The Lovely Clyde Mare

[SandyG]

Spring is officially here!

Clyde Mare is fighting the season of the flies already and so Refuge Farms officially declares the season of Spring! Even with snow on the ground this morning, we spent 90 minutes cleaning her moist, warm leg and disturbing every unwelcomed critter we found in her folds. The magic of this morning, though, came from Clyde Mare herself.

Usually, to clean her I need to put her in the shoeing bed so she doesn't simply walk away from me. However, this morning I followed her as she tried to dodge me. Walking behind her for a dozen or so laps of the inside of the barn, she finally stood still and I could begin the manual cleaning or the "dry cleaning" as I call it. It is just fingers working in the folds and eliminating everything we can find. Never before has she stood so still and never before has she stood so long for me. THAT was the magic.

Perhaps finally this beautiful big mare understands that I am trying to help her. Maybe she finally sees a method to the madness and is willing to cooperate. Finally she is trusting a human! A bit, at least. I cannot yet touch beyond her jaw line on that gorgeous head of hers. And I cannot yet hug her without her head flying up in the air. Don't even try to touch those ears of hers! However, she stood in the center of the barn for 90 minutes and allowed me to clean her this morning. That spoke loudly and clearly to me and I heard her.

I did not attempt to hug her afterwards. Nope. I washed my hands and then fed her treats. That is her kind of a hug!

Don't think today was a fluke but tomorrow morning will tell us. I'm optimistic that 4 years of gentle cares is going to pay off with a cooperation we never expected from this girl. And it is certainly worth it! Remember, it took 5 1/2 years to be able to simply halter Beauty!!!!

[SandyG]

Clyde Mare came to us a bit over 4 years ago. This mare is a registered black Clydes Dale - which is rare - and thus was bred at least twice in her early years. She was being boarded at a facility and she was being treated for scratches. It was a very severe situation as all four of her legs were "hot". Lathered in udder balm, she was exceptionally sore and very difficult to treat. We brought her to THE FARM and used the shoeing bed to sedate her in order to clean her thoroughly, examine her legs, and then take skin scrapings to see what we were really dealing with. By the smell, the appearance, and the drainage, we knew it sure wasn't scratches.

After a brief stay at the U of M Equine Center, we were in contact with Duke University who had aided our research of her condition - lymphenghitis. This is a genetic disease that causes the groin area lymph nodes to malfunction. Thus, the blood goes down the legs but the fluid is not drawn up for urination as would normally occur. Instead, that fluid is left in the lower leg extremities to seep out of her skin. You can imagine the wet, the smell, the soreness, and the attack of flies in the summer. I thought I could imagine it but even I was well underestimating the strength and determination of the fly species. In the heat of summer, those flies lay eggs which become maggots if she is not cleaned and treated at least daily. Yuck.

Clyde Mare is an intelligent, lovely mare and was being used as a therapeutic riding horse in a large, popular Eau Claire organization where she was being boarded when I was contacted by one of this organization's volunteers. This mare would stop periodically, during the ride, to scratch her legs. So, to stop this scratching, her head was tied up to the saddle. And because of her large size, she was twitched when saddled and bridled. Hence, you have a mare that was extremely sensitive to any motion around her head and would NOT stand tied for anything! However, after working with her every single feeding and never, ever touching her above the neck unless it is deworming time, she now stands tied while she eats AND she lets me clean her every morning while she stands quietly, tied, for at least 30 minutes. Amazing how they can forgive! Simply amazing!

Well, this morning Clyde Mare made history here at Refuge Farms - she allowed me to clean her, wipe her down, retrieve a bucket of warm water from the house, and then wash her after the cleaning. This mare has NEVER allowed this treatment without being in the shoeing bed and this morning, we did it all on the ground!!! AND above that, I even was able to trim some of her feathers down with our special scissors while she stood. Now THAT earned her a bit of feed for a reward!

Her daily routine in the summer is not enjoyable for her - she loves to eat grass! However, due to the flies, she is in a stall in the big barn with a fan to help keep the flies at bay, a bale of hay in an old stock tank, water, and periodic treats as I walk by. Her appetite and her mannerisms while she eats tells me she has been without food at some point in her life. She will walk right over you to get at the feed - literally. We have worked a bit every day and now she will wait at the feeder while I say, "Wait" until I say, "Okay" and then she torpedoes into the feed. Her drooling, scouring of the floor, aggression, and the sense of urgency at getting into the feed are all symptoms and manners developed from not having enough food at some point.

