09/20

I am sure everyone has been wondering how Matilda is doing !

first, I want to say THANK YOU again for everyone who contributed !

Because of all of you, Matilda the Miracle Mare was able to come *home* from the hospital !! in all, it took over $8k USD to liberate her. (Yikes)

A majority of that funding happened through GoFundMe, but some people dont like corporatations like GoFundMe and donated on the side.

The alternative option for Matilda was euthanasia, but she's a fighter and I am glad you all saw that too !

I didn't want to update immediately after returning home for a number of reasons----mostly because I wasn't sure how I would be able to handle her care going forward--but we got a routine going and having a security camera has already proven itself useful and prevented several would-be mishaps!

Matilda is still on stall rest.

and she will be on stall rest for a while. Danny is keeping her company

Her care is not cheap

and I have been fortunate to have people in the equestrian community donate feed, supplies, hay, bedding, buckets, medication, and even supplements <3

I am so SO grateful for all of generosity from so many people from all walks of life--it means a lot to me, but I think it means the most to Matilda.

As a horse not allowed to do anything but eat--Matilda happily consumed it all of her feed offerings and she is actually gaining proper weight--finally--a positive outcome following her sand colic episode over a month ago where she was expected to die that evening....

She is a petite mare but also too thin. It's been a rough first month for this mare.

And then she had this tragic accident just two weeks after we were starting to get to know each other...

and here we are again, on the back end of recovery...

Matilda stil has an open wound of sorts...the process of "filling in" a gap that large without any kind of skin graft is a complex task for the body. The wound is shrinking but it's still large--it started at 16 inches long. we are down to somewhere between 8-10 inches long and maybe 6 inches wide---it was more than 20 inches wide at the time of injury.......so we have made a LOT of progress ! We are in the 7th week post injury

***I did include this photo and it is extremely graphic****

however, post-injury care is proving *expensive* and any donations are appreciated--even small contributions make a huge difference ! This very special mare is a miracle--she's cheated death at least three times so far...

Update:

We Got her Out !!! Matilda is Home !!

Update:

Matilda is ready to come home, and her stall is ready !!

($350 for haul home in special trailer)

Matilda is a 5yo mustang/qh mix (we think), heavy on the mustang-mentality.

(warning: graphic images)

I adopted Matilda on July 16th. Her name comes from the 90s movie "Matilda," where a girl with special powers is rescued from an unsatisfactory living situation.

Matilda's life started out poorly when she was the byproduct of a cowboy's stud getting loose to mingle with a mustang and was essentially an "accident."

The first few years of her life, which are crucial to development, were instead spent as a "tripping horse," which according to the internet, "involves roping the front or hind legs of a galloping horse while on foot or horseback, causing it to trip and fall for entertainment purposes."

It was not entertaining for Matilda. She was abused because she was born by accident, and that's not her fault. Her sweet disposition made her an easy target for abuse because she would accept it--she wanted to please.

she quickly developed an aversion to having her legs being touched, in addition to fearing any kind of material being wrapped around them. She became mistrustful of men even though her next "savior" bought her 'for her boyfriend' and stuck her on a sand lot, with no visible shade, in the blaring heat of a southern California desert.

Matilda is 14.2 hh pony and the woman's boyfriend was allgedly 6"1--way too big to be on a pony, especially in the heat. This woman then told me that Matilda was "an easy keeper" and only needed a half flake of hay per feeding, but I would later come to learn that is because Matilda ate sand instead--sand to "fill her gut" because she was starving.

This woman decided to get out of horses one day and sold everything---I picked up Matilda. We barely made it off the lot with the truck stalling out up the hill and and no one to save us--by the grace of god or luck, we made it through. When we got home, she tried to jump a 4ft retaining wall and missed, cutting her gaskin deeply but "superficially."

24 hours into having Matilda, she colicked and vet pulled out handfuls of sand from her rectum and said she had "never seen this before in her life--this was the most severe sand colic case" she'd ever seen.

She said her intestines felt like they were just lined with sand and there was "probably not going to survive the night."

We tubed her with 1 gallon of mineral oil, 1 gallon of water, and then I gave her some marijuana, since I worked with a horse hemp company for a short time and I am familiar with its use. Then I stayed with her all night in case she did die, that way, she wouldn't have to die alone--I would be right there for her. I kept telling her about my dream to find a lovely family where some kid is going to love her to pieces and she will have this great showing career....

She survived.

Then she got better.

She got stronger each day and things were looking up for us. I started to get excited.

A week went by and her appetite was voracious! The vet couldn't believe she survived and then shortly after, cleared us to ride! This was great news!

14 days into having Matilda, i decided we should go for that ride...but we never got the chance.

