ElphabaFae
Well-Known Member
Was looking on the Thoroughbred Champions forum and came across this 
So sad but at least he was pain free at the end and there are people out there willing to help him.
[Copied from the Thoroughbred Champions forum post]
Rest in Peace, Keep Me In Mind: April 30, 2006--October 23, 2010
His registered name was Keep Me In Mind, some of us here called him KIMM, his barn name when with Servis was Marty, and for the last week of his life he was known as Keeper.
By whatever name, his life was too damn short, and, IMO, his death could easily have been avoided.
As some of you know, people -- both individuals and groups -- had been tracking KIMM since he ended up claimed at PEN in Aug. 2009, and for many months both individuals and groups had been talking to his owner about finding him another home and another career. Never a good mover, KIMM was obviously a sore horse while racing at PEN; we knew from Jane's conversations with the owner that he had back and hock issues, and in fact he had not run since early May. So none of us who cared about him had had even a glimpse of him since then. For way too long, his owner was convinced that somehow, somewhere, he could get several thousand dollars for the colt.
Then, recently, his owner started mentioning that KIMM had a "sore" ankle, and was losing some weight, and because he'd never be able to race again, his vet was recommending that KIMM be put down. Finally, a couple of weeks ago he caved in and agreed to "donate" KIMM to a rescue group. The Second Race chipped in to pay transport costs, Jessica Yeargin's group found a temporary placement for him on a farm here in PA, with long-term plans to send him to LEARN in South Carolina, when he had been fully vetted and was able to travel. So on Oct. 16, KIMM moved to his new, temporary home.
And this is what he looked like when he arrived, along with a couple of photos of what he was like when running for John Servis:
http://s1104.photobucket.com/albums/h324/nantague/
Painfully thin, with an ankle the size of a small grapefruit on which he could not put weight (that, folks, is something more than a "sore" ankle).
But even basic care (like icing the ankle) and attention brought a noticeable improvement in just 24 hours:
http://s1104.photobucket.com/albums/h324/nantague/Keeper - Day 2/
He was putting weight on the ankle, and had also perked up considerably -- alert and curious, nickering whenever Jan, whose farm he was on, came into the barn. All those aspects continued to improve throughout the week; he soaked up the attention and treats, and became much more like his feisty old self. The vet came and examined him on Thursday and put him on bute and penicillin and took X-rays.
And then Friday came the terrible news. That ankle was not injured; rather he had advanced osteomyelitis, a bacterial infection that effectively eats away the bone and bone marrow. The vet said it was the worse case she'd ever seen and had undoubtedly been active for months. Caught in time the disease can be treated and surgery can quite often restore ankle function. But for KIMM it was too late. Although Jessica and Jan and others consulted with several people, it was apparent that KIMM simply didn't have enough good bone left in the ankle for surgery to even be attempted.
Friday afternoon and evening, the people at the farm made sure KIMM got lots of attention, and all his favorite treats. He was peacefully and humanely euthanized on Saturday morning and buried at the farm he had so recently come to, where they called him Keeper.
His was an unnecessary death. This was neglect, pure and simple.
Sometime this week we'll be posting a Remembering Keep Me In Mind note on the Smarty Jones FB page (I have some wonderful photos that Kim Pratt and Lydia Williams have generously agreed to share), and when we have the final tally, we'll be doing some fundraising to pay his expenses.
So sad but at least he was pain free at the end and there are people out there willing to help him. [Copied from the Thoroughbred Champions forum post]
Rest in Peace, Keep Me In Mind: April 30, 2006--October 23, 2010
His registered name was Keep Me In Mind, some of us here called him KIMM, his barn name when with Servis was Marty, and for the last week of his life he was known as Keeper.
By whatever name, his life was too damn short, and, IMO, his death could easily have been avoided.
As some of you know, people -- both individuals and groups -- had been tracking KIMM since he ended up claimed at PEN in Aug. 2009, and for many months both individuals and groups had been talking to his owner about finding him another home and another career. Never a good mover, KIMM was obviously a sore horse while racing at PEN; we knew from Jane's conversations with the owner that he had back and hock issues, and in fact he had not run since early May. So none of us who cared about him had had even a glimpse of him since then. For way too long, his owner was convinced that somehow, somewhere, he could get several thousand dollars for the colt.
Then, recently, his owner started mentioning that KIMM had a "sore" ankle, and was losing some weight, and because he'd never be able to race again, his vet was recommending that KIMM be put down. Finally, a couple of weeks ago he caved in and agreed to "donate" KIMM to a rescue group. The Second Race chipped in to pay transport costs, Jessica Yeargin's group found a temporary placement for him on a farm here in PA, with long-term plans to send him to LEARN in South Carolina, when he had been fully vetted and was able to travel. So on Oct. 16, KIMM moved to his new, temporary home.
And this is what he looked like when he arrived, along with a couple of photos of what he was like when running for John Servis:
http://s1104.photobucket.com/albums/h324/nantague/
Painfully thin, with an ankle the size of a small grapefruit on which he could not put weight (that, folks, is something more than a "sore" ankle).
But even basic care (like icing the ankle) and attention brought a noticeable improvement in just 24 hours:
http://s1104.photobucket.com/albums/h324/nantague/Keeper - Day 2/
He was putting weight on the ankle, and had also perked up considerably -- alert and curious, nickering whenever Jan, whose farm he was on, came into the barn. All those aspects continued to improve throughout the week; he soaked up the attention and treats, and became much more like his feisty old self. The vet came and examined him on Thursday and put him on bute and penicillin and took X-rays.
And then Friday came the terrible news. That ankle was not injured; rather he had advanced osteomyelitis, a bacterial infection that effectively eats away the bone and bone marrow. The vet said it was the worse case she'd ever seen and had undoubtedly been active for months. Caught in time the disease can be treated and surgery can quite often restore ankle function. But for KIMM it was too late. Although Jessica and Jan and others consulted with several people, it was apparent that KIMM simply didn't have enough good bone left in the ankle for surgery to even be attempted.
Friday afternoon and evening, the people at the farm made sure KIMM got lots of attention, and all his favorite treats. He was peacefully and humanely euthanized on Saturday morning and buried at the farm he had so recently come to, where they called him Keeper.
His was an unnecessary death. This was neglect, pure and simple.
Sometime this week we'll be posting a Remembering Keep Me In Mind note on the Smarty Jones FB page (I have some wonderful photos that Kim Pratt and Lydia Williams have generously agreed to share), and when we have the final tally, we'll be doing some fundraising to pay his expenses.