So her life before Refuge Farms was a tough one. She is coming along, however, and her four hot legs are now down to one - her right rear. That was the worst leg when we got her being over 30" around that first August. That leg I don't believe we will ever calm down - the tissue is too swollen. However, her front two legs are scarred but dry. Her left rear foot is fighting the reaction to a puncture would two summers ago and so we treat it as if it is hot and hope to totally dry that leg back up again. We had recovered the leg and it was dry but any disturbance can cause the disease to manifest.

We massage her groin lymph nodes every day to assist in the extraction of the leg fluids. While at the U of M Equine Center, Dr. Alexandria brought in a PT Specialist from the VA Hospital who recognized the condition - humans have it, too! - and taught us the routine, the touch and the results. Without that assistance and the determination of Dr. Alex to diagnose this mare, she would have crossed long ago. Duke University is there every time I call, after all these years. Clyde Mare's support team is large and they are all pulling for this little mare who is beating the odds!

So now you know why this morning is such a victory morning - Clyde Mare was cleaned, dried, washed, dried again, and clipped all while standing tied in her stall! I am SO proud of her! It is these kinds of victories that make today a keeper day. For sure!

[SandyG]

I learned something about our Clyde Mare today - after she has lived with us for just days away from six (6) years!

When I have taken her out of The Big Barn and out into the yard for the sweet grasses, she tends to walk back toward the barn and eat the short grass just outside the corral. It seems odd to me that she would select to leave the tall clover and juicy grasses that I lead her to but she just walks back to the entrance of the barn and eats the well traveled and short grasses close to her home shelter.

WELL! This morning, for some reason, I inverted the order of the horses out of their paddocks and out into the yard for sweet grasses - I took Helen and Hollie first and then followed those two with our big Clyde Mare. And voila! Clyde stood close to her two friends and ate the tasty grasses of the West Lawn!!! In fact, before I brought them back to their stalls, Clyde Mare had eaten the choice morsels of the hay pad and was working on the never even mowed grasses surrounding the hay pad!

She was lonely! She wanted companionship! Remember . . . . horses are herd animals!!!

I know that. But now Clyde Mare has reminded me of what I already know.

[SandyG]

It just is not possible to love this mare any more than she is already loved!

She stands for her twice daily hydrotherapy . . . when it is time to "sprinkler" her to cool off from the heat, she stomps her left front foot. And she's a great aim with the spatter from that very stomp, by the way! When it is time for a drink from the hose, she turns her head to me and waits for me to put the hose on her upper lip. When she has had enough water, she then pushes her nose into the hose and bathes ME telling me I can go back to her treatment.

We have a great routine. She stands tied and I am under her with the hose and a sharp eye looking for dirt, little critters, and a "mushroom" that is ready to fall off. It is our time. And when the treatment is done, I unhook her and I head into the barn while she stays outside. She grabs a bite of grass and then walks into the barn to stand patiently awaiting her treats for being such a perfect patient.

Twice each day we have our time and it really shows on the condition of her leg. I can now get under "mushrooms" that I could not even squeeze my little finger between! GREAT progress. I am so pleased and I continue to tell her so. And she continues to communicate with me telling me she's cool with it, too!

Just not possible to love this mare any more than she is already loved!

[SandyG]

Each day there is a 90 minute session that is just Clyde Mare and me. No one else unless there is an incident that requires attention. No one else as the cell phone is turned off. No one else as we spend this time together either early in the day or quite late in the day. No one else but the big black mare and me. Private time that we both enjoy and are quite relaxed at when we finally reach the close of the session.

The miracle of her legs continues. Yesterday morning, she arrived in the barn looking like we had a problem - bloody and dirty. However, when I cleaned her I found that three - count 'em: 1, 2, 3!!! - large sections of her rear right leg had been removed by either dropping off, rubbing, or biting. I don't think she scratched/bit them off because her face was clean. But the sections were gone and lo and behold! There are more spaces of her leg visible!!! Her beautiful, pink, smooth leg!

