My beautiful filly Mona Lisa has a fracture needing surgery

Hi my name is Nat Blundell. I have been in horses all of my life- working very hard to be an Elite athlete in Eventing, I don’t come from a rich family background so what l’ve done is off my own back. I rely on my lovely amazing horse owners and clients over my career to achieve the levels I have.

I breed a small number of horses and to me they are like my kids (with myself not being able to have any). I have seen so many of my horses go on to make great young rider horses which makes me happy. It would be a dream if one can make the Olympics

This year hasn’t been my year with my beautiful palomino mare Princess found dead in the paddock. She was in foal and was most likely from a snake bite. I owned her and her mother (up to 30 years old) they were all very sentimental to me. There are also some other financially expensive issues going on and I have been busy trying to find homes for several of my horses to make ends meet.

Like so many other people right now times are tough. I was just getting over some of this years hardships and this little filly (20 months old) has fracture her scapula right through to the joint. We were hopeful she wasn’t going to need surgery as she has been really stoic, happy to see anyone that will talk to her and just so sensible. She has been walking around the stable without a great deal of discomfort considering. But as I have taken her up to the specialist at the Randwick Equine Centre on further X-rays her future is now grim unless I can do surgery.

This comes at its own risks but it will be the best outcome and she may even be able to be ridden if this is performed. Or at least have a baby of her own. Unfortunately we don’t make much money out of our horses like you can with a race horse. It’s more the love than the cash. But the costs involved are:

$1500-$2000 2 lots of X-rays (already performed)

CT scan $3600 to see what kind of surgery will work the best in this situation.

Surgery $15000.

I am up for a fair bit of cash and that is it there are no complications. I am prepared to spend what I can to help her. But $20 000 plus is going to be way more than I can afford.

So I ask for your help to save Mona and give her the best chance possible to be what she can be. I will get the initial CT scan but the surgery costs I can’t do on my own.

I don’t like asking for help but if you can donate anything, doesn’t matter how big or small and if I can raise enough for at least half the procedure I will go ahead!!