All About Equine Animal Rescue

Earlier this summer we welcomed a group of horses who needed our help in a big way. Thanks to our generous supporters and AAE family, we were able to manage the horses' needs, and they are all doing much better and ready for adoption. This month we took in another horse who needs our help to try to save him. 

Meet Ralphie!


Ralphie is a 17-year-old American Cream Draft who recently came to AAE.

A few weeks ago, his family reached out to us for help. Earlier this year, Ralphie had developed a sore on his lower right eyelid that continued to grow. He also has a mass on his hind left pastern.  Both were evaluated by a vet, and his family opted for conservative treatment. Unfortunately, it failed to help. Ralphie came to AAE in hope we could help.

Ralphie's eye is painful and drains constantly. It's a huge attractant to flies, and flies are a nuisance. The vets think the eye growth is cancerous and due to the extensive involvement of the eyelid, recommended removal of the eye (enucleation). 

The pastern mass, whether sarcoid or proud flesh, is chronically clipped by his other hoof, re-opening/agitating the mass. Since at AAE, it's been managed with bandaging and bell boots, but he still occasionally clips the protruding mass under the boot. During a vet exam, a small, suspect spot was also observed on his sheath.  All three should be removed and biopsied at the same time.


Ralphie is a big, handsome, and gentle giant! He is full of life and wants  a chance to live a full life. He's not done yet! Ralphie needs us! 

This type of surgical procedure is above and beyond our normal veterinary care budget. If you are able, please give what you can to help give him a chance.

For more photos of Ralphie, visit: www.allaboutequine.org/ralphie (Graphic photos available)

Some folks may think because of the costs, that euthanasia is the better choice. If you feel that way, you are under no obligation to donate. But if you are like many others and believe every life counts as long as there is a fair prognosis for a good quality of life, please help if you can. We hope we are catching this soon enough to make a difference for this big guy. 

Thank you in advance!

While we're all experiencing uncertain times, there are plenty of horses in need, and things just got busier at All About Equine (AAE). We don't ask like this too often, but we've got a very needy group of horses from a distressed sanctuary, and more to come. (Many of you know we had to postpone our annual Boots & Bling fundraiser, so we don't have quite the resources we typically have this time of year). After serving horses for more than 20 years, due to increasing health challenges, this sanctuary can no longer meet the needs of the horses, and they find themselves needing help. Everyone they've contacted has been full and unable to help, so we're doing what we can. This is a big undertaking, and we need your help.

This is definitely be a team effort, so Team AAE, let's do this! Together, we can make a difference for these horses. We are working on their needs now.

Here's the first group:

Jennings is a 2005 cremello Mustang gelding with a rapidly growing mass on his sheath (sorry for the graphics).  It's likely a squamous cell carcinoma.  Jennings is on the thin side and needs some groceries.  He's fair-skinned, and  his eyes need some attention, too.  This sweet guy needs some relief!  Learn more about Jennings.



Teea is a 2007 red dun Mustang mare with very long hooves.  She's also on the thin side.  This girl has been uncomfortable far too long!  Learn more about Teea.



Raye is a 1999 appy Mustang mare.  She appears blind/vision impaired in her left eye, and she has a skin condition, likely extreme fly sensitivity.  Raye is also thin and needing some weight on her ol' bones.  Learn more about Raye.



Layne  is a 2001 buckskin/brown dun Mustang mare.  She's thin, and her hooves are long and flaring at the toes.  We didn't catch a great photo, but obviously, not nearly as bad as Teea's.  Layne is a really nice mare.  Learn more about Layne.



Mags is a 1997 buckskin/brown dun Mustang mare, she's quite thin and has a hoof abscess/infection or old injury.  Mags is a very sweet ol' girl that's been dealing with a very painful hoof for too long!  Learn more about Mags.



We are working on all of their needs now.  This group has multiple vet needs beyond the basics, and they will likely be with AAE for at least 60 days .  They are eating heavy (about two bales of alfalfa a day), and senior pellets for Mags and Raye, too.  Estimate intake costs at about $500 each for basic care updates [dental/sedation, hoof care (with sedation, if not after dental), vaccines, deworming, microchip, DNA].  Add quoted $1500-2500 for Jenning's surgery.  Raye and Mags will have added costs for tackling their additional needs.  Teea's front hooves have already been trimmed (with sedation), and she is already feeling SO much better.  


Also of note, we also drove about 14-15 hours (round-trip), with a hotel night, to pick-up this group and start their journey back to health.  They are also eating very heavily to regain weight.  Costs associated with this group will surely exceed $5000 by the time their vet needs are taken care of and they are ready for adoption.  There are more horses to help, so we need to assure we have funding.  Please join us in getting this group on the path to recovery and a family of their own.

If anyone local has any gently used, average horse sized full-face fly masks with ears or fly sheets, we could use a few.  