She was a bit sore and reclusive yesterday but today we are grazing in the wet morning . . with an eye on the mule so when it travels down the driveway, she is on her way into the barn for her breakfast. This mare is an amazing example of the power of positive energy. So many advised that we put her down that summer four years ago. So many said we would never overcome those four, oozing, maggot-filled, swollen legs. And now? We are down to one leg that is significantly better than when she appeared, two dry(!) front legs, and one rear leg that is dirty and requires daily cleaning just because of the proximity to the other back leg.

There is no cure and so, at any time, we could lose ground and her beautiful presence. However, today, TODAY, we clean and we buff and we massage and we oil. We are quiet together. She sleeps at times. I lean on her and stretch my back and leg muscles. I relax and can feel my heartbeat and blood pressure going down. And at major steps I share a piece of fruit with her or a horse cookie from Dear Linda in Eau Claire with her. There are hugs. There are neck kisses - still not able to kiss the face but we are both patient with each other. And there are words of praise. We are directly under the FAITH bucket and adjacent to the HOPE bucket and both of us are acutely aware of this.

For this mare, we are dedicated and aware. We hope we can continue to support her so that her life is full and comfortable. We watch for signs that she is weary and deciding to move on. But so far - far from it! There is still too much good in each day that either begins or ends with a session of love and companionship and trust and hope.

[SandyG]

I need your help to save Clyde Mare's life.

This extended deep cold is having a very severe and dangerous impact on Clyde Mare's hind leg. I am at the point of getting her into a heated stall for the nights or ending her life.

Contact has been made with Stillwater Vet in an attempt to rent one of their heated stalls with me traveling to Stillwater each day to treat her leg, feed her, and clean her stall. Assuming Stillwater Vet does not have the facilities available for us, we have only one other option - we need to empty the workshop and move her up as soon as the space is available. Clyde Mare is strong and can survive another 2 or 3 nights.

The workshop was prepared for little Gracie and is working just fine to save her life and has done just that - saved Gracie's life. In order to use the workshop to save Clyde Mare's life, there are boxes to be removed from the workshop and placed in some sort of an open space.

I need your help in emptying the workshop and storing in a space that one of you has for these boxes. The space needed is no more than a 10' x 10' space - the load that needs to be removed is no larger than the back half of the Exiss trailer (8' x 13'). The time to load and then unload would be about 2 hours with a minimum team of 4 to 6 people.

Here at The Farm, I could clean her leg every evening and then wrap it in towels and vet wrap during the day to turn her out for exercise when the temps allow. With the warm stall each night, the leg could be massaged and cleaned and we should be able to hold the leg at least - not have the condition continue to spread.

Please consider if you would be able to help empty the workshop this coming Saturday.

Please consider if you have space available to store the boxes - unheated/heated/garage/shed space is fine.

You need to know that if Stillwater does not materialize and the workshop cannot be readied, Dr. Rande will be called to euthanize Clyde Mare this week. That is a total waste to me - Clyde Mare is involved, eating well, and doing her best to move. SHE does not want to die.

I need your help to save Clyde Mare's life. Please email ([e-mail]) with your decision regarding space and participation.

In desperation,
Clyde Mare and Sandy

[SandyG]

Much to update on our efforts in support of Clyde Mare:

First of all, I am absolutely overwhelmed with the replies, offers, and support in this effort to save Clyde Mare's life! From offers to help load/unload boxes to offers for storage space or even renting a storage unit for storage!!! In total desperation and with huge tears flowing, I wrote our need this morning and just 12 hours later, I sit here with the skeleton of a plan in place! Thank you. Very much! I cannot yet find the words but I feel the arms bracing us up and supporting us!

Clyde Mare is tucked in a corner at Stillwater Equine in a heated stall!!! THANK YOU!!! And in our intial viewing today, the equine specialist very quickly said, "This isn't lymphenghitis." Very matter-of-factly and very soon first seeing Clyde Mare. Pictures were taken and a dermatoligist specialist was contacted with an appointment made for her to come to the clinic tomorrow and view her legs. We are now thinking that we will surgically remove a sampling of the tissue and send it in for anlysis. A proper diagnosis is critical to proper treatment. This equine specialist at Stillwater Vet has prior experience with lymphenghitis and is the first vet we have had involved with Clyde Mare that has that experience. So, we are ahead already just adding this skilled vet to our efforts on this case!

