Who is Django? He is a 10-year-old Norwegian Fjord/Quarter Horse gelding. This large pony has such a fun-loving personality. He brings joy to lesson students of all ages and to others who are a part of his life. Django has been coming right along with his arena skills and we are so thankful to have him in the mix at Stateline Stables.

When Django first came to us in 2022, he had a peculiar/pre-existing injury, up fairly high on the inside of his left hind. It is a mystery, what had happened there before we all met. This site had never healed properly over several years time. We started with some detailed care of things upon his arrival at Stateline. Best we could tell and also under veterinary monitoring, this old injury seemed to be on the mend.

Django is a quirky guy and is known as Houdini around the barn. We all have stories to tell of the times that he has let himself and others out of their areas! We all say it is a good thing that he is so cute! Django has been in regular work and was coming along with all of the things.

All of that took a different turn towards the end of January, 2025. We begin to see quite a bit of discomfort and inflammation, literally overnight. Treatment began immediately, working along the lines of a few possible scenarios. There would be a better day and then some worse days. On February 2nd, it became apparent that Django was going to need an in-depth intervention, beyond what could be provided within a barn. In working with our local vet, Equine Speciality Hospital in Ohio was contacted and a Tuesday morning appointment was arranged.

As Django arrived at the hospital, an ultrasound was performed and something suspicious was found. Surgery was deemed to be the only real option, given his history and long-term struggles with whatever had been going on beneath the surface of this site.

While on the table, three different tracks were discovered within his muscle. They were kind of walled off with scar tissue and would trap the bacteria and not allow the antibiotics through. The biggest track was removed and the others that went deeper were what we will call roto-rootered. An instrument was used to rough up the surface to tell it to start healing. He would need to spend the next few days and nights at the hospital in order for it to be flushed properly and cared for during this critical juncture. There were drains tied in and the whole thing was incredibly complex. It is quite a wound.

Django was able to return home Friday evening with loops sewn into his skin and laces to help in securing the dressing. He has medication to keep him calm during this time of being restricted in his stall. One of the most challenging elements is that he is the horse who enjoys touching EVERYTHING. With enthusiasm. This significant wound is under very frequent care and supervision. We so want him to have the opportunity to heal well. Follow up care and next steps will continue to unfold as we take all of this one day at a time.

As you may imagine, all of this is quite an undertaking. Anytime you have a horse on their back and to this point for surgery, that is already an enormous expense. Django’s stay at the hospital and intensive care required was another level of investment. The current medication and supplies needed to keep everything mending well at home is a third layer of cost, along with veterinary follow-up visits.

In horse world, we all know that none of us are in this to make money. It is a labor of love, and we are honored to have the opportunity to spend our days with these incredible beings. Sharing them with others and seeing the life change that unfolds is a privilege.

It is difficult to have enough funds set aside to cover something of this nature. Many times, additional veterinary care may be needed for a horse. It is not frequent that the magnitude of what we have lived through this past week is required. And because of this, we are asking for help.

Without the interventions taken this past week, Django would have suffered from infection to where it would have taken over his entire body. That just did not seem to be the right thing to do.

Thank you, thank you for any help that you may be able to offer, financially and also by spreading the word about this need. Thank you for caring about us and we appreciate your prayers for Django as we embark upon his recovery. Stay tuned for progress updates!