Noodle's Keratoma Treatment

At the end of August of this year, I thought I'd found the perfect horse for me. With my fears and weight, that isn't easy, and riding Noodle felt like a dream come true. She was quite cheap for having a "slight lameness due to age-related arthrosis", and I was recommended to exercise her daily to keep her supple and comfortable. So my wonderful mother basically bought her for my birthday. The price should probably have raised a red flag, but the explanation was plausible and this horse felt so right.

Unfortunately, my vet who was called in to float Noodle's teeth, discovered that this was way more than arthrosis. After lots of bandaging, irrigation, acupuncture, etc. we finally did an x-ray and found an advanced keratoma: a hyperdevelopment of keratin inside the hoof, causing bone regression and enormous pain. Imagine walking on Lego while weighing what Noodle weighs.
Having to favour her bad foot, Noodle has adopted unhealthy compensation habits in terms of posture, so she is now in pain all over. Her muscles are rock hard up to her ears. She can barely walk at all these days and is being kept separate from her herd mates so they don't chase her around. Any videos you've seen of her being around other horses were taken before the x-ray.

Noodle can be saved according to the vets and what I've researched. There is no need to talk about humane euthanasia just yet, though it has come up. The initial surgery to resect her hoof wall and shoe her to take off some pressure, was supposed to cost around 500 Euros, and weekly maintenance around 100.  Our vet told us to expect a total cost of around €1000, but it exceeded this by far. Noodle had her surgery in November 2020 but has since foundered and is in pain again. 

Noodle is an extremely sweet, gentle horse. She must have been in some pain when I test-rode her, but she never let on, didn't buck or bite. She is just good. She has no vices. Noodle just wants her raspberry-vanilla treats and some belly scratches. We love her for being such a goofy, gentle giant. So even if Noodle can never be ridden again, we want her to be happy and pain-free. She deserves this. I didn't grow up a horse girl. Horses were my mother's last ditch attempt to help me with debilitating mental health issues, and it truly did wonders for me to spend time around these animals. Noodle is basically my therapist. 

Sadly, the surgery insurance I got for her isn't covering pre-existing conditions, and there is no way this keratoma is new. The vet says this doesn't get this bad in less than a year, during which, mind you, the previous owners made Noodle pull big carriages, participate in high impact activities, and go on trail rides.
We're near-broke because this isn't the only major surprise vet or medical/home/car bill we've had recently, and recent times have made it hard to get jobs. Right now, this vet bill is going to have a huge impact. Our other animals also depend on us having some left at the end of the month. We're not people who get animals they can't care for. We're not rich, but have been doing okay. Life just has been happening more than usual lately.

Every donation is immensely appreciated. I've seen the support people have expressed for Noodle, some telling me to do a fundraiser, and it warms my heart. It's heartbreaking to see this enormous but delicate, beautiful, sweet-natured animal in so much pain, but so many people on social media have been asking about and rooting for Noodle, and I'm happy to know she's so loved! Even if the goal isn't reached, every bit helps supplement our own contribution, and any excess buys a roll of bandages or a bag of grain, or pays a smaller vet bill. So I want to thank everyone in advance for their kindness and generosity for our Noodle!