Well, our little Honey Bandit is still fighting for his life – however, he’s made it to October (Yay!) so he is our Bucket Fund Baby for the entire month!
If you are a new reader today, here is a link to his initial story then a link to his update. I’ll happily re-cap the highlights here for you today.
In my own words, here is what happened…
A woman named, Palomino, stopped by a BLM holding facility near where she lives in CA. While there, she noticed a very sickly, tiny baby colt who didn’t seem to have a mother, wasn’t nursing and was very beat up.
He has 97 bites and marks on his tiny, skinny body
Now, Palomino was on her way to her Honeymoon, so she really had no business thinking about saving a very sickly baby mustang. However, upon further investigation of this baby, she was compelled. He looked very, very ill.
HB at the BLM holding facility, very weak...
So, she quickly negotiated with the BLM to bring this baby back to her house for some TLC. The BLM agreed because Palomino has a history of helping BLM foals.
He crashed.
As soon as Palomino got the little foal home, he crashed. Immediately, he was taken to the nearby equine hospital. The doctors didn’t give him much of a chance. He needed blood transfusions, electrolytes, IV fluids, nourishment, organ support, warmth… you name it… The baby was barely conscious, couldn’t stand and was as near death as possible without being actually dead.
Unfortunately, Palomino couldn’t afford to have this baby stay in intensive care for the days to follow. So, she brought him home and put him in the garage where it was warmer and she could set up a bed for herself to to tend to him 24/7. Since this ritual would not allow her to go on her honeymoon, the foal was named Honey Bandit.
His little, sweet face...
Palomino fed HB through a syringe every hour. She turned him so he wouldn’t develop sores, she kept his IV fluids running and made sure he was warm. Every morning, they would hoist HB into their SUV and bring him back to the hospital for his blood transfusion. Every day they would reach exhaustion, only to be rewarded by a slight, little clue from HB that he might make it.
Finding comfort in the family dog, Chino.
THE BAD NEWS
HB seemed to be deaf. He didn’t respond to any noises. He needed daily blood, he couldn’t keep himself warm, his back-end was not strong enough to support his weight. He couldn’t stand on his own, he couldn’t stay standing for long, he wouldn’t nurse from a bottle. He couldn’t lay down on his own, he had a hernia and a heart murmur. He was so skinny that all the fat was gone from his eyelids and they were turning inside, scratching his cornea. He couldn’t move his tail.
An image from the first local news report... not good.
THE GOOD NEWS
Slowly, HB started to improve. He no longer needs blood transfusions and his body is no longer eating itself. He still needs a blanket all the time but he is less weak. HB can stay awake longer and can actually run for short bits! He can get up by himself most of the time. He still has a hernia and he is still very, very skinny. He can move his tail! And, they think he is recovering some of his hearing!
All bundled up and eating hay
HONEY BANDIT RUNS!
For the first time, HB surprises all the visiting Aunties by running (a little bit). Here is that surprise video caught on cell phone.
PATCHES AND HONEY BANDIT VIDEO
Patches is a mini that lives with Palomino. None of the big horses will play with him. So, once Palomino thought HB was strong enough to meet Patches, they were introduced. Fast Friends! The two really like each other and here is a link to a video of them running (a little) and playing!
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH HB AND PATCHES PLAY!
HB AND THE DOGS
I don’t know why people say that animals have no emotion or feeling like we do… I’m not professing to know what the dogs are thinking, but I do know that they have to AGREE to let another animal lay on them or with them. So, I find these photos of the two dogs and HB very endearing. It seems clear that these dogs choose to sleep with HB. And, it seems clear that HB loves his dogs.
It will be very interesting, if HB is allowed to mature, how he will feel about dogs as an adult…
HB giving Chino, the dog, a bath...
HONEY BANDIT PROGNOSIS
No one really knows if he will survive. He is so young, anything could happen. But, for now, he is fighting and we want to help him.
HONEY BANDIT IN THE NEWS!
The local TV stations have really been pushing for HB! Here is a link to a news article.
HONEY BANDIT AND WASHINGTON
Evidently, Madeleine Pickens mentioned HB in her statement regarding the BLM treatment of the Wild Horsea and Burros. So, HB was invited to go to Washington DC in the Spring. We’ll see if he is strong enough, but what a nice homage to this little fighter…
He still is a very sick boy but he is running and TRYING! Please help if you can.
DROP IN THE BUCKET FUND
Please drop a drip, dollup, slosh or whoosh into the Bucket Fund. All proceeds will go directly to Honey Bandit’s fund. I know Palomino is trying to build a shelter outside of the garage so that she can have a regular bed and HB can have a safe place to be a little horse but still receive all the special attention he needs.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO PASS THIS FORWARD…
Click here to see the donation thermometer rise!
Hi Dawn,
I forwarded this to everyone I know, including non-horsey friends. I probably already told you this, but I also sent a couple tubes of Farnam 3-Way antibiotic ointment to Palomino. I swear by that stuff. Thanks for choosing Honey Bandit for your bucket fund this month. It’s awesome that, with God’s will, he’ll be the poster foal for mustangs in DC with Madeleine Pickens in the spring! God bless Palomino, Madeleine, and you. And may He bless that little guy and give him strength.
Robynne