The Riley Farm Rescue

The Riley Farm Rescue is a 501(c)(3) Farm Animal Sanctuary. We were contacted regarding Starlight, a mini-horse and agreed to meet Starlight on June 27, 2018 and assess her situation.
When we arrived we saw that Starlight had a severely broken foot that we learned had gone unattended for more than a year. Starlight captured our hearts, and we agreed to take her back to RFR and see what we could do to help her. Starlight was very scared and jerked away at any sudden movement towards her. We are unsure of how she was treated previous to coming to us, but her early behavior told us she didn’t trust humans. However, it wasn’t long before Starlight began to understand that she was safe and that no one would hurt her at RFR. She happily accepts lots of hugs and kisses now. Once Starlight was at RFR, we immediately set up a veterinary visit with our veterinarian Dr.Scott Morey. She was examined and was given necessary vaccinations and underwent testing to gage her overall health. Starlight’s foot was also x-rayed. We cannot imagine the pain Starlight suffered when her foot was broken and what she endured for months with no care. As a result her knee is also swollen and causes her pain. She was put on a regimen of pain medications. Despite what she has gone through, this little girl has a zest for life and gets herself around and even rolls in the grass. Our veterinarian has consulted with equine specialists who recommended that Starlight undergo a procedure called a fetlock arthrodesis. This involves the actual joint being
eliminated and the metatarsal bone and the first phalanx being fused into one bone. The surgeon puts a plate on it just like a fractured bone to allow the two bones to heal as one. Starlight is scheduled to have this surgery on July 20, 2018 at the New Bolton Animal
Hospital in Pennsylvania. Once the surgery and rehabilitation are completed, we look forward to a long and happy life with Starlight at RFR as she enjoys the significant increased pain free mobility the surgery is expected to give her.  We are raising funds to cover this surgery, the recovery time she will need to spend at the hospital and the transport costs. All donations help! Thank you!