Last night I posted about Valentine on Facebook – she’s in Equus Magazine this month (picture at Myth #7)! Valentine was a little pony that came to us in February 2009 with no name from another county. Valentine seemed to be an appropriate name for this little cutie. Authorities told us that her owner had recently died in a car accident while trying to get to his herd of three horses to check on them after a terrible storm. Upon his death, his wife became very angry that she lost her husband because of his horses. She made one trip to see the horses but never returned to see or care for them again – they were abandoned. Two of the horses, which were healthy, were picked up by someone else. However, the third, a pony, was left behind because she appeared to be colicing. The officer that worked the case said she’d almost dug her own grave over the course of 3 days. She also had evidence of blunt force trauma to her back and sacrum area.
Upon arrival, Valentine was examined by our vet, Dr. Ryan Meeks, and it was apparent that she didn’t know where her backend was. He continued to treat her as a colic case – she still wasn’t passing poop. Dr. Meeks also did x-rays on her neck. Valentine got acupuncture and chiropractic treatments by Dr. Hami Das. While she improved in her backend coordination, her ability to eliminate on her own didn’t improve. This is Dr. Meeks and Dr. Das discussing their findings and Val’s condition.
It was believed that Val had sustained nerve damage and may never be able to pass her own poop. While for some horses that may be a death sentence – Val wasn’t ready to give up. With each passing day, her eyes got brighter. We couldn’t afford to pay a vet to come and clean her out each day so I learned how to do it. It wasn’t hard and she was extremely cooperative. When she needed this done (at least twice a day, sometimes more) she would just stand, without even a halter, and tolerate the “cleansing” which brought relief. She was a happy little pony. I would often find her waiting for me at the gate to the barn in the morning – ready and willing to be cleaned out so she could enjoy her breakfast and go on about her day.
Valentine had over two good years with us but started laying down more often in the fall of 2011. One morning in late December, instead of greeting me at the gate, I found her down at the gate. She clearly said it was time. We gave our little pony with the deepest and most beautiful dark eyes a very pampered few hours before being helped to Rainbow Bridge by Dr. Meeks. Now, our Valentine runs with the heavenly herd – pain free and happy. She is with her best friend, Captain.
This morning I opened email and found this beautiful artwork by Greg Ambrose. Mixed bittersweet tears came. This little pony was so very much loved and I miss her. Thank you Greg.
Valentine – our little pony…
Artist:
Greg Ambrose
