Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue, Inc.

Help the Shire Family to Reunite

This beautiful Shire mare named Tess was recently surrendered to CDHR with a life-threatening condition. An infection on her coffin joint was threatening to end her life and her owner did not have the means to get her medical care. With the help of a generous sponsor, CDHR was able to offer her the necessary care and to give her a fighting chance to reunite with her Shire family. Tess had surgery last week at Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists but due to her size and the length of time she was not bearing weight on that leg, she developed laminitis in the supporting (good) hoof. She has received the best care available, including treatment by a veterinary podiatrist (a vet who specializes in hooves). She is slowly but surely improving but it’s been a long road and the complications have driven up the costs beyond what was expected. We expect months of additional care for her recovery so CDHR is asking for your help. We are sharing her story so those who wish to help can do so. Her story and CDHR’s involvement with this mare’s welfare began many years ago, so read on if you’d like the backstory. If you’d like to donate towards her medical expenses, please join us in supporting this fundraiser.

Some of you may remember the case of the 9 Long Island Shires who were found starving and neglected in 2013. Working with the SPCA, Dr Golub was able to get 5 of the 9 Shires to her farm in CT where they were rehabilitated with the help of CDHR volunteers and friends. Carefully documenting the horrific condition of each of the 5 (Dan, Dean, Gulliver, Smitty, and Molly), as well as their recovery once receiving proper care, Dr Golub presented the evidence to the SPCA who then arrested their abuser. Unfortunately they did not seize the remaining 4 Shires who still lived in those conditions. With Dr Golub’s testimony in a jury trial, the owner was convicted of 5 counts of cruelty to animals. Sentencing did not happen until 2015. The day before sentencing, the abuser gave the 4 remaining Shires (Patsy, Gunner, Tess, and Baby) to a friend to move them to an undisclosed location. The judge awarded ownership of the first 5 to the SPCA, who then signed them over to CDHR. The previous owner did no jail time and the judge did nothing about the 4 remaining horses.

The 5 Shires in CT all suffered from the affects of their previous neglect. Gulliver has a serious chronic heart condition which is being treated with medications but will claim his life in the near future. He is strongly bonded to Smitty, now called Willow, who suffers from tumors on her pasterns as a manifestation of the neglected, maggot-infested Chronic Progressive Lymphedema (CPL) she had on arrival. They will live out their days at CDHR for as long as we can keep them comfortable. Molly (now Callie) was returned to CDHR from her foster home with canker in her hooves, which we were able to resolve with aggressive medical care. Dan had to be euthanized the year after he was rescued since the neglected cancer in his eye had spread to the rest of his body, and Dean never recovered from that loss and mourned his brother’s death until he passed last year.

The 4 Shires that remained in NY moved from barn to barn with their new owner and relied on donations for their boarding and care. Last spring, we got a call from a boarding barn owner who knew of our connection to the Shires. Their owner owed several thousand dollars in boarding fees and they were asking us to help the horses. We welcomed them with open arms but their owner decided she only wanted to sign over 2 of the 4 horses, Patsy and Gunner (who were immediately adopted by a wonderful family). When summer came, she moved Tess and Baby to a pasture where they were adored by the public on a main road in East Hampton, NY. All seemed well until earlier this month when Tess became severely lame. When it became clear she needed hospitalization and surgery, the owner begged for donations which never came. A sponsor finally agreed to pay for her evaluation at the hospital, but could not give thousands more that were needed for her surgery. When the family who adopted Patsy and Gunner heard this news, they generously offered to contribute to the cost of surgery and take on the task of the long recovery period, so their owner signed Tess over to CDHR on the morning of 2/18. In the interim, Baby, who is Tess’ offspring and had been left alone back at the pasture, broke loose and ran through town during the night, probably looking for her mother. Thankfully her owner agreed to sign Baby over so we could provide her a safe home and eventually reunite her with Tess, Gunner and Patsy.

Tess had surgery later that morning to treat a septic (infected) coffin joint. Joint infections in horses are life-threatening and even with immediate and aggressive care only about 50% survive. On top of that, she’s been battling the laminitis, but against all odds she is slowly improving. We hope to bring her back to CT soon so she can rehabilitate and eventually rejoin her Shire family. Gunner, Patsy, and especially Baby are missing her! Please help make this possible- no donation is too small and will get us closer to being able to provide these 4 magnificent horses with a reunion in a safe and loving home, bringing closure to this epic saga and 6 long years of CDHR’s mission to ensure they never again have an uncertain future.

 

Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) horse rescue specializing in the rescue, rehabilitation, retraining, and rehoming of draft horses in need.

This morning we received a plea to help an old, thin Belgian at an auction where not many private buyers attend but dealers/killbuyers are often present.  His picture was heartbreaking- emaciated, sores from harness rubs, signs that he gave more to his human caretakers than he ever got in return.  After seeing he was being fed "hay that wasn't fit to be used for bedding," an old man at the auction even bought him a bale of decent hay. Despite his condition, he was said to be "22 years old but still able to work a full day." In a short span of time, we found transport and a local friend to quarantine (QT). With the help of an on-site bidder, we were able to keep him out of the hands of those who sought to squeeze one last bit of work out of him. "Budd," as he was called, will never again wear a number on his hip and will know only love and kindness from this moment on.

Soon after winning the bidding for him, we were told about another Belgian going through with no one bidding but a killbuyer. An 8 year old gelding, he was said to be "stringy" in the hind, which could be referring to any number of soundness problems but was enough to make him undesirable for any purpose but his meat for human consumption. While no horse deserves that hellish trip to the slaughterhouse, but especially one so young, we didn't have the heart to say no. "Oakley" is a big sweet boy who will be joining Budd for the trip to CT. 

And just like that, what started as an ordinary weekday, 2 lives are changed forever. Our work is just beginning- they will be transported tomorrow, and will start the long road back to health to get them ready for their new forever homes.  

We are hoping you will join us in welcoming Budd and Oakley to CDHR, and help us to give them the best possible care along with more love than they've ever known. We are fundraising to help with our costs for their purchase, transport, quarantine, vet and farrier care, and potentially retraining if necessary to help them be adopted into homes who will cherish these boys for their sweet souls, not just for what they can do for humans.

"Budd"

"Budd"

"Oakley"

CDHR has been asked to help this Shire mare with a serious medical problem. We get so many help requests that we usually have to look away and say no because there are too many in need....but we couldn't look away from this one. This sweet mare has what appears to be a large herniation of intestine through a tear in her abdominal wall at the flank. Even with just a picture to go by, several veterinarians including an equine surgeon agree that this is the most likely cause. It's a condition that usually requires a very expensive surgical repair but successful treatment would allow her to live a normal life. 

Ironically, exactly 3 years ago to the day, CDHR was asked to help a little blonde Belgian in the same situation but with 2 hernias that needed repair. With the help of our generous donors, Winslow had surgery, healed well, began a training program and was then adopted into a wonderful forever home. A horse that had run out of options became a horse with a bright future....and that's what this mare deserves.

CDHR's founder is an equine veterinarian who donates her services and has the connections to get the care this mare needs including surgery. Our volunteers are standing by and ready to shower her with TLC, love, and the rehabilitation she needs to eventually find her own family. We can't do this without the support of our generous donors with draft-sized hearts who always rally when a life needs saving. CDHR is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 charity so donations are tax-deductible and 100% goes to the care of the horses. Every little bit helps so if you can't donate or volunteer, please share!