We spent 20 minutes or so warm rinsing her legs. As we rinsed with warm water her head began to rise, her ears started rotating, her eyes started to follow us, and the headstrong mare that I know and love so dearly reappeared! She moved more easily and turned in circles which I could not achieve with her this morning. The theory - on my part - is that the prolonged frigid air was actually beginning to freeze this damaged tissue.

Clyde Mare refused her nightly dose of bute and chose, instead, to go between her hay pile and the hallway to talk with the other horses in the barn. And my face hurt from watching her move and become the nosey character that she has been with us! That leg was being lifted again, was bearing weight again, and she could turn and pivot on the leg again. Prayers answered.

We have a commitment for a 2 week stay in that Stillwater stall and so we cannot drag our feet in readying the workshop for her return. Clyde Mare will spend all nights in the workshop from her arrival home until spring arrives and I am beyond grateful for Jeff, Nick and Corey that prepared that workshop for Liz-Beth!

Space for storing the boxes and bodies to move the boxes have magically appeared!! We tentatively have space just a few miles from The Farm for storage and right now, we have six people willing to volunteer their backs and hands. Again, I am in awe and overwhelmed with appreciation and hope!

I will continue to post on our progress and will add a few pictures once her legs are cleaner and, hopefully, a bit smaller. However, a mere 12 hours and a single face book posting and my desperation has been replaced by hope and plans to bring our Beautiful Girl home! Thank you. Blessings to each of you for responding in ANY format! As the Equine Specialist said to me today, "You're going to need help to save this life, Sandy". With my reply being, "I'm asking and praying so let's move forward assuming the help is there". And there it most certainly is!!!

Good night. Thank you. And please keep the good thoughts and prayers going upward for this mare. It is serious. Very serious, I was told today. But I have faith we can restore her to a great quality of life and she will thrive on green grasses in the spring!! Amen.

[SandyG]

Here is the information for Saturday's effort to empty the workshop for Clyde Mare. I will PM the individuals that replied to the plea to insure you know where we are, have my cell, etc. Thanks - don't know how else to show appreciation but to say thanks. Be prepared for hugs on Saturday.

We have the 8' x 13' back of the Exiss and the interior of my truck to carry the load but we will need the interior of another 2 vehicles for the fragile pieces in the cold weather.

The storage destination is 4 miles from THE FARM. So my intention is to load, take a pit stop at THE FARM and warm up, etc., and then car pool to head 4 miles west to unload.

This is my thought:

We will meet at THE FARM at 12noon this Saturday and begin the process of moving "stuff" using a human chain.

While this effort is going on, Mandy will take another team to move boxes in the west garage to make room for the front counter and a glass display case that are in the workshop.

When the workshop is emptied, we then move those display cases from the workshop to the west garage and the workshop should be empty and ready to become a full-time stall.

If we car pool and leave THE FARM by 2pm, we should be fully emptied by 3pm and people then are ready to return to THE FARM and pick up their vehicles to head out.

After thinking it over a bit more, I'm hopeful that a couple of people will be willing to stay behind - or return to THE FARM - to erect 3 or 4 gate panels in the workshop. There are cupboards and shelves in that space and we need to remember Clyde Mare is big and can see - the opposite of Gracie. So I feel we need to protect her from things she could get hurt on or cause trauma. Nick - if you are willing to head up this part of the effort, that would be great!

In this way, we are working in the warmest part of the day. It is going to be above zero and sunny, which is a blessing this winter! I would suggest you dress in layers so you can remove a layer as you generate body heat. And then when it is time to ride, you can add that layer back to prevent getting chilled.

Of course, you are more than welcome to head down to the barn upon our return and check in with Clyde Mare's herd mates. They are bundled up so hard to see shapes and sizes, but those noses are still working and they are happy to receive guests!

Thank you to each of you. I was hoping Clyde Mare would stabilize for the winter but no such luck. And she is just too special to not treat her during these winter months! To not treat her means death to her and I'm not ready to give up on her!!! And when you meet her, you will see she certainly is NOT thinking of giving up on herself!!!

Many thanks to each of you - See you Saturday!!!

