Started off as a beautiful day. I am trying to stretch the hay supply, so began adding hay pellets to the horses’ grain rations, (Timothy/Alfalfa mix) One of the rescues, Bella, choked before finishing her feeding, I was not sure if it was a choke or colic. The pellets are too hard for her. Found out the hard way, that I have to soak them before feeding. I called Dr. Magid right away, and walked her till he arrived about an hour and a half later. She had to be tubed. Dr Magid is an awesome vet and supporter of the rescue. He always makes time in an emergency.
Thankfully, the obstruction was cleared and Bella is fine now. Bella was a true starvation rescue, back in July of 2010. When we were called, the owner was ready to shoot her, because she was so weak, when she went down, she could not get up. The owner was putting a belt around her, and lifting her with the tractor bucket. When we arrived to pick her up, she went down attempting to step up into the trailer. It took several of us to pick her up, and we did not know whether she would be up or not when we got to Dr. Magid’s. It was about an hours drive, and we drove very slowly….Thankfully she was standing and ALIVE! Dr Magid said she was the worst case he had seen to that point, that was alive. He said she had not had food for about 4 months! The owner has LOTS of horses on a few acres, and even though she said Bella was eating alfalfa, obviously she was not. We surmise that she was not getting to it, due to other horses keeping her away.
Dr. Magid and his wife were kind enough to keep her there for a few days, and they had to pick her up several times. Even though she was little, and nothing but skin over bone, she still weighed a bit, and bulky. It is not as easy as it might seem. The horse must be trying to get up, and have its legs forward, and the humans just help it along. That is where the will of the horse comes in. She had to work so hard at it, and when she would rub the ground trying, her skin would get rubbed off. That presented the danger of infection, on top of everything else.
We noticed, even a couple days after feeding her, that she had a bit of a sassy attitude, and I am sure it served her well.
BellaBella a couple days after rescue
She is a miracle, and grows stronger and more sassy every day. Her best friend is “Ameen,” a chestnut Egyptian Arab, who is about a yr. younger than her. I plan on using Bella for therapy, it remains to see how strong her back end will get, as she has issues with her stifle locking up when she goes sideways.
To me, she is an inspiration. Bella has the ability to touch lives in a way that only a fighter, and survivor can. And she still maintains that fun sweet personality.
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Bella
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Bella
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Bella a couple days after rescue
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