Here’s a quick update about Aries and Raz, the two Thoroughbred mares that we recently took in at the rescue. They had a spa day yesterday. Their physicals were done. They both scored a 1.5 (barely) on the Henneke scale. Their teeth need help badly and Dr. Bess will hopefully be out this coming week. Raz appears to have had a couple of her top front teeth knocked out at some point. There is a large gap which has caused her bottom teeth to grow up and out, which, in turn, have irritated her upper lip.
We will better know what is going on once we get the blood tests back, but both Aries and Raz appear to have jaundice, are likely anemic (they were loaded with ticks), have uterine infections, heart murmurs, horrible rain rot, very loose stool, lots of sand in the gut, etc. I’ll post an update about their blood work once we receive the results and consult with Dr. Julia.
After their physicals, Aries and Raz each got a much needed warm bath thanks to Jenny. She managed to get the knots out of their tails and their sores/rain rot were treated. The mares already look much better and I truly believe they feel much better as well.
Many thanks to Equiderma – they recently made a very nice donation of products which are truly making a difference to many members of our beloved little herd.
Then it was time for the farrier. Aries’ and Raz’s feet were absolutely horrible. The impact of their long feet upon their tendons, ligaments and whole body was quite significant. Raz had gone down in the trailer on the way to the farm and was a bit sore, so it took Stephanie quite some time and work to get her feet as good as possible on this visit, but she did a great job.
Raz went first and after her trim, she stood there for a bit like she knew something was different and had to adjust. Then she took a couple of steps towards Stephanie and put her head down in front of her as if to say ‘thank you.’ Then she looked at me and yawned and yawned which is a very good thing. Aries was a very good girl as well, and you could also see relief in her face as she walked away with her ‘new’ feet.
Raz and Aries have a ways to go in their rehab, but they have strong wills and the light in their eyes gets brighter each day. We appreciate the love and support for Raz and Aries – they are truly deserving.
We have promised them that all of their tomorrows will be what all of their yesterdays should have been – their needs will never be neglected again.
Thank you all so very much & God bless.
Sincerely,
Theresa
