Tag Archive for: miniature horse

Please Pray for Warrior, Our Little Prince Charming

Warrior, one of our precious little minis, was not feeling well yesterday morning and refused to eat his meal. We immediately called the vet who came out and pulled some blood. Warrior’s vitals were all normal and he did have a bowel movement.

Last evening, however, Warrior appeared to be just fine but he seemed to strain when he had to urinate. We thought perhaps he might have a urinary tract issue, but since he hadn’t had another bowel movement, we wondered whether it may be colic. The vet did not believe this to be the case.

Warrior had three bowel movements during the night and urinated at least four times, and he certainly looks like he feels much better today. The change of weather with high temperatures coupled with allergies can be quite tough on some of the horses.

We will be keeping Warrior on Ulcer Guard for two weeks and I have added this product to both our Chewy and Amazon Wish Lists in case anyone would like to gift him a tube. While I don’t have the vet bill as yet and we may still need to run additional tests, any donations toward such would be so greatly appreciated. Just go to our Donate page where you can contribute in a variety of ways.

Please keep Warrior in your prayers. He’s such a precious soul.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Spring Wish: Many Mini Happy Feet!

Bouie, Frodo, Ebony, Lily, CaryLou, Lucy, Peggy Sue, Luigi, Warrior, Misti, Sassy, Simba, JoJo and Jazzy are on the farrier’s list this week, and while their dream to have “happy feet” on St. Patrick’s Day did not come true, they are hoping it will be fulfilled by the first day of spring.

The average cost of a farrier visit per mini is $33.

If you would like to fulfill the minis’ wish, please click on the “Donate” button below, or visit our donations page for a variety of options. If donating via PayPal, please designate your donation to the mini or donkey or your choice.

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Donation Total: $50 One Time

Thank you all for your continued love and support.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Introducing Misti, senior mini in honor of Betty White

Thank you, all, for your love and most thoughtful generosity to Beauty’s Haven during the course of the #BettyWhiteChallenge, in celebration of this very special lady’s 100th Birthday.

In Loving Memory of Betty, we thought that it would be a most fitting tribute to add a sweet little soul to our beloved little herd, a 30 year-old mini mare we’ve named Misti, who was in need of a safe place to land. We are most certain that Betty will approve.

If anyone would like to sponsor Misti, please click the button below, where you can opt to donate monthly. (Please note that it’s for Misti.)

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Sincerely,
Theresa

YOU ALL DID IT!

Thank you to everyone who voted daily and responded to our last minute plea to rally the troops! We are so very blessed to have such an amazing little village of supporters! You all rock!

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Sassy is her name, Mischief is her game!

Remi, our baby donkey, came to me several days ago with a special request from Hope. At some point either Freckles or Jerry the Giraffe told Remi and Hope about our precious baby calf, also named Hope, who arrived at Beauty’s Haven in April, 2019. Everyone adored Baby Hope, a spirited little calf who had an incredible will to live. A link to Chapter One of her story can be found by clicking HERE.

When Hope, our little mini filly, arrived this past December it took me quite some time to call her by her name without thinking about our little calf, Baby Hope. At times it made me very sad as precious Baby Hope meant the world to us and we miss her so very much to this very day. She was so truly loved.

Hope the mini’s personality began to shine as she was recovering from her colic surgery and I couldn’t help but think how incredibly spirited, bold, carefree, and independent she is.

Volunteers oftentimes comment about how sassy she is. I frequently tell her that she’s our “Little Sassy Pants!”

Back to Remi’s special request from Hope. Hope wants to know if we can just call her “Sassy.” It works for the rest of us and it truly fits her perfectly. So Sassy it is, and she already responds to her new name!

If you click on Miss Sassy Pants’s image above, you will see a video which perfectly captures her amazing spirit, made possible by each and every one of you, who helped grant her a second chance at life. Sassy is yet another Beauty’s Haven miracle!

A New Match Game

A wonderful friend and supporter has come forth to assist with our farrier and hay needs. We are so very thankful, as due to these precarious times, donations have been down for quite some time. The good news is that all donations up to $500 will be matched dollar-for-dollar, so if you wish to help sponsor a “hooficure” or contribute toward our hay needs, it would be so very much appreciated by horses, donkeys and humans alike. Just click on the ‘Donate’ button below and note that your donation is for our “Hooficures” and/or “Hay Match Game.”

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Thank you, all, so very much!

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Hope’s Incredible Journey

As you all know, Hope had colic surgery in early December. During surgery, they had to do an enterotomy into the small colon (fecalith) as well as one into the large colon (sand). The day she returned from the hospital, almost two weeks later, she had a great appetite but we were seeing more input than output, and she simply wasn’t interested in drinking her water. We tried adding different flavorings to it (molasses, peppermint, etc.), we even tried different buckets and water with varying temperatures, but still, she simply wasn’t interested in drinking. That evening she showed signs of potential colic – stretching and parking out but she wasn’t having bowel movements.

After treating her per her vet’s instructions with no luck, we took her back to the hospital the very next day. Wouldn’t you know it – she had a good BM on the way to the hospital!

But we decided to continue to the hospital as planned. There are just too many things that can occur following colic surgery (endotoxemia, adhesions, salmonella, laminitis, etc.) and we simply did not want to take a chance.

Hope received fluids at the hospital and she did quite well the first night. The next evening, she was given hay, but soon, started to park out and stretch again. She wasn’t passing manure like she should and she had a temperature. Over the course of the next couple of days, she had another colic episode which thankfully resolved, and additional tests and x-rays as well as an ultrasound were performed. To say it was a a roller coaster ride for us would truly be an understatement!