After i had bathed her earlier in the morning, completed desensitization work, and redressed her gaskin wound, I decided that i would give her the bucket that i had prepared with some pellets--her favorite.

However, tragedy struck when Matilda decided to leave her stall and 'beat me' to the gate where her bucket was at on the other side.

In my head, I was thinking that I didnt want her to step on some netting at the next gate. So, like we had done so many times this week, I stepped in front of her to stop her so that I could manually walk her in a u-turn back to her stall--instead, she immediately leaped VERTICALLY into the air five feet, going through a Bougainvilla and flipping over a four-foot fence--catching a spike that gored her through the medial line of her chest--then she fell onto the sidewalk below and began to trot up the street (sound) with an obvious injury.

In a complete panic, I leaped after her and also face-planted onto the sidewalk. Then I realized that I had no halter to catch her--and I could already see the damage.

It was absolutely devastating, and I felt responsible because I had initiated her spook--I didn't think she would spook--I thought she would stop like she had so many times before.

I asked a passing car to help guide/push her into a dead-end trailhead that was fenced in--- so it would be safe to catch her while I ran back for the halter.

I didn't want to chase her and risk her tearing delicate internal structures, so I showed her the bucket and let her come to me. She didn't want the bucket--but she came to me because she knew she was injured.

For 15 minutes, nobody answered their phone. i was standing there unable to put pressure on the wound because we were on a trail, and i had nothing on me--but I knew I couldn't move her either because of the damage.

I posted an SOS on facebook--texted everyone within a 5 mile radius a "911," and then strangers came from far and wide around my community to hold pressure on this mare's chest/abdominal cavity. I was so grateful and in such a state of panic that I couldn't remember all their names to thank them later, except for Janie, who used to feed horses at the barn.

We went through 12 roles of duct tape, several "puppy diapers," gauze pads; all of it being stacked and wrapped to prevent blood loss. These strangers left and came back with more roles of vet wrap in all different colors--we used all we could.

The Vet arrived 30 minutes later and did some emergency sutures to "hold her together" until she could get to the hospital and hour away.

We called an emergency hauler, loaded her up, and off we went to the chino where the horse hospital is.

There, they examined her and said the vet did a great job suturing her internal structures, and he wanted to leave them in place.

The surgeon didn't want to risk her tearing the sutures getting up and down so he did them while she was awake and standing. I told them to give as much pain meds as she needed and could tolerate.

They then added a pressure bandage to prevent herniation. In four to five days we will know if she will survive because the tissue that was sutured will either begin to heal, or start to die. If it starts to die, then she will need to be euthanized.

She was given a tetanus shot, five different antibiotics, and many pain drugs. She will have to be on complete no hand-walking stall rest for 180 days. Matilda will need to stay in the hospital a few weeks so that she doesnt lay down and tear her sutures---or if she does, that she is somewhere where they can save her.

i have paid $1000 into the hospital care already.

I have consulted multiple vet friends regarding Matilda's condition and prognosis, and most believe she is worth saving. Furthermore, those vets said she is capable of a full recovery, if it is done correctly--isn't that worth fighting for?

Our intended 6-week partnership is looking more like 6 months+ due to rehab and re-conditioning. I never wanted to become someone that euthanized a horse because it "costs too much to save." Now i understand that concept and my heart is broken. I wish I was rich enough to have this be less than a second thought.

i need $1500 to cover the next "deposit" for treatment, sunday july 31, 2022 (yes, it is already late)

Matilda will cost about $300-400 a day that she stays, and the hospital requires "deposits" ahead of time that will get 'credited back' until it reaches a $500 balance, at which point another deposit is due for treatment.

They want to keep her there 3-4 weeks due to herniation risk, infection, and suture rupture risk, but i am worried about the next few days and getting past the skin viability hurdle.

anything helps. this sweet mare deserves a better life.

UPDATE !!!

thursday 8/4

21:09PM

Earlier today i went to see Matilda who was in great spirits!!! She is such a strong mare with a big heart <3

When i arrived to see her, she was a little surprised to see me--and then happy i was there. Especially after she got her bucket

She is recovering well but has developed some sores from her harness (which arent being treated for some reason? which angered me.)

However, The surgeon surprised me when he told me that she is actually stable enough to transport back home or close by (!) **BUT** there is nowhere for us to go yet because she has special requirements..

Matilda needs a specially equipped stall with a zipline, which isn't too hard to setup...but her pressure bellyband has to be custom ordered for her and theyre $600+ and we cant leave until have ordered and recieved our own

Fleet of Angels has graciously stepped in and offered to assist with purchasing a bellyband for Matilda if we can cover the last of our emergency vet fees and hauling !!!!

(we are so close!)

Thank you so much for your support !! Matilda appreciates it !