like it would be a great project for a Pony Club or 4-H group to do for a community service. And I bet if we all pooled our photos, unfortunately we'd probably have plenty.

SBHR...what a story! I'm so glad you were able to save them both. (and I, too, want to see pictures of Mini!)

[sbhr]

Gypsygirl;

Unfortunately, standard founder care (as far as vets and farriers go) is completely opposite of what we have done here at the Funny Farm.

What we are doing is VERY VERY controversial. Our old vet (yep, he was fired) said to euthanize Bel because her founder was so bad that he believed she would never ever be 'usable' and more than likely in pain forever. Well, now I know that isn't true, but how many people out there with foundered horses know that? It really bothers me!

I think for liability sake, they can't do the Right vs. Wrong thing because most of the time if you follow the vets/farriers advice the horse simply will not improve or often the suggestion to euthanize is discussed as most feel true long tern recovery isn't possible.

I truly wish that both sides (vets/farriers vs. natural hoof trimmers) could come together. It is confusing for people when they get conflicting advice. Especially when the advice isn't only conflicting ----> it's totally OPPOSITE!

Thats just my .02 cents. Since I am at work, this probably won't make much sense when I reread it later! LOL


kim

[sbhr]

critterseverywhere said:

and I, too, want to see pictures of Mini!)

Heck - me too! I can't find a picture of her on my computer to save my soul! She is my favorite subject to photograph, but I can't seem to find the darn things!

I will post "Mini" pics as soon as I find them!



kim