It was believed that adhesions may be the issue so hay was removed from Hope’s diet and she thankfully improved. On the following day, however, her temperature was high once again.

More tests were done and it was determined that Hope had an infection at the surgical incision site, so she was started on antibiotics.

By this time, she was passing “normal” BMs, but then, the poor little one got diarrhea, likely from the antibiotics. If she stayed at the hospital, she would have gone into isolation due to her diarrhea so the vet thought it would be in her best interest to return home.

Once back at the rescue, we watched Hope like a hawk around the clock for the first few days (we had to administer her meds and take her temperature often). She’s receiving mushy meals, but she still isn’t interested in drinking, but it does make me happy knowing that she is, at least, getting adequate water from her meals. Since Hope has done fine thus far, we gradually reintroduced hay (soaked) to her diet which makes her so very happy. She also gets hand walked which enables her to graze a few times a day.

We’re also happy to report that we now get to sleep through the night (but Hope is under a camera 24/7). She is still on stall rest for another couple of weeks. After that, she will be able to go out into a small confined area where she will be unable to run around and possibly hurt herself – her tummy needs to heal and her muscles need to strengthen. After ninety days, if all is well, she will be able to become a little horse once again!

Hope’s diet and BMs will always have to be monitored and any issues that may arise, must of course, be dealt with swiftly. She’s a smart little girl who really enjoys life, although I’m sure she will be happier once she is able to be turned out again!

We truly appreciate everyone’s support throughout Hope’s incredible journey. We’re still a bit short for her veterinary fees, but we have faith that the need will be met. We’re thankful and so very blessed that we have been able to help this precious little one and that she’s doing so well on her road to recovery. We’re looking forward to leaving 2020 behind and plan to enter 2021 with a hope for a better tomorrow!

Sincerely,
Theresa

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A Christmas Eve Message from Hope

Hope wanted to be the first to let everyone know that she’s back at the rescue! I’ll provide an update about her progress in the forthcoming days. We are praying for continued healing and no more bumps along the way. Thank you all!

Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful Holiday Season!

Sincerely,
Theresa

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And… Hope is Back at UF

On her first day home Hope had a good day with the exception of not having a substantial bowel movement. She did have a BM on the way home on Thursday, once more in the evening, and then again sometime during the night. On Friday morning, she made a tiny BM but her temperature, heart and respiration rates were all normal. She had a great appetite all day and munched on soaked hay but didn’t care to drink. Late morning, she walked in a circle and stretched out – not at all good signs.

I tried different concoctions to get her to drink but she simply wasn’t interested. Last evening she circled and stretched out again so I contacted her vet at UF and was instructed on what to do.

Hope seemed fine but she just would not drink. By late evening, she did more stretching so I called the vet once again and we decided taking her back to UF was in her best interest.

The vet said with the drastic change of weather, many horses are having issues regarding not wanting to drink which can lead to colic.

When we took Hope to UF on December 4th, she weighed only 88 lbs. and scored a 2 on the Body Condition Scale. When they operated on her that day they removed a lot of sand and a fecalith – she was truly lucky to be alive. Hope is only three years old and deserved a chance. She has come too far to go backwards so taking her back to the hospital was, in our opinion, the right thing to do. Upon arrival at the hospital last night, she did have a good BM so we are optimistic. Please say a prayer for our little girl.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Our Little Girl is Home!

Our little girl is finally home and she has settled in nicely, surrounded by all her new friends at the rescue! She was absolutely perfect during her ride home from the University of Florida! Because of her extended stay at the hospital, however, her bills continued to mount which is quite understandable, so if anyone would like to assist with her additional medical fees, it would be so greatly appreciated. You can donate via various means by simply clicking on the ‘Donate’ button below.

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Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to help our special little Angel. We could not do what we do without your love and support. Thank you, too, to Hope’s amazing care team at UF. You truly lessened our worries knowing that our little mini girl was in the very best of hands. We are truly, so very blessed!

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Hope Never Gives Up

I was so hoping to bring Hope home today! However, when I spoke to the vet at UF this morning, he expressed concern about Hope potentially having Peritonitis or some lingering Pneumonia. Her heart rate was elevated and her temperature was at the high end of normal. Although the hospital was willing to discharge her today, there is no way that we would risk bringing Hope home since the hospital staff can immediately respond to any issue that may arise.

We decided that Hope will remain at UF until her symptoms subside, which of course, is in her very best interest.

We are so very grateful to each and every one of you for your generosity, love and support, which has up until recently covered both Hope’s surgery and hospital stay. But due to her recent setbacks requiring her to remain at the hospital for a longer period of time, we must regrettably continue our fundraiser to cover her additional hospital fees.

If you wish to help Hope donations may be forwarded in a variety of ways here on our website (CLICK HERE), or via PayPal. Please designate your contribution for ‘Hope.’ If you are unable to donate at this time, we truly understand, but you can still help by sharing this post amongst family and friends.

Thank you all so very much for your understanding and please continue to keep little Hope in your prayers.

God bless,
Theresa

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High “Hopes” for Mini Mare’s Recovery

Little Hope, our new mini mare surrender we took in on December 3 that was presenting with colic, made it out of surgery. Whew! It turns out she had a double whopper – not only a horrible sand issue but also a fecal impaction which would have never resolved without surgery.

Hope will have to stay at the hospital for a few days but I’ll post pictures when I get them. The wonderful people at UF Large Animal Hospital are smitten by her and promise me that she is in good hands. What a relief!

Now we pray for a non-eventful recovery with no issues with infection or other complications. So please keep Hope in your prayers.

Thank you all for your support. It takes a village and I’m so very thankful for all of you!
Theresa

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