Clyde Mare and Sandy

[SandyG]

As Dr. Terry told me on Tuesday, it will take a village to heal Clyde Mare from this cold weather's effect on her legs. But yesterday, he sat with me, asked questions, listened, and then agreed to support us in caring for her to get her to "Grassy Greens" so we can then begin regular treatments for containment of the condition.

Dr. Terry's fellow colleagues at Duke University have replied and assisted Dr. Terry in his understanding of the condition and the treatment. For that, we are indebted to Duke University and their willingness to share their knowledge gained in years of studying lymphenghitis. The overall consensus is that the condition will shorten the life span of the horse but that containment can be attained, although Clyde Mare is a serious case due to the cold.

Prayers are needed. The girl is tired and weary but eating everything in sight! I begin my visits to her in Stillwater today to clean and clip and wrap. That will be the daily routine. Gently clean the area. Clip any hairs for easier access. And compression wrap the legs. Plus, a ton of treats and loving for the patient.

How can anyone help? Of course, if you are willing to clean and clip and wrap - or only clean and wrap - you are more than welcome to come and learn and help out as often or as little as you are able.

The big help needed, however, is support in keeping her heated stall - the workshop - clean. Clyde Mare is a big girl. Hence, big poops and tons of water. With the condition, comes a need to drink excess water since so much of her water is lost out her legs. Thus, daily maintenance is a must and, at a minimum, weekly deep cleanings MUST be done.

So, families, FFA clubs, youth groups, 4-H clubs, Boy or Girl Scouts, Poniless Clubs, Community Service, a couple of friends, or any group or individual willing to help in the maintenance of Clyde Mare's home will be welcome with open arms! No specific day of the week, just the support in keeping her area as clean as possible.

Clyde Mare lays down to rest her legs and we need to keep her warm, of course, but also clean when doing so. Refuge Farms has the tools and the supplies - or we will get them. It isn't a huge space . . . maybe 15' x 15' at max. Cemented floor with rubber mats. And we have a skid loader to remove the debris.

Contact information is a posting on this bulletin board, email at [e-mail], and cell at 715.505.5626. Please know I turn the cell off when with the horses - safer for them and, selfishly, better for me.

At the close of our meeting yesterday, Dr. Terry reminded me that "this is a ton of work that you are taking on and most people would just euthanize the horse. But, Sandy, I know you and your Mission and that's why this horse landed out there with you."

With that statement, the big, talented man received the hug that he knew was coming and a commitment to do our best. To do our best to get Clyde Mare to a state of comfort and joy and then continue to work with her until, at some point, the condition is not allowing her a good quality of life.

And so now, we begin the difficult journey for her life's sake.

I then went into the hospital area and met with Clyde Mare. Hugged her, kissed her, prayed with her. And then took that big, beautiful head in my hands and once again, I gave her Laddee's Promise in a big, strong, determined, and bold voice:

You will be healthier here. Always considering the quality of your life, we will work diligently to restore your health. We will care for you. We will support you. We will love you. And we will medically treat you. It may not be possible to bring you all the way back to healthy, but we will work very hard to help your body and your spirit rebuild as much and for as long as you are able. You will be healthier here.
Laddee’s Promise August 2011

[SandyG]

This morning, I had grand plans to clean and dress Clyde Mare today, spend tomorrow stacking hay, preparing the floor of the workshop, hanging water buckets, and doing all the little things to prepare for Clyde Mare's trip home on Wednesday.

Arriving at the clinic about 1pm, I went into the hospital to tell them I was there and would be bringing Clyde Mare into the central hospital for her routine and then headed across the driveway for the Beautiful Girl.

She was down in her stall and not in a hurry to get up. Her breakfast sat untouched and with that alone, I knew we were in trouble.

Fast forward an hour and we were dripping two (2) bags of saline into her newly inserted catheter and discussing the situation. Her symptoms were overall weakness, a vibrating right front leg, cross-over front feet whenever asked to walk, a temp of 104, heartbeat of 68, and resps were fast with obvious panting. Her blood draw showed a slightly low protein level (dehydration) and slightly elevated white blood count (leg condition). What the heck was happening???

Yesterday when I went in to her stall, she followed me around like a puppy - twisting, turning, and pushing on me as she looked to me for treats. Today, she had no interest in ANY food and she only moved if she had to and then with care and obvious effort. Her legs were still wrapped from yesterday and so we unwrapped her legs.

