Right Place, right time.  She just happened to be there…

HONEY BANDIT

This baby was in a holding facility and needed immediate care.  His Mamma’s milk had dried up and the little colt was not doing well.  So, Palomino from MIRACLE MUSTANG RESCUE adopted him right then and there.  She brought him home and named him Honey Bandit because the couple were just about to depart on their long lost honeymoon when the little one entered their lives.  So much for that…

Upon arrival at the Rescue, HB crashed.  They immediately brought him to the equine hospital where he had a blood transfusion and a battery of tests.  The vet said he was basically dead.  His body temp was very low as well as his heart rate.  Either too much time had passed between feedings or he was just too beat up from trying to nurse off of other mares.  They estimated he was only 6 weeks old.

But, tenacious Palomino would not give up.  She sat with the little colt as he drifted in and out of life.  Palomino kept playing with HB’s tongue to keep him with her.  After a few hours, he blinked his eyes.  His temperature was more stable and so was his heart rate.  So, Palomino took him home.

That was September 2nd.  For the last 5 days, Palomino has been up every hour with this little boy, feeding him through the IV in his neck and making him take milk from a syringe.  He refuses to drink from a bottle…

Although he was unstable but standing on his own when she first adopted HB, he has not been able to stand or lie down on his own since then.  But, the somewhat good news is that he has learned how to help Palomino lay him down and stand him up.

And, the other good news is that his “ahems” are perfect.  He is eating grass hay all day long.  In fact, he will take his syringe and then turn his head to grab some hay.  Palomino says it is as if to say, “Fine.  I’ll drink your yucky milk replacer but I’m eating hay to cleanse my palate!”  Palomino says he is a little fighter and she is amazed that he is pulling so hard at life.  Just recently he learned to move his tail and since then, he’s been flicking it… Ha!

When Palomino felt he was stable enough, she started treating his flesh wounds.  So far, she counted 97.  The theory is that HB must have been trying to nurse from any mare available and that didn’t go over so well…

No one knows if HB will make it.  Laurie seems very optimistic because he is eating and relieving himself normally.  She feels he has a will to live so she is going to fight with him.  HB has to be carried to the vet every day for tests and blood transfusions and specific IV fluids.  The vet bills are enormous.

So, hopefully, HB will survive and be our fighting champ October Bucket Fund Baby!

If you’d like to see the TV news story on HB, please click here.  Also, here is a newspaper story…

THIS JUST IN THIS MORNING! A NEW UPDATE AND WISHLIST FROM LAURIE:

1.  Prayers
2. Horse Blanket
3. Electric blankets (for sleeping – we need several as he still has “accidents”
4. Orchard or soft grass hay
5. FOAL LAC POWDER
6. FOAL LAC PELLETS
7. NEEDLES for his meds “20 x 1A” is the size or larger
8. Syringes, small and the ex large 20cc or larger for his feedings
9 Vet wrap
10. FURALL
11. SCARLEX SPRAY
12 WONDER DUST

Hi,  just wondered if you could post this.  It is a wish list for HoneyBandit if people would rather get him ‘stuff’ as opposed to sending money if they want to help.

Yesterday was quite the day.  We moved the “hospital” inside our carport/garage.  It poured rain and was nasty cold.  It is actually a pretty good setup.  We also installed a sling so HoneyBandit could spend more time “upright” as opposed to laying down all the time and getting pneumonia.  He really cannot handle anything else happening to him at this point.  It doesn’t hold him up, just gives him a little support so he doesn’t get so tired.  He looks very cute in it.

I am sending pix of him standing  by the trailer eating.  He is actually looking much better than he did when he got here.  We changed one of his meds yesterday and I think that was huge.  He still can’t stand up by himself, but when we do stand him up, he stands much stronger.  He is also walking much better.  Matt was hanging out in the chair while I took one of those ladies room breaks, and he said that HB walked up to him and he was petting him and that he went to take a big bite out of his leg.  His ears weren’t pinned or anything, but  he is starting to have more normal impulses.  He actually walked over to a t v tray we are using for supplies and “chewed” on it like a normal baby.  These are tiny, yet huge.  He is munching away as we speak.   We have to take him back to the vet in a couple hours for more blood work and I am hoping that we get a little better news.

Our vet is working very hard to help him, but is shocked that he lived this long and has doubts about whether he will survive, but I think (hopefully and God willing) that she will find out that MUSTANG HEART kicks butt and they can beat the odds.  She said that she had never ever seen a foal with this much damage.

If you would like to send money now, before he is our Bucket Fund Baby, please click here.

If you want to send anything on the wishlist, here is the address:

Honey Bandit’s Mom:
Palomino Armstrong
30027 Highway 44 East
Shingletown, CA  96088

*I have asked for the name of a feedstore/farm store nearby in case anyone would feed more comfortable donating that way.

CHILLY PEPPER – Laurie has a good track record…

HB is not the only baby that Miracle Mustang Rescue has saved from the brink of death.  Two years ago, while riding in the Wild Horse Sanctuary, Laurie and her friend found a foal who was almost frozen to death, sitting next to her deceased Mother.  The foal was about 3 days old and the mare looked to be about 2-3 days gone.  It had snowed the night before and there was snow on the ground.

Laurie ran back to get help and her friend hoisted the hypothermic filly over her shoulders and carried Chilly Pepper down the hill to the truck.  They raced the filly to the hospital and proceeded with intense care.

Chilly Pepper stole everyone’s heart.  She lived in Laurie’s living room while recovering.  After a while, CP learned how to tell Laurie when she needed to go outside…

Today, CP is fat and happy…  maybe a little too fat (Laurie has her on a diet) but certainly healthy and happy!

If you’d like to see the news story about Chilly Pepper, please click here.

IF YOU’D LIKE TO HELP WITH HONEY BANDIT BEFORE OCTOBER

If you’d like to help HB before October, please click this link.

I will keep you all posted, of course!

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!

The September Bucket Fund will benefit Grace, the skinniest horse still alive.  To learn all about the Bucket Fund and to donate to this incredible horse,  please click on the photo (photo credit, Trish Lowe)