Hello all. I hate to come to tumblr asking for help… Bit I’m desperate.
In the afternoon of the 21st of May, my mare, Dusky laid down while we were unloading hay– and began to push. We’d known she was close to foaling, but didn’t know when she might go– but, we’d just gotten our answer. Hearts all stopped, however, when we saw the color red. Red Bag Syndrome. (Placenta Previa. )
Immediately what should have been a beautiful moment because a frantic one, as we slashed the bag open, and pulled out a tiny black colt, as rapidly as we possibly could.
Once he was on the grass, our hearts collectively stopped in relief, as we realized he was breathing, moving sluggishly but surely.
We named the colt ‘Huginn’ for the Nordic raven of Thought, the companion of the Allfather Odinn, to keep with our Farm’s general theme– all horses born here, recieve names to do with mythology.
From the start, Huginn struggled. He was born early, and small– the placenta was hemorrhaged and nearly black, on top of him being a red bag foal. Our vet was shocked that he was alive, even further that he was rambunctious and, most of all, healthy. Because he was– a playful, and surprisingly sweet-natured colt.
Huginn is now 3 months old, though only barely… And now he’s in trouble.
Yesterday, 8-24-2016, our farrier let us know that his left stifle was slightly stiff. At times we had noticed this in the past, and stretched the leg– we had always put it to playing too roughly with his brothers. We went out to stretch it, and all resolved to keep an eye on it– figuring it was just because he was in the middle of a growth spurt this time around.
But two hours, later, when we went out, he was locked completely, the leg dragging behind him. The vet told us to start walking him up and down hills, and to back him to try to pop the patella back into place. A patella upward shift is a decently common problem in many breeds, particularly horses that are delicately built, or slender– much like Huginn. The fact that he’s a miniature means that this is still a common thing– and usually easily fixed on its’ own. At least– in older horses.
But Huginn is only three months old.
The vet advised us to keep working him, and we did until we got to the point where we had full passive range of motion when we moved his leg- but he would still tense up whenever he stepped.
Our vet then told us to give him some Banamine (pain medication) and stall him with his mother overnight, to see how he was doing in the morning. We did this with some anxiety, putting him into the stall that has the foaling cam in the rafters, to watch him through the night.
Come morning.. Both hind legs were locked up. So my mother hitched up our trailer and we rushed him to the vet. With us unable to lift him well, two men who were working on our neighbour’s yard ran over. After some questions to what they could do to help, one of the men lifted Huginn into his arms, and carried him to our trailer, and we will always be very grateful. When Huginn’s mother then decided that she didn’t want to be loaded, the two men lifted her as well, and into the trailer she went.
They were heroes, honestly, and those men are truly great examples of how wonderful people can be when animals are in need.
By the time we got there, his left leg had unlocked and was moving well, but his right was completely stiff, and wouldn’t move, though he could hold himself up easily enough. The vet took him and his mother to a stall, and there, X-Rays were taken.
Lots of them.
He needs surgery.
The tendons on both sides need to be loosened– that way this won’t happen again. The surgery will happen within the next week, and then he will need rehab. Once he heals… He’ll be like nothing ever happened. The vet says we won’t even be able to tell this ever happened to him, that he’ll be able to live the life any horse should have.
However my parents just paid MY medical bills, and we all need some help paying for his. I’m not willing to let him go without the surgery he needs– he deserves a life. Deserves to be a horse, to run and play, to have fun. He’s a beloved family member, he’s my baby.
So I’m asking for help.
I don’t want to have to ask for help. I’d love to be able to pay these bills on my own and be done with it. However this time, it’s simply not an option, with my own injury having needed treatment.
Anything that you can possibly donate, every little bit will help, will be appreciated more than you could possibly imagine. One dollar, one hundred dollars– it doesn’t matter. Every little bit, every tiny amount– it adds up, and it will help him. All I want is for this colt to get better.
My paypal is [email protected]. I can try to offer artwork commissions– see my art here.
And the lovely @asgardianhammer has offered to make graphics/promos for anyone who might wish to get something like that for a donation. See their work here.
Please. If you can’t donate, please reblog this– anything you can do helps, anything to spread the word or to help raise awareness, the better.