Her left rear was noticeably smaller and looked very good - pink, smaller in size, and "almost normal", as Dr. Terry observed. Her right rear, however, was also noticeably smaller but looked very grey. I felt it and it was cool to the touch. The conclusion: The leg had been wrapped too tightly when I cleaned and wrapped her on Sunday and had created overall circulatory issues.

That explanation seemed a bit weak to me but then I thought about when I Ace wrap one of my own legs too tightly. The leg aches, I get weak, I do not want to put any pressure on the leg, and I sure can't spin, do steps, or anything other than try to walk. So could it be???

The circulatory issue doesn't account for the temp and the blood work. But Dr. Terry didn't seem too worried about that read out of the CBC considering what her legs had been through in the past two weeks. But just to be safe, we added an overall antibiotic to the second drip bag.

So, the well laid plans are on hold. We need to get her stable, lower the heart beat, the temp back to normal, and her appetite back. THEN we can wait for three consecutive good days and once again create a plan for coming home. Thank God she was in the hospital when "it" happened today!!!

Before I left for the day, I ran to a local feed store and bought a bag of treats and a 50 lb salt block. Sure enough, she was very happy to see the salt and ate one handful of treats before she went back to licking salt. This is normal behavior for Clyde Mare and so I was happy to see her attack the block. The food, however, still sat untouched.

Many kisses, hugs, and promises to take care of her later, I left for the night. The night shift is calling at 2am when they do their final rounds to give me a status on temp, heartbeat, and food intake. Until then, I'm going to keep busy hoping my energy gets to her to fight whatever hit her like a ton of bricks today.

[SandyG]

I have been quiet lately about our Clyde Mare. My apologies if my sheltering you from the worry is offending to you but I felt it was just a matter of time before Clyde Mare would recover. If, by Monday, she had not recovered she would have been swiftly delivered back to the hosptial for further treatment.

Upon her arrival home on Wednesday, Clyde Mare displayed a severe and continuing case of diarrhea. In fact, I spent Wedneday night with her timing her episodes like timing labor pains before a baby's birth. About every 7 minutes, her big gut would growl very loudly and 3 cups or so of dirty water would fly out of her. With that routine, her body would dehydrate and she would weaken rapidly.

The local pharmacy was emptied of all of any kind of "pink stuff" and we began dosing the big girl to her total dismay! I will admit pink was in my hair, down my shirt, in my mouth, and even on Gracie! But a majority of the meds went down her throat and then we just needed to wait.

Her (and Gracie's) diet was moved to totally grassy hay with plenty of clean water. No treats and no sweet feed. UGH! And with that, no Cool 100 to help add fat to her diet. Neither horse was happy at all with this diet! Clyde Mare reached over the corral panels and pushed everything she could reach to the floor! Gracie just became noisy and pushy . . . or as pushy as little Gracie can be. Clyde Mare, on the other hand, became rather rude with her disgust of me and my inability to please her.

The gut sounds began to diminish on Friday morning and the water began to become a bit thick. Great signs! But we had a long way to go. I added hay pellets to their diet and presented them to the two horses as if they were sweet feed. So, 3 times per day, they each received buckets of hay pellets which would need hydration from their own body fluids and also keep the blandness of the diet intact.

Last night, for the first time, there was actually periods of sleep. They munched on hay, drank water, and tolerated this little human that seemed to constantly be in their new stall touching, cleaning, combing, and hugging. Geez!

This morning, the joy arrived! In the midst of cleaning water buckets and refilling with clean water, I stepped in something. Looking down I saw it was manure. Very wet and squishy manure, but it was manure! And the size of the manure was surely way too large to be anything out of little Gracie. Clyde Mare was making excellent progress!!

So tomorrow we will bundle up and head out to the pasture for play time. I will hook and feed a bit early so that Clyde Mare and Gracie will eat with the rest of The Herd. That will make Josephina very happy. And then it will be back up to the heated workshop for cleaning and redressing of the legs. And a light snack of hay pellets with a 50% feed portion. Then, it will be time to brush and hug and watch for formed manure. Hopefully!

