Storm Aurora & Cajun Wed. Jan 20 2010

The welcome rain stayed with us all day. The wind made the horses jumpy and nervous.

The clouds tonight were beautiful and promised a nice tomorrow. We'll see
.

Aurora and Cajun were seized by a county authority because the horses were severely neglected. NorCal Equine Rescue took them first and then we got them. Cajun had been a stallion , free breeding all the mares at the ranch. He is about 15 years old and could be a Morgan or Morab (Morgan Arabian cross). He is a beautiful bay with soft, kind eyes. He was so starved that his neck was thin and his hips sunken. Most stallions have a very thick neck, large hips and a full jaw. Not Cajun. He was a sad sight.

He is now a beautiful, friendy gelding with the sweetest disposition. He attracts a lot of attention when we have visitors.
Aurora was in even worse shape. She was so thin that her backbone showed almost all the way around. Her hips stuck way out. Her hair was matted and dull. Her belly was swollen and we thought she was pregnant. She had used most of her body's protein and was using her body fat to stay alive. She was so poor that she could not hold up her head. We thought we might be able to save the foal, but did not know if she could live..

When the vet did a pregnancy test on her he thought he could feel a foal's leg. It turned out to be rock hard manure. Poor Aurora could not pass manure because she was completely impacted. The vet felt she had eaten nothing but mud and manure for years. She was so starved down she was continually driven off her food.We put our hands on her and asked her if she was willing to fight for her life. Her sad eyes told us she was a fighter, so we started an intensive program to soften her manure and hoped she had enough muscle left to push it out. It took weeks of round the clock care to help her.
She was very weak and one night she went down, completely exhausted. She was dying. Cajun came to her and stood with his nose on her saying good-bye. The tears flowed and the vet was called. Jim gave her a pain shot to ease her discomfort. We sat on the ground with her, waiting. When the vet arrived Aurora was up and eating and HOORAY pooping. She has been improving ever since.

She still has a big hay belly, but now it is full of good hay. She stands up for herself and is part of a trio with Sunny and Chardonnay. Of course, Cajun is their herd leader.

Would you be able to send $5.00 a month to help Cajun and Aurora? They have fought for their lives and will appreciate any help you can give.
You can send a check to Home At Last POBox 4129 Yankee Hill CA 95965 or use PayPal

Thank you so much Donna Kyle