Aaleyah Belle, Peaches & More: May 3rd ~ May 7th 2015 Update
May 3rd
Serenity is on her way home to Phil Yarbrough. I didn’t say goodbye. I’ll see her again and Phil will share her with us with updates and photos. She will be meeting my goddaughter, Mercedes, today at her new home.
Serenity is home!!! Thank you Phil!
From Phil: Here ya go Theresa. This is what we hoped for!
Our hearts have been heavy today. God has called home a very dear friend. Bill Newton was a wonderful man with a heart bigger than Texas! Bill and his wife, Blodwyn, have been married for 66 years – I know his family will miss him (we all will) and their life will never be the same. But just think of all of the wonderful memories they made! Memories are more valuable than any amount of gold and nobody can take them away, ever. We were very blessed to have been able to spend some time with him and Blodwyn on Friday. Blodwyn has been a volunteer here for many years.
Seven years ago today, on May 3rd, 2008, the very day that Eight Belles lost her life while running in the Kentucky Derby, a special Thoroughbred filly was born near the rescue. Eight Belles gave the race her all and crossed the finish line in 2nd place. But sadly, in doing so, both of her front ankles broke and she was euthanized where she went down. In honor of Eight Belles, we named the newborn baby Aaleyah (means greatest gift from God) Belle (IMO Eight Belles). Below is a photo of Bill singing Happy Birthday to Aaleyah in celebration of her first birthday. Happy Birthday, Aaleyah!
Bill was retired from the Army – he loved this country and proudly served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He fought for our freedom and always stood for what is right – he is a hero.
I’ll never forget Bill’s bear hugs and the “You got this, kid!” We love you Bill, always. And Blodwyn, we love you and we will always be here for you – you’re family! This is Aaleyah Belle greeting Bill and Blodwyn with her slimy hello!
May 4th
Peaches getting some grazing time before her surgery this afternoon.
May 6th
Good morning!
Barn Divas! Beauty is improving ever so slowly but every little bit is a good thing. Betsy Rose is doing great.
Daisy, JoJo, and Jazzy always share their hay. We try to keep them out of the sun.
Everyone loves Matilda! I’m so proud of her and her recovery!
When she arrived here you could put you hand between each rib. She was skin on bones. There’s no excuse for any animal to be denied proper care. She’s a survivor that will never be neglected again.
Love, love, love these hay nets! They save time and money! No wasted hay. Fill in the am and the horses are good until night time. Easy to carry and durable – they’re the best! The donkeys certainly endorse them!
Peaches is coming home today!
Peaches arrived back at the rescue. She will be on stall rest for 30 days which she’s not very happy about. I’ll give more details later – it’s been non-stop here. And today we have to somehow modify her stall to allow her to look out the window. She’s all closed in so that she doesn’t rub her trach area on anything and open the stitches. We’re extremely short on volunteers. Thank you to everyone that helped Peaches – we truly appreciate it.
“Jazzy look at MY sand pile! I’ll share it with you if you take my mask and sun blanket off!”
That morning we received a call from a nearby farm advising us that a mare and her newborn baby were going to be shot because the baby had a wry nose. When we went to pick them up we found a sand lot with no shade or cover and a mare with a baby by her side. It was obvious the mare had given baby any and all nutrition she’d been able to get while carrying her – she was deathly thin. The baby could not latch on to mom to nurse because of her wry nose. A few more hours and the baby wouldn’t have survived. Once at the rescue they settled into the birthing stall and we milked mom and bottle fed the baby while waiting for the vet to arrive. We were very concerned that the baby hadn’t gotten the colostrum she very much needed from her mom. Blood tests were done on both of them during their exams and we learned that the baby’s IGG level was only 17 and it should have been at least 1000! The vet had to run plasma and he was amazed that the baby survived!
Aaleyah Belle continued to drink from a bottle and grew stronger. A few days after Momma Sue and Aaleyah Belle arrived, another orphaned filly arrived. She was named Buttercup. Buttercup and Aaleyah Belle quickly grew close – as sisters. The girls both drank from milk bottles that we hung in the birthing stall. Momma Sue watched over them, always. After some rehab, which included some ups and downs, surgery was performed at UF to correct Aaleyah’s wry nose. At the hospital she became ill and it was quite a roller coaster ride but Aaleyah never gave up! It was a wonderful day when they came home and were reunited with Buttercup. A few weeks later, we picked up another orphan filly from the same place Momma Sue and Aaleyah Belle came from. We named her Silver Belle – she had been impaled on something and had a hole clear to the bone at her chest and injuries to her knee. So, Momma Sue then had 3 baby girls to watch over and love! This was the beginning a story that will melt your heart. Momma Sue and her girls – they taught us so many lessons about life. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
Aaleyah overcame so many obstacles – it’s a miracle she survived! I admit, it took a lot of care and a great care team to get her through but it was worth it! Her motto is “Never give up!” I find it quite sad that many people do give up on babies like Aaleyah and lives are lost. There are quite a few babies born with wry nose but many people don’t know about them because the majority of them are euthanized after birth. We share Aaleyah’s story to let people need to know about the condition exists and, in most cases, it can be surgically corrected and the horse can live pretty much a normal life. Aaleyah Belle’s nose isn’t perfect but it’s beautiful and so is her heart – just like her momma’s. Here is a link to their Diary where you can read more about their story and see pictures: http://bit.ly/1c7sRNs. There are 3 parts to it – you’ll see the links.
Happy belated birthday Aaleyah Belle – we love you!
Baby Girl made is back home to Valerie. Thank you Double B Equine Transport, L.L.C. for always taking such good care of our horses!
May 7th
Peaches is doing better. Katie hand grazed her a few times today and each time she was more animated. She can breathe so much better!
