Emergency Bucket Fund!   Dr. Kris Anderson, who we helped save 50+ horses during the Houston floods, has called, asking for aid for these desperate 49 mini horses.  A woman was found to have had 242 dogs and 42 mini horses on her property.  (The dogs are being treated separately.)

Needless to say, the scene was horrific.  Dr. Kris saw unthinkable sadness, corpses and loss of will.  She had to put down a few horses on the spot.  BUT SHE WANTS AND BELIEVES she and her vet team can save these 49 minis (many of them are very young!).

Please let us help the medical crew help these sweet minis (farrier, food, meds, supplies, castration surgeries…)!  All donations are 100% tax deductible.  Any amount adds up in the Bucket.  Thank you Thank you Thank you!  This will mean SO MUCH to this team who endured such heartache at this horrific scene…

If you receive this post via email, click here to donate!

SOME OF THE 49 minis THAT DR. KRIS EVALUATED:

In Dr. Kris’ words…

Case 541:  Ignore what looks like an obvious pregnant belly, this is actually a stallion, likely with  lot of sand in his colon. He is weak, but able to get around and maintains a good appetite. He is quite sweet, and about 12 years old, but in very poor condition at 2/9. He also has severe laminitis in the fore feet with long curled hooves from years of neglect.

Case 544:  This is my little wild child, and quickly becoming my favorite. This little guy is hell on wheels, size and horrific feet be damned. He originally was grouped with the worst horses – those with poor mobility due to terrible overgrown hooves, and those that were body condition 1 or 2. He has since been evicted and placed in solitary confinement in a large stall, where he has not been amused. He is absolutely teeny, less than 28” at the withers, but with the machismo of a Derby winning Thoroughbred who knows he’s the best. I watched him pick fights with two other stallions twice his size, then go running around gathering mares for his harem; he was another that was locked away in the barn, so he is really loving his freedom. His hooves are arguably the worst of the group, with one hind curled backwards. It doesn’t slow down his naughty self much, and with a spirit like that, I have to try to get his feet right (he’s going to be losing those trouble nuggets very quickly though).

Case 502:  This stallion is horse number 502; he is about 4 years old. He has had very little handling and is not halter broke, but is learning quickly and trying very hard. He has diarrhea that has improved after just a few days with a more suitable diet. His hooves are long, but fortunately show no signs of laminitis. He is thin, with body condition 3/9 and also has a tooth root abscess that has ruptured out the top, which you can see on the right side of his face in the picture; he may need surgery to remove this infected root, as these can be quite complicated. He’s very sweet and one of the first to approach you.

Case 546:  This mare is only about 8 years old, but one of the worst, with body condition 1/9. Just after being caught (which was easily done), she collapsed after the short walk to the trailer and refused to rise. She was able to stand when assisted, but had to be lifted into the trailer. The following morning, she was found down and colicky, but responded well to treatment. She also has diarrhea and overgrown feet. So far she has remained comfortable and stable.

Case 522:  This little mare is quiet, though very afraid. She is about 10 years old, and her hooves are dreadfully overgrown, with the fores long and curled from chronic laminitis. Her pain level appears mild, and she is able to get around well, but has a long way to go to get normal feet. She also has a severe underbite, which is contributing to her poor condition (3/9).

Case 507:  This Miniature mare is number 507. She is gentle and kind, and very compliant. She is a body condition score 1/9, and is severely foundered in her rears, presumably from a previous retained placenta, as laminitis only in the rears is quite uncommon. Her hooves are long and curled from lack of care. Even though it’s August in Texas, much of her winter coat still clings to her thin body, a consequence of her poor health. She has a loud heart murmur, and a large scar on her left eye from a previous injury that likely was untreated, and vision is poor in this eye.

Case 538:  This little stallion is about 15 years old, and was locked in the barn in a stall. He’s less friendly and a little naughty, but that should improve with castration. His feet are some of the worst, but he’s able to get around well, and he doesn’t seem to be spending any more time than normal lying down. His feet are some of the worst I’ve ever seen in my career

Case 504:  This little 2 year old stallion is a little on the wilder side, and very afraid. He’s the thinnest of the youngsters at 2/9, and his hooves are very overgrown. In spite of it being August here in Texas, he has retained some of his winter coat due to his poor condition.

Case 537:  This mare may be one of the sweetest. She is young, only 4 years old, but has severe laminitis in her fore feet, though she does not seem to be in a lot of pain and is one of the first to greet you.

THERE ARE 49 OF THESE POOR BABIES!

If you receive this post via email, click here to donate!

THEIR STORY:

Dr. Kris assisted in their rescue, evaluation, transportation and care.  She is treating these animals at the HHS facility.

Here is what she can reveal about this ongoing investigation:

Summary:

On 8/15, Grimes County Sheriff’s Office with Houston Humane Society removed 242 dogs and 49 Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies from a rural property. Both the dogs and the horses were in various stages of neglect, and conditions were horrific. Several animals were in such dreadful condition that transporting them the 2+ hours to the shelter would have been cruel, and they were humanely euthanized on site. The rest were transported back to the shelter for further evaluation and rehabilitation.

Horses had no grass available in their enclosures, only sand and weeds, and very little hay was available on the property, enough to adequately feed 2/3 of the herd for one day. Horses were at least somewhat regularly fed a concentrate feed, which unfortunately does little to meet their nutritional needs. Horses were observed eating sand and sticks, and a large amount of sand is present in the manure of every single animal that was tested. Numerous horses have chronic laminitis, with feet curled up into elf shoes. Others have profound dental abnormalities. Many are extremely underweight, with body condition scores ranging from 1-5 on a scale of 1-9. The entire herd suffered from dental neglect, hoof neglect, and malnourishment.

More than half of the horses are stallions, and all of them face dental work and treatment to clear the sand in their colon. Nearly every mare on the property was pastured with a stallion, so it is likely that many are bred, though their health may not sustain a pregnancy. Houston Humane Society is capable of handling this volume, but resources are stretched very thin, as both the horses and the dogs will require extensive medical care before they are healthy enough to be adopted. We are asking for all donations that you can spare.

PLEASE, PLEASE HELP THESE KIND RESCUERS HELP THESE HORSES!  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

CLICK HERE to refresh the thermometer.