Clyde Mare is a strong mare wtih an even stronger will to live! She is determined to be a horse and will love the time in the pasture and be a bit resistive to returning to the workshop, I expect. But she will get over it when she gets a taste of her feed!

In time, we will have a "nice day routine" and it will be normal to walk back up to the house with the lowering sun. And then we will brush and clean and redress and the little human will deliver feed that will make everything just fine. In time, we will have fun together as the big horse and the little human learn the routine and adapt.

Thank you for your emails and your inquiries into Clyde Mare's condition. She is adapting and doing her very best. Her very best! We are all learning the new routine that will be her life style and, given just a bit of time, we will enjoy our time together. And this big mare will come to accept the hugs and the kisses from that little human that just won't stop pestering her!

[SandyG]

I am thrilled beyond what I can describe to tell you that our Beautiful Girl, Clyde Mare, has completed three (3) consecutive days of beautiful, formed, soft, and a bit smelly manure!!! We are on the road to full recovery and weight gain as of now!

One week ago today it looked pretty grim and I was very worried, to put it mildly. Rapid weight loss, severe and constant diarreha, and overall weakness were the symptoms and we really had no answer except for stress. Whatever the cause, it seems to have passed and the big girl is holding her own again. And, with an appetite that CANNOT be satisfied!

And with the warm air coming, she and Gracie will also have at least three upcoming afternoons in the pasture to bake in the sun, kabitz with their herd pals, and rest and stretch their legs. Now, just how wonderful is that! Really!!!

In those three afternoons - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this week - the goals will be to get the workshop stall cleaned down to the floor a bit at a time. We'll get the floors uncovered and the mats repositioned. The hay tub moved and the extra panel removed. And we'll get the girls back inside around 3pm each day to warm them up again and serve them their suppers.

The invitation is open if anyone wants to share in the joy of bringing our bundled up girls into the pasture and then making a dent in their stall. And then the joy of walking them back and pressing the "ON" button to produce the heat again. I believe the best time to release them outside will be 12noon and the best time to retrieve them will be 3pm each day. We need sunshine and above freezing temps so if it snows, the plans will be delayed.

Dress in layers, please. Wear barn boots. Old gloves that you may have to toss. And head gear. Remember, there is always a breeze on this hill.

And to those who have and continue to keep us on your prayer lists, thank you. Sincerely. For those miracles that happen in our barns that we cannot explain, I respectively call it The Master Plan. And, in order for that plan to work as it should, there needs to be prayers in support of the plan.

So yes, Dr. Terry, it will take a village to heal this girl. That's why, as you said, she ended up at Refuge Farms.

[SandyG]

The workshop stands clean, dry, and ready for The Spoiled Ladies when the temps dip this week.

So happy we had 3 nice days in a row last weekend that allowed us to strip mats, clean the floor, and then reline the floor with the mats again. I'll turn the furnace on tomorrow to take the last of the dampness out of the stall and then Monday PM, I believe, when the temps dip, The Spoiled Ones will come up for 48 hours and then rejoin the pack when the temps rise again.

Clyde Mare is very happy being a part of the herd and is eating so very, very well! I am eager for spring to bathe her and get her entire body spotless! Eager to spoil her rotten!!!

[SandyG]

I've been wide awake since 3am . . pondering and praying about today. And here I sit, still frightened, and so asking for your prayers and support.

Against my habits, I am loading two precious mares into the trailer this morning to take to Stillwater. They will be blanketed and the slats are securely in their places but I usually never purposely travel in such cold air. But we must since Dr. Terry is in the office only today and waiting another week is not an option.

Clyde Mare's diarreha has returned and I am unable to curb it. She continues to eat well and after eating, her belly growls worse than a lion. And then the watery substance is expelled. If this condition continues much longer, she will weaken to the point of no return. Something is amiss and we need to dig deeper to treat her. Another week of this condition could be more than she can tolerate . . . and she has not one single pound left to lose.

Jeri-Ann's feet were trimmed last Wednesday and her shoes reset and she is not foundered. In fact, her hooves look very good. So the lack of movement, the tentative walking, and the awkward stance are from something other than what we were suspecting. This healthy young mare is fighting something that has taken her ability to move freely away from her and we need to attack whatever are our suspicions.

