Broken Fence Ranch and Rescue

10/04/2024

I’ve put off making this post because it’s just not the kind of news I want to deliver. The c**t had several X-rays and what they found was his bone was just in shambles. They said there was no surgical option to even begin to try to fix it, but to leave it would mean that it would fuse together and end up a peg leg and he would live in constant pain. There was bone on bone and significant arthritis already present. He said the kindest thing we could do for him was to euthanize him - so we did. It is heartbreaking any time a horse has to be euthanized, but especially hard when it’s one so young!

The only positive thing I can say is that we tried and now know euthanizing was the best option. Had we not, we would have never known if we could have helped him or offered him a chance at life even as only a pasture pet.

10/03/2024

They just arrived at the vet! I think that step down from the trailer is a bit scary lol. We will know much more soon! We are praying for a good outcome!

10/01/2024

There have been some big changes at the rescue. The decision was made to discontinue the nonprofit status. This was not an easy decision and took a lot of thought and prayer before making it. Ultimately there was not enough financial support to continue to operate as a nonprofit organization. We will continue to rescue horses but it’ll be done on a personal level as we can afford it. We will keep this page up to show any new rescues and progress along the way.

All of that being said, this little c**t is in need! We have spoken to our vet and been to visit this little guy. He has an injury to his hock and needs x-rays to determine exactly what is going on. They think he was caught up in the fence. Chances are he won’t ever be sound to ride. He is located at a breeding facility that can no longer keep him and his options are either to find someone to take on the responsibility of his vet care and possible commitment as a pasture companion, or he will be euthanized.

If you are interested in possibly helping please pm the page. He is on borrowed time. The vet has stated that medical care is urgent.

05/07/2024

What a beautiful day for some fresh green grass after a night of storms. 💕

04/14/2024

Here is some happier news!

For those of you who remember Everest, she was rescued starving and with a very slim chance of survival due to the incredibly horrible condition of her feet.

Fast forward a couple of years and this girl is a huge healthy happy and incredibly bossy lady! Everyone knows who runs the show! 😆

Yesterday she was taken back to the vet for her yearly float/checkup and they we took her back to the trainer. Time for her to further her education! Previously the trainer spent time helping her over come some of the things she was scared of due to the trauma of her past living situation. Now it’s time for her to move on to bigger and better things! She is an incredibly smart horse. We are so excited to see what she can do!

04/09/2024

It’s time for another update.

I wish I had good news to give. Dakota went off to the trainer and almost immediately started showing signs of food in his airways again. We knew this was a possibility and would always be a concern for him considering the paralysis he would always be dealing with. We gave him time to rest and recover and consulted the vet. His recommendation was to cautiously try a little exercise and let him cough a bit and see if he could clear out what was stuck inside. Dakota definitely had a unique issue going on so trial and error to see what he could handle with vet supervision was our best option.

After doing this and seeing him cough and struggle and multiple consults with the vet we knew there had to be some decisions made. Obviously the goal was for Dakota to end up in a new home with a new life. But with this condition being something that could flare up without warning at any time, quality of life had to be considered. Aspiration is a big risk with this and could make an uncomfortable situation for him turn threatening very quickly. We were also uncertain if stress could induce his flare ups. There are just so many unknowns with his condition. The only thing we had found out for certain was that he had permanent paralysis and that he had learned to compensate for it - mostly.

The end result, we made the decision to have him euthanized. Believe me - this was an awful decision to make. Dakota was as beautiful inside as out. We wanted nothing more than to offer him a good happy life! But the potential for him to suffer from his condition was too great and likely would have increased in risk as he aged. We have a lot of support from our vets and our trainer and nobody wanted to see it come to this. But in the end we all agreed this was the best option for him. He will be greatly missed!

The only comfort is knowing he didn’t end up starving, sick and suffering at a kill pen. He had become a beautiful otherwise healthy happy boy. He knew he was in a safe place and loved.

02/12/2024

After delays from winter storms, broken furnaces, rain, and ridiculous amount of mud we have finally delivered Dakota to the trainer!!! This has been long awaited and so exciting! This is his final step before he can find his new home. All we are waiting for is his full training evaluation!! 🎉

01/10/2024

I’m late on this update!

Dakota had his follow up after his treatment for EPM a couple of weeks ago. You can tell by his face that they opted to skip the sedation for the scope this time lol.

