This is Amazing Grace, a very emaciated mare who was rescued 20 days ago by Strawberry Mountain Mustangs.
I pledged that we would make Grace our Bucket Fund Girl if she survived the first two weeks which were critical according to her vet.
And do you know what… Amazing Grace, the horse with hardly any chance of survival, DID IT! She did it!
How can we NOT reward such a huge spirit? How can we not get caught up in the emotion and help a horse who won’t give up? This horse should be dead… yet her tremendously strong will to live keeps her going… She did it! She held on until help arrived and then she pushed through the pain to hang onto life. After all she has been through, let’s pull together and make the rest of her days full of the fruits of her horsey efforts.
I’m thrilled to call Grace our September Bucket Fund Baby! She is a testament to all the horses out there who have been neglected. She is choosing to fight back to health and we’re gonna help her! Let’s start today!
Here is our original story on Grace…, in case you missed it.
HER STORY
Grace was reported to Animal Control in Oregon. Luckily, Animal Control went right out there and seized her immediately. She didn’t have any time to spare…
AC called Darla from Strawberry Mountain Mustangs. They told her they had a horse that was on its way to the Equine Hospital, but most likely she would be put down. Buuuuuut, if she wasn’t put down, they wanted Darla to take her and rehab her. Darla said, YES!
Well, the vet at the equine hospital said that this mare was so skinny that she physical state could not be measured. She was below the lowest grade on the Henneke Scale. However, he also said that she was incredibly alert and she had a huge will to survive. If her blood work indicated that her organs were not compromised, they would release her to Darla.
Lo and behold, her organs were OK! OMG. How could that be? She looks worse than any horse we’ve ever seen, yet she is in better shape on the inside than many in better condition.
Darla said she had never, ever seen such a skeletal horse. It was tough to believe that Grace was alive in there. But, she was. And, she wanted to live. So, Darla fed her, bathed her, trimmed her and loved her for 20 days…(so far). And, this girl is fighting to live. She is fighting to make it.
RE-FEEDING
Darla is loving the UC DAVIS Center for Equine Health re-feeding program. It worked with two of her other horses who were starved and are now 30 and 40 years old respectively. And, it is working with Grace…
Grace after her bath
Since our first story two weeks ago, I have heard that Grace is a little pistol! She follows Darla all around. They say she runs the fence line whenever a car goes up or down the driveway. Darla laughs when she says that Grace is even a little “pushy” at times… Ha!
“She wants to walk fast when I lead her, and she trots behind me for food!”
After 20 days!
THE THING THAT KILLS YOU TO THINK ABOUT…
Since we know that Grace trots up and down the fence line when any person approaches, you know she was just begging her previous owners to feed her. That just kills me. As Darla says: “The heartbreaking thing is the way she follows you along the fence line, nickering. It breaks my heart. I know she did that there too. They just tuned it out I guess.”
It is heartbreaking, but that is all over with. Time to move forward.
Day 1. How could her previous owners not feed her but feed the others??
UPCOMING TREATMENTS
I asked if Grace has any teeth and the answer is YES. She is around 20 years old and her teeth need attention. Dental care is on the list as well as worming when she is stronger. They are starting to give her ulcer medicine to help with the havoc the parasites are creating in her gut – until they can worm her. UGH. She also will need some basic shots like tetanus. Other than that, it will be watching her like a hawk through winter and feeding her often and very carefully, the Davis way.
As you can see, Grace is doing WELL! She has gained some weight and her skin is clearing up thanks to THE BALM! The kind people at Equi-Spa sent Grace some of THE BALM and their natural Fly Spray. Evidently it is working miracles on her skin! Here is what Darla says,
“Now the EquiSpa products?! OMG. LOVEEEEE them. The fly spray is incredible. And it smells so yummy I want to marinate in it. In fact, I did spray my legs the other day. I have the salve all along Grace’s spine where it was cracked and bleeding, and on her hocks where she scuffs herself when she gets up and down. NO flies. It’s awesome.”
Cool! I love it when products work miracles!
Her skin looks so much better!
SHE IS LEAVING FEED IN HER BOWL!
According to Darla, “She actually left a handful of feed in one of her tubs last night. =) She’s getting a full tummy for once! YEAHH!! Grace is finally full!”
Grace is so awake and alert that she is now DEMANDING… ;) Besides Grace’s several wet-mash meals per day, she is asking Darla for more, more, more! Now, Darla has to break apart an alfalfa flake and spread it all around Grace’s pasture so that she will have something to do. Ha! Grace is showing the spirit that has helped her survive!
She's exploring and eating!
SADLY, SHE IS AFRAID OF OTHER HORSES
It appears that Grace cowers around other horses. That leads her caretakers to believe that the other horses in her previous pasture must have run her off of the food. (There were three other, in fine shape, horses at Grace’s previous owner’s house…) Of course, Darla feeds Grace alone and keeps her alone. But, even “through the safety of the fence” visits from other horses has brought Grace to fear.
However, there is a new boy at the rescue named Perry who is a real marshmallow. They are hoping Grace and Perry can become “across the fence” buddies for now.
Grace is tentative about Perry but her likes her!
GRACE IS BECOMING FAMOUS!
Grace has a FaceBook page with over 1500 Fans already! According to FB, her fans reach:
141 United Kingdom
72 Canada
46 Australia
12 South Africa
9 New Zealand
7 Germany
4
2 Netherlands
2 Ireland
1 Nigeria
1 Qatar
1 Romania
1 Japan
1 France
1 Bahrain
1 Switzerland
1 Spain
1 India
GRACE’S VIDEO
Here is a little video showing Grace trucking outside her pasture in a larger field. It is great for her to stretch her muscles and work her body.
Click on image to see Grace move around in her world!
WHAT’S NEXT?
I will keep you posted… but really, it is just a “time will tell” game. She will need her special diet for many, many months and she will need special attention for even longer. This is why Grace is our Bucket Fund Girl for September. Strawberry Mountains Mustangs needs support to carry on this good work…
TO SEE THE AMOUNT IN THE BUCKET FUND, CLICK HERE!
THIS JUST IN FROM READERS WHO DONATED TODAY…
1) A donation of an odd amount ($61) came in this morning, bright and early. In my thank you note, I asked her why the odd amount… Her reply:
So..the $61. Well, I had it in my paypal account, and I have six healthy horses (four are rescues)… $10 from each horse, and $1 to grow on.
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I am thinking of Grace and hope she recovers to enjoy her days receiving the care she was denied
Hi,
Would like to donate more but am struggling to feed 5 drafts (3 rescued) I simply cannot get my head around how a human being could let this happen and still sleep – or eat!
I would like to donate some Equi-BuildER to you also. It would be a wonderful boost for Grace and others that you are putting weight on. Please let me know if it is ok to send you some.
Respectfully,
Denise