My prayers are for a safe journey, there and back, first and foremost. For conclusions to be clear and obvious to the trained eyes. That meds be available - and affordable - so both of these mares may continue their works here at THE FARM. And then, when we are home, I will sleep. And stop vibrating. And say prayers of thanksgiving.

Thank you for even reading this and for now, you too, praying. Fear is a faith robber and I'm doing my darndest to keep the fear away - but I am honestly frightened of the miles to cover, the cold air the equipment and the horses must endure, and the outcomes. Dear Lord, let us be able to help these mares! Please.

Amen.

[SandyG]

The rig pulled into the driveway at 4pm straight up this afternoon. Everything mechanical worked just fine and the roads were open and dry. Both mares loaded with very little hesitation and I'm amazed at how straight the trailer backed down the long driveway to the barn! You could see the evidence of prayer before we ever left THE FARM.

Jeri-Ann is, in fact, foundered with rotation in both front feet. Xrays showed the rotation and so she will continue with her shoes reversed, 8 week trims and reset leaving a thicker sole and a snubbed front toe, and a hay and water diet. In fact, Terry thinks she could "lose a couple hundred pounds"! He commented that it was a great surprise for him to see a big, healthy speciman walk into the clinic with a Refuge Farms name on it but guarded against her getting too big, especially with the temptation of her toe to drop.

The xrays are with me so the farrier can see them before her next trim/reset and then we will re-xray in about 6 months to see how far her toe has restored. It will be a long process but I'm so very relieved that we aren't looking at EPM or something neurological. When I mentioned that to Terry, he shook his head and told me he was confident the problem with her stiff walking was her sore toes. THIS, we can all work with and she can recover. THIS is the best of the options I had envisioned.

Clyde Mare is staying at the clinic for a few days. Her blood work showed her kidneys, liver, and glucose were all still working well but her red counts were down. In describing her guts sounds, her eating small amounts at a time, and the frequency of eating, it was concluded that she has an ulcer. It all fits . . . .

The diarreha, the lower red counts, the gut sounds, the small portions evidenced by the small amount of meds we were able to get her stomach to accept when he administered tubed meds to her. Everything points to an ulcer which, again, is treatable.

After talking over all of the options, we put her on a "sponge" medicine that is administered with a tube every 12 hours for 3 days. It is intended to dry up the intestinal tract and calm the tract so that the foods can linger and be absorbed. She is also getting dewormed while under supervision and she is on 35 cc's of penicillin every 24 hours. Hay and water diet for her, too. Then, to top it off, she will get a tube of gastroguard every 24 hours for 28 days. As we agreed, the approach is to throw quite a bit at her without knowing exactly which one of them did the trick but my priority is time - getting her solid quickly so she can eat and keep a few calories. We all agreed and so "the kitchen sink approach", as Terry calls it, was begun.

When I left, she was calm and eager for a mouthful of hay. No soaked hay cubes due to the amount of water content - at least yet. She actually seemed very content and relaxed when I kissed her nose quickly before the head flew up to the ceiling!

All in all, I am grateful and very relieved. By the time I had backed the truck and trailer down to the barn to load the girls, I was already letting the stress and worry and fear roll off of me. I had read a few of the postings from all of you before I slipped out the door and they did exactly what my soul needed - you realigned me, reminded me of Divine Guidance, and put me back in touch with the faith that I rely on every day in this world of rescue.

I pulled over to the shoulder before entering the freeway and said a prayer for safety and calm. To give Terry sharp eyes and decisive conclusions. And we got EXACTLY that! The drive home was uneventful and the truck and trailer is safely parked with Jeri-Ann back in the pasture. So eager to tell her pals about her worldly adventure!!

Thank you. It sounds small and hollow, but seriously and sincerely, thank you for taking the time to remind me, support us, and pray for us. Thank you for caring about two horses in the midst of everything else going on in your lives. Thank you for taking the time and having the compassion to bolster someone when they ask you for support.

I cannot repay you in any way except to care for these horses with the best of me. To love them dearly and wholly and to watch for signs of stress in any of them. In that way, by caring for them, I can thank you for the support and caring that you freely gift to me.

I am a very rich woman. And today, I needed to draw on that wealth to restore my faith and to remain strong. And you answered the call and supplied that very faith and strength.

Thank you.

Sandy and The Herd