Lost and Found Horse Rescue

LFHR is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization in Germantown, MD. We are dedicated to improving the lives of all equines through rescue, rehabilitation, retraining, and rehoming.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Arabian Update

On April 30th, Days End Farm Horse Rescue brought 9 Polish Arabians from Queen Anne's County to our facility. These horses included 5 stud colts, 3 fillies, and one older mare with a bad leg.

On May 4th, our veterinarian came out to do vet checks and age the 9 horses.
The older mare appears to be 19 years old and probably suffered an injury to her knee which made her leg crooked. Her fecal sample came back positive for parasite infestation. She received her vaccinations and a coggins. Her vitals were all in the normal range. Her feet were very long and in need of serious trimming, especially her right fore. On May 6th, our farrier came out and worked on her feet. We had to go very slowly, give her lots of breaks, and put each leg on a stand which allowed her to keep weight on it due to her bad leg, which she is unable to bend, and struggles to hold herself up when picking up her other feet. She did a wonderful job. On May 11th she had her teeth done. She had a very sharp hook in the back right. She has now completed her 5 days of Panacur. She loves people, but dislikes other horses. She is turned out in a small paddock due to her inability to do anything other than walk. We are calling her Kalila which is Arabic for sweetheart.

The 5 colts range in age from 1-2 years. It was a serious struggle to work with them, and despite our efforts to keep things as pleasant for them as possible, they were not happy campers. It was obvious none had been touched. When they arrived they were extremely flighty, impossible to approach, and didn't want to get anywhere near people. They all need their teeth done and their feet trimmed, but this will have to wait until they can be handled safely. Their fecal samples came back positive for parasites. Although their weight did not appear terrible, their stomachs are more bloated by parasites as their ribs are very visible. They received vaccinations and coggins.

The 3 fillies range in age from 1-1 and a half years. The fillies were also very difficult to work with (our vet would probably call that a serious understatement). The same was done with the fillies as the colts. Vaccinations and coggins. Fecal samples showed parasites.

Although the feet on the youngsters are not extremely long, they have obviously not been done, and have simply been worn down. Their hooves are uneven, cracked, chipped in places, and the outside wall is starting to peel off at the toes of many.

The stud colts have become quite friendly, although 3 of them are still unwilling to let you touch them, they will approach you in the field and take a treat. We have started them on a deworming program, which is unfortunately, quite a bit more difficult to do than Kalila.

These horses are still in the custody of Queen Anne's County Animal Control. Until the court case has been settled we are very limited as to what we can do with them, but we are taking excellent care of them, and that is the most important part!

2 comments:

  1. Keep up the good work Maria. You're a hero to those horses!

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  2. Fantastic that you started a blog!! I'm a volunteer w/Gentle Giants & love reading/hearing how some of the others from the impoundment are doing (I was there helping w/broodmare round up). Awesome job & effort on behalf of the folks & rescues that opened their pasture gates for these guys!! I look forward to reading more about these guys (& gals) & the others that you are helping!

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