These are some of our iconic Mustangs that were supposed to have landed at a safe place for life. Most are middle-aged and older. Most are halterable, handleable, and not too complicated.  They need some confidence and TLC will bring them around. 

Stay tuned, they'll be available for adoption as soon as they're ready.  If you enjoy the trust building and the bond that develops working with Mustangs, these guys are for you! Let's get them healthy and ready to find their new homes. If you are able to help, please do what you can to give these guys the happily ever after they so deserve.  

Some folks may think because of the costs, that euthanasia is the better choice. Fair enough, and if you feel that way, you are under no obligation to donate. But if you are like many others and believe every life counts as long as there is a good prognosis for a good quality of life, please help if you can. Because these Mustangs have a good prognosis for a good quality of life, we think they deserve the chance.


UPDATES 7/25/2020:  We're so incredibly grateful to have the support of so many wonderful people.  It's been busy around AAE, and these horses are getting the relief they've long needed.  Take a look at how your support is helping horses.

JENNINGS:  Here's another before and a new after of Jennings.  He is so relieved to be rid of this mass!  We're thankful, too...the small was aweful, and it was a huge attractant to flies.  He also had a few suspect spots that were removed.  Jennings dental was done, his vaccines were updated, he's been dewormed, he has a microchip in place, and his hair was sent off for DNA.  His hooves were in pretty good condition, so we took care of the others, first.  He's on the farrier schedule this coming week.  Jennings sutures will be removed at four weeks post-op, and he'll be re-checked when removed.  Until then, he's going to enjoy a little R&R as he heals and we wait for biopsy results.  While we wait, please send him some positive vibes for clean margins, then hopefully, we can all breathe a sigh of relief.


Now you see it, now you don't!



MAGS:  Poor Mags, what a stoic ol' girl she's been.  You can see she in the photo above that she was very uncomfortable.  We thought she was dealing with a bad abscess, but we got to the root of the problem.  Here's another before and what we discovered when starting her trim.  There was no visible or palpable sign of any wire before her trim was started (rock had been removed).  When starting to trim her frog (while sedated after dental), this nasty piece of wire reared it's ugly self.  It was incredibly stiff (wouldn't bend manually).  How painful that must have been, and no idea how long it had been there.  Fortunately, it was a vet/farrier day, and she got immediate evaluation.  It seems she was very lucky!  The wire tracked through her frog and out her that area of her heel.  That's going to take some time to heal.  Mags dental was done, her hooves were trimmed, her vaccines were updated, she's been dewormed, she has a microchip in place, and her hair was sent off for DNA.  Mags is on antibiotics and pain meds.  Please keep her in your thoughts while she heals.


There was no visible wire, and nothing felt during multiple soaks and wrap changes.   You don't see it, then you do.


TEEA:  Sweet Teea!  As you saw earlier, we had her front hooves trimmed ASAP to give her some relief.  (Another view of what they looked like when she got here).  Oh boy, did it.  She is a saucy girl now that she's feeling better, and boy, can she move now!  Teea's dental was done (she had really nice teeth), her hind hooves were trimmed after her dental (while sedated), her vaccines were updated, she's been dewormed, she has a microchip in place, and her hair was sent off for DNA. She needs a little weight, but she'll be ready for adoption, soon!  



RAYE:  Another sweet ol' girl that's been a bit miserable.  She's so sensitive to flies!  We suspected she was blind in her left eye, see photo below, her lens has detached.....and she has cataracts in both eyes.  Raye's dental was done, her hooves were trimmed, her vaccines were updated, she's been dewormed, she has a microchip in place, and her hair was sent off for DNA.  She was also started on an antihistamine in addition to various fly products we're using.  She has a special donor that sent a donation for a specific fly mask so we've ordered it and we're using others while we wait for her new one to arrive.  Raye says "Thank You for my new mask" in advance.  Raye is going to need a very special loving home.  She was partnered with Jennings before he left for surgery, and she's done incredibly well without him (like, "Jennings who?").  Raye also needs so gain some weight, and we'll hope her skin issues settle so she can start looking for that special forever family to show her some good love!


Her left eye...


LAYNE:  Lucky Layne, kinda?  Layne was probably in the best condition of the bunch, though she was thin, her hooves were long, and her teeth needed attention, she also has sensitive skin.  Layne is a beautiful mare, and we can't wait to see her transition.  Layne's dental was done, her hooves were given a quick trim (but she was last of the day and we ran out of time), her vaccines were updated, she's been dewormed, she has a microchip in place, and her hair was sent off for DNA.  We'll finish her trim next week, and once she's gained some weight, this gorgeous gal will be looking for her forever family!


Thank YOU for helping make this world a better place for horses and supporting these needs!  Hopefully, we can find the right homes for them soon to free up some space to help a few more!

Learn more about All About Equine Animal Rescue Inc.