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Saturday, September 26, 2015

Milagro on my mind

One of our nicest lesson horses recently came up catastrophically lame. Before joining our lesson program, I believe Milagro was predominantly a dressage horse, tho he jumps well too. He is quite fancy and talented - but above and beyond that, he is as tolerant and safe as they come.

It's not uncommon to see Milagro trotting around (eye-catching, as always) with the tiniest of tots. He happily shows off his moves for any rider (regardless of size) who asks, and goes along quietly and pleasantly for everyone. Really, this horse is a saint and any rider or lesson program would be lucky to have him (and 8 more just like him).

hangin out after a grooming session
So we were devastated to learn that he sustained a very serious hind leg injury in the pasture - circumstances unknown. The prognosis is.... not great. He is to be kept on stall rest for the foreseeable future, and must be prevented from lying down as any attempt at rising could destabilize his injury.

Things are therefore a little touch and go, with the vet and barn mgmt team taking things one day at a time with treatment. Tho the vet believes that, in a twisted way, it couldn't have happened to a better horse. The qualities that make Milagro so beloved and valuable to the program are exactly those necessary for any shot at recovery.

He is just so damn quiet and patient.

still so quiet, even a week into stall rest
We've been instructed to give him as much love and attention as possible, and he's put up in a stall in the lesson shed where there's lots of activity to oversee and kids buzzing around to pat his nose. Even with his stall door open and cooler temperatures, he's still getting quite sweaty - so lots of grooming sessions to keep the itchies away.

But so far he's remained incredibly bright - mugging me for his breakfast on the days I feed - and interested in his surroundings, without becoming restless or listless.

His future is a little uncertain for now - tho with any luck (or a miracle?) he will recover such that he can be granted the retirement his years of service have earned him. Please keep your fingers and toes crossed that Milagro continues to handle his confinement and treatment with stoicism and strength!

22 comments:

  1. Oh no! Poor guy :( I have everything crossed that will cross for him!

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  2. Oh dear. What a cutie. Wish the best for you guys.

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    1. He's super cute and super sweet. I'll need to see if I can dig up a pic with him carrying around one of our tiny lesson students - it's really the most adorable sight.

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  3. Oh dear. What a cutie. Wish the best for you guys.

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  4. Awww poor guy :( Fingers crossed he heals well!

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  5. That sucks! Poor guy...I hope he recovers. Your barn is beautiful btw!

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  6. Man... That's sad to hear. My fingers are crossed.

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  7. Prayers for Milagro! Sounds like if anyone deserves it, its him.

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  8. Everything is crossed and crossed again! Poor handsome face.

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  9. Oh no- poor guy! Sounds like he's set up for success!

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  10. Oh gosh, that breaks my heart. :( What a kind looking boy. Please recover Milagro!

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  11. Fingers/toes/hooves/paws crossed from me and my animal family. Sending good vibes to Milagro. Sounds like he is worth his weight in gold <3

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  12. Poor guy. Fingers crossed!

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  13. Poor guy! When I saw that right hind leg wrapped up, I had flashbacks to Mikey and what we went through to fix what was essentially a broken hock. I've been through the bone/joint/tendon ringer with him, so if you need anything let me know!

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    1. thanks! yea i believe a broken hock is part of Milagro's equation right now... tho i think there's more too. it's ugly. so far so good tho, i think if we can keep him happy and quiet he's got a good shot!

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  14. Poor baby! Sending buckets of luck his way!

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  15. Poor guy! I hope he heals well. How do you keep a horse standing without having someone there 24/7?

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    1. he's tied :( you can't really see it in the photos - but he also leans on the tie too, maybe it gives him better leverage since he's non weight bearing on that leg? tho we really seriously need to get him some sheep skin for that halter...

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