Tag Archive for: Betsy Rose

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Betsy Rose – She’s Determined! 06/16/13

June 6th, 2013

This morning: Betsy Rose is quite a determined little pony.  She tries to get up and thrashes which is causing more body sores.  And she needs every ounce of energy she can get for her body to heal.  She needs to rest to regain her strength so when the time is right she can get up.  To try to calm her when she thrashes we use Rescue Remedy with her – she loves the smell of Lavender – and it does seem to help.  Betsy Rose has been so weak at times we’ve had to help her support her head with a wrap but look at her holding her pretty little head up!

This afternoon: Betsy Rose got into her sling around 11:30 this morning and she wants to go!  She is determined to walk but her body just isn’t strong enough yet.

This little pony has light in her eyes! She has her water bucket, hay, and mash all within reach.  She is trying to walk more and she has put weight on all 4 for feet short periods of time.  

The sling is an awesome lifesaving tool and we are very blessed to have it but it can be quite a bit of work getting Betsy in and out of it – especially when she tries to walk and she can’t.  We can’t leave her in it full time – constant pressure against her organs isn’t good.  And for her to get good REM sleep, which her body desperately needs, she needs to lay all the way down.  But when she tries to get up she thrashes about which can be dangerous for the humans trying to help her and it causes her to get bed sores which we are treating.  And she needs to use all the calories she gets to help her body to heal.  When she’s out of the sling we have to roll her over every couple of hours and we also prop her up using a bale of hay.  And yes, the umbrella goes where needed.  🙂

It’s just me and Bob for the most part of every day and after doing this around the clock for a few days it can drain you.  We have a volunteer(s) some parts of some days for routine things – we won’t let the care for the other horses down.  Our snow bird volunteers have gone for the summer so it leaves us short.  If anyone knows a local labor pool that we could pay (at a reasonable price) to come at least once a day for 3 or 4 hours it would be so helpful.  I won’t leave Betsy Rose unattended.  I don’t know if she’s going to make it but we will do everything possible to help her recover and live out her sunset years wanting for nothing.  

Betsy Rose was simply starved.  When this happens the body feeds off its own fat and then its muscle.  Next, it feeds off of organs and that is where Betsy Rose is.  She scored a 0.5 on the Henneke Body Condition Score scale.  Most horses don’t recover once they get to a 1.5.  Hopefully, the damage isn’t so bad that we can’t nurse her back to health but her odds are not good.  The effects of starvation may be long lasting – only time will tell.  We can’t just feed her a normal diet.  Food is a shock to her body and we have to take it slow.  She may get worse before she gets better, but if she doesn’t make it, I don’t want her to be alone.  I promised her she won’t be alone.  She has a positive, can-do, attitude which helps tremendously.  

Please keep Betsy Rose in your prayers – I believe there is strength in prayer and miracles do happen!

#betsyrose #bhfer @weneedamiracle #prayersplease #believe

Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website:  bhfer.org

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Pony Mare in Dire Need

June 14th, 2013

I got a call from someone about their pony mare that is down and can’t get up – they don’t know what to do and they can’t afford to have a vet out.  When I started asking questions, I didn’t like the answers.  When I asked how old the mare is the owner said they didn’t know but they’ve had her a long time and a little girl has been riding the pony, but without a saddle.  I asked for a photo and was appalled.  This mare has been laying there on the ground, like trash, for days.  It’s June in Florida and it doesn’t even appear that anyone has even taken the time, or cared enough, to brush out her winter coat.   Even with the coat, you can clearly see she’s skin on bones.  There is no excuse to allow an animal to suffer – and this mare has obviously been suffering for awhile. 

We have a vet on the way to her but we need help.  I am asking for pledges at this point – I don’t know if this girl can be saved or not but a vet will be there soon to assess and advise.  If the mare is too far gone she will be humanely euthanized – she won’t be left to linger and die and she will not die alone.  If she can has a chance, we have a transporter on standby with MMC Eventing, and we will give her our all.  One way or another, this pony will know that she matters. 

The vet arrived and the pony is being run fluids now.  Her HR is very high – please pray that it comes down and that the fluids will help and that she will be able to get up.  We have someone enroute to transport her to us if she can make it.  She doesn’t deserve to die like this.  The vet recommends the pony be helped to Rainbow Bridge but I feel a very strong need to give the mare a chance.

After receiving fluids, and with assistance, she was able to get up!  She’ll be loaded and brought to the rescue where we will do everything possible to help her to recover.  Please keep the good thoughts and prayers coming!  This one is tugging hard at my heartstrings – there’s just something about her….

To everyone that offered a pledge to help her – thank you!  Please send when you can.  I’ll update once she’s here and settled in.  We’ll be awaiting blood work results too.  Let’s pray it isn’t too late.

The pony has arrived and it doesn’t look good for her.  She’s too weak to stand or to even hold her head up.  I’m amazed that she is alive.  But this says something about her will – we’re going to give her all of the help we can until she tells us she’s had enough.  She has a determined look in her eyes that says she’s not ready to give up.  We will see what the blood work results are to see how badly her organs have been effected and then regroup.

We got her up and into the sling which will be a key tool to her recovery.  It’s going to be a long ride but we’re in it for as long as she is willing and wanting to heal.  She doesn’t seem like a mare that is going to give up easily.  There’s still light in her eyes.

We can’t leave her in the sling – the amount of time that the pressure the sling puts on her body has to be limited since she can’t even stand.  We will take her out periodically in order for her to lay flat to get good rest which her body needs.

We will turn her every couple of hours to help prevent damage to her organs.  She drinks and munches on her mash and when she is awake she is alert. But she tires easily – she is in very bad shape.   We really do need a miracle.  I’m going to call her Betsy Rose.

#betsyrose #believe #wecandothis #prayersneeded #bhfer

Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization

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