So for the update…. His lungs and airways are completely clear of food debris now! However he has zero function of his epiglottis. They scoped, ran water through his throat to watch him swallow and they x-rayed. He has developed his own way of swallowing without the use of his epiglottis and it’s working just fine! They vet said he would surgically intervene if he saw any function of it at all but he does not. So the conclusion is that Dakota is fine just like he is! It’s a very unusual situation but the vet said animals adapt and he has clearly done that and able to eat and drink just fine without anything entering his airways.

His next step is to head off to the trainer to be evaluated. We will finally see just what he has learned before coming to us! The weather has slowed down our plans to get him there but we will be on the way just as soon as we can get him there!

01/10/2024

Lol now that’s funny!

11/28/2023

This wild haired lady is ready for a new home!

Dallas is an approximately 20 years old red dun mare and is looking for a place to call home. She is very low on the pecking order and needs someone who will spend quality time with her building a real relationship with her. She is broke to ride but can be a bit hard to catch at times. We think that will be overcome with some consistent positive interact with her new person.

Dallas has had a full refresher at the trainer and passed with flying colors. However the trainer did state that she lacks the strength currently to do much riding. She needs some time to rebuild muscle before a trail ride or a heavier rider but will definitely be able to achieve this with proper diet and exercise. She came to us after having sat for quite some time, a tad under weight and with illness. She has already overcome so much!

If you are interested or have any other questions please let us know!

11/25/2023

10/09/2023

Well, a lot has changed since Dakota first came into the rescue. He has grown and filled out and the spark has come back to him. But here we are - at a make or break point for him. We went back to the vet for his scope over the weekend and his condition has not only not improved, it’s gotten worse. The scope showed more food in his airways and no response from the flap in his throat. They aren’t sure how he is swallowing at all. And yet he eats and drinks and still continues to fill out. We had an epm test done which showed levels in the mid range. There is no way to know for sure if this is being caused by epm or not. What we do know is he can’t live like this. So our only option is to treat for epm and hope and pray that that is the issue and that the treatment will be successful. If it’s not, we will have no other choice but to euthanize him. The thought of that is just heartbreaking! We also have to watch closely for any signs of pneumonia or decline in his condition. The treatment for epm alone is $700. Then add the cost of the scoping and tests…it’s a lot. If you’d like to donate toward his vet bills it would be great appreciated. I understand it’s hard to put money into something that isn’t a guaranteed outcome but we have to try. If this is a success, he has a full life ahead of him.

This is the link to donate

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=VTTGYCSPWZ4ZW

10/06/2023

Unfortunately the cold weather is hard on some of our old men. Utah struggled with colic last night but we were able to catch it in time and he has lived to see another beautiful morning!

10/03/2023

Dakota just finished his last round of antibiotics. Now back off to the vet this weekend to see where things stand.

09/28/2023

A beautiful sunset dinner 💕

09/15/2023

*The link to donate for the vet has been added in the comments*

Lots of news about Dakota!
We finally had his vet visit. We had some illness go through some of the horses over the spring and summer and that delayed a lot of our plans. Dakota in particular was showing some lingering signs such as coughing and a bit of a runny nose - especially when he was eating- so we decided that it would be beneficial to have him scoped just to be on the safe side. What they found was not that he is sick, rather that his “flapper” (excuse my lack of technical terms lol) has some paralysis and isn’t closing off his airways properly when he eats. He also has some swollen areas in his airways blocking off proper airflow. So! As a result he has tiny bits of food in his airways which causes the coughing and runny nose. We don’t have an official diagnosis yet. We do know the spring illness aggravated it and there is a possibility of it being caused by EPM. Right now he has had some steroids and is on a couple of rounds of antibiotics. We will be going back for a second scope in a month to see where things stand and have a better idea of where to go from there.

The good news is he is super healthy otherwise! The vet was very pleased with his weight and coat condition. Also he is saying he is 6-7yrs of age. He also referred to him as the “cool cucumber” because of his quiet laid back personality lol.

More info will be posted as I have it available. I will be putting up a fundraiser for his vet care as well. I don’t have an exact on what all this will cost. He’s on an open tab with the vet right now!

09/11/2023

Big Ben has been with us for nearly a year! He is still waiting for a good forever home. He is a companion only horse and would make a great liberty candidate! He is absolutely the sweetest gentle giant and loves attention. Please pm if you think he might be a good fit for you.

09/01/2023

Dakota has made so much progress! He is a gorgeous boy!!