OMG! Just look at her poor legs!

Wowsers - have to say, if they want to spend money on saving her, and the prognosis is good for life as a real horse then why not. Yes you could PTS and save x number of other horses, but why not this one. Good luck to them.
 
let her out in a field of good grass for the day under the sun - then quietly pts

this fillys "joyous" outlook on life might soon change after operations/pain/box rest etc

poor, poor thing
 
PTS I think is the right thing to do, then prosecute the barstewards that allowed this to happen. Sadly even in our welfare organisations there are too many horses and ponies kept alive and on medication which would be better spent on usable healthy animals. Hard as it is a giant cull on such stock would alleviate the pressure in our overstretched welfare system. (tin hat already on...)
 
I reckon the professionals involved probably know more than us so let them get on with it. I am quite sure they will pts if she does not to well post surgery, sometimes yuo have to take a chance.
 
Bobbly said:
PTS I think is the right thing to do, then prosecute the barstewards that allowed this to happen. Sadly even in our welfare organisations there are too many horses and ponies kept alive and on medication which would be better spent on usable healthy animals. Hard as it is a giant cull on such stock would alleviate the pressure in our overstretched welfare system. (tin hat already on...)
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You should probably keep the tin hat on, but I agree with you totally.
So to 'save' her, they want to raise $2500.

Lets say either you get a neglected horse signed over, or picked up for <$100 at auction.
Rehab over 90-120 days, at a cost of $1000ish, 'sell' (i.e. full loan with donation to rescue, rescue retains some rights) for $500 or so.
Even if you only raise $500 towards the cost of care from donations, the rescue of the horse is more or less covered.
Look at how much money I just saved ;)
 
SusieT said:
I reckon the professionals involved probably know more than us so let them get on with it. I am quite sure they will pts if she does not to well post surgery, sometimes you have to take a chance.
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Considering that both vet and farrier are accepting money for their work, sure, they may know what they're doing, or they may appreciate the $$$ in the bank :rolleyes:
 
SusieT said:
I reckon the professionals involved probably know more than us so let them get on with it. I am quite sure they will pts if she does not to well post surgery, sometimes yuo have to take a chance.
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I agree with this. Yes, it is horrific, poor little mite but they obviously think she has a good chance.
 
I think she deserves a chance. She looks a happy horse, and yes it will be a long tough road to recovery but she's coped with being locked up for 3 years so she's clearly a tough cookie... Mentally and physically!
 
laura7981 said:
I think she deserves a chance. She looks a happy horse, and yes it will be a long tough road to recovery but she's coped with being locked up for 3 years so she's clearly a tough cookie... Mentally and physically!
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Yes but what choice has she had and what difference has she known up till now? Tough cookie or not it's been no life for her so far and with surgery or not she will be an expensive welfare case for her remaining years. I'm guessing the vets will be charging fees, money that could be better spent on other equines IMO, sorry if that offends anyone (tin hat now securely strapped on now...)
 
I guess that these campaigns can act as umbrella fundraisers for other horses can't they, people become aware of the plight of this one horse, then read about the sanctuary, and get interested in donating more to help more horses. There would be less interest in the fundraising if there was less 'struggle' to get better imho - just the way the mind works I think.
 
RealityCheck said:
Considering that both vet and farrier are accepting money for their work, sure, they may know what they're doing, or they may appreciate the $$$ in the bank :rolleyes:
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oh yes, rational answer there.. 1500 is actually not a lot for surgery, sounds like they are just going to knock her out, cut the tight tendons and you will probablyu find that that pretty much resolves the problem. she will probably need support until the tendons strengthen, but she should improve fairly quickly and the splints required should mean that she is not in any distress in the meantime-we are quite happy to box rest horses for long periods for injuries etc.-this is no different.
 
Hmmm, I would say pts, but if she is coping and doesn't appear to be in pain I'd feel bad doing so.

However equally surgery is going to be awful, going to change the only way she's ever known to walk and bring pain with it.

If she's been born like that with me I'd have it corrected asap or pts. Never get to this age without. However she is at this age and from the photos seems to be coping with it.
 
SusieT said:
she will probably need support until the tendons strengthen, but she should improve fairly quickly and the splints required should mean that she is not in any distress in the meantime-we are quite happy to box rest horses for long periods for injuries etc.-this is no different.
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Most box rests are hugely different. The horse will generally learn to use muscles/move in a way which they already know or slightly altered. And in addition I can honestly state that most of mine would be pts over box rest as they simply wouldn't cope with it. I've seen the result of two long box rests, neither pretty and both with issues resulting from it. I've seen ones who do cope, but their routines were vastly different from any of mine.

This filly will be relearning how to walk and in a different way. It will be a huge process of learning whilst in pain and learning a completely new balance. With no way of eplaining the process to her.

I do think it will possibly be too much and sincerely hope that once the surgery is done they still consider pts as an option if necessary regardless of surgery having been done.
 
Poor horse. They're massively glossing over how hard it can be to fix bilateral club feet. I know. I've got one.

After 3 years of walking on her coronets she's going to have bony changes. Just look at her fetlocks and pasterns. They aren't normal or anything close to normal. Simply cutting the tendons is not going to make this horse's front legs anything remotely like they should be.

I'm disappointed that the vet is telling them the operation will make a difference. IMHO that's absolute rubbish.

Best thing they can do is let her enjoy some time with the sun on her back and grass to eat and then quietly PTS. She's had no quality of life and she's not heading towards any quality of life either, with or without the operation.

FWIW my foal was born with severe contractions on all 4 legs. Her back legs straightened to normal within weeks. The fronts have taken much longer despite box rest, Tetracycline and special shoes. The fronts are now straight with correct angles in all the bones but her front hooves are still very upright. She's on 4 weekly trims to see if her tendons can catch up with her bone growth and her hooves develop a normal shape. If they do, brilliant. If they don't then she'll be given a summer at grass and PTS. :( It'll break my heart but better that than a life as a cripple and not being able to run and play like all the others.

The research on the outcome of cutting contracted tendons is mixed. If the horse is born contracted the prognosis post op is poor. If the horse develops contractions age 4-6 months then the prognosis is reasonable. But to consider cutting tendons after 3 years..... *headexplodes*
 
For me it would depend on the prognosis.

If although surgery is needed, recovery is likely to be straightforward and there are good odds that she can come into work, then that's one thing.

However, I would have my doubts about going ahead if it was a case of making her a more comfortable paddock ornament who would then take a space in charity or centre for the rest of her life. It would be different if there was an owner who was happy to take responsibility for her and keep her for the rest of her life.

There are alot of horses out there who can only be companions through age or injury and not enough homes for them. I'm not sure that spending alot of time, effort and money to create another is the right use of resources.
 
Why are they askin for donations when they could charge the breeder the fees?!? After all they caused it and now other people are having to pay to fix it, silly really.
 
After 3 years of walking on her coronets she's going to have bony changes. Just look at her fetlocks and pasterns. They aren't normal or anything close to normal. Simply cutting the tendons is not going to make this horse's front legs anything remotely like they should be.

I'm disappointed that the vet is telling them the operation will make a difference. IMHO that's absolute rubbish.
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Completely agree.

Reminds me a bit of the women whose feet were bound - and then had the bandages removed.
 
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