Meet Some Of Our Rescue Horses

15.3hh Holsteiner Mare, (Showtime Lady) 15 Years Old. Imported from Germany and competed as a three-day eventer. In my opinion, this stunning mare must have been worth at least $50K in her prime. I can safely assume that due to the devastating injury to her knees, she must have had a catastrophic fall onto her knees. She has multiple fractures, which have now fused and limited her mobility. She has ruptured her oblique carpal extensors and the digital extensor tendons have been ruptured. This means Diva is unable to dorsal flex. It is pretty bleak. We have her on extensive pain killers and added Neigh-Lox to prevent her insides getting ripped apart with the low dosage bute. She is also on MSM, Glucosamine and Chondroitin. We have also introduced her to Hyla-RX, although this is out of our budget at this time.

Regardless of her unthinkable pain (where the kindest thing would have been to sadly euthanize her), Diva was shipped off to Georgia whereby she was used as a kid's lesson horse. She was pretty beaten up and very underweight when a rescue group in Georgia stepped up and removed her from the riding school. Diva was then shipped to Ocala, and then to another rescue group in Floral City. This particular rescue group contacted Horses In Harmony and asked her to take her. This poor show horse has been through so much, we agreed. After a vet evaluation, we initially had to decide whether it was kinder to euthanize her. After several weeks, Diva showed us that she wanted to be a Momma. She dotes on Geneva (our colt) and acts as if the baby is hers. (She will love the PMU weanlings that we are getting in September). She began to roll and lie down, which was impossible before. She found it easier to lower her head to eat and she started to gallop around the pastures. The vet agreed that she felt Diva would be fine to have a baby of her own. We started to put more weight on her to see how she coped - and she responded really well. Our main concerns were that Diva would not be able to get up and down to have a baby, or that she could not handle the extra weight of a foal. She has proven to us that this will not be an issue. Diva took the first time when artificially inseminated. The stallion is a super Oldenburg called BRAVO. Bravo's stud fee alone is $1250. Therefore, we have decided that the adoption fee for Diva will be $1250. She is PERMANENTLY UNRIDEABLE and will only be adopted out to the most exceptional, experienced, loving and permanent home. With Diva's background in 3 Day Eventing and Bravo's ability in the same discipline, this could be an amazing sporthorse prospect for the future.

To learn more about Bravo, please visit: http://www.hiddenvalleyfarms.net/bravo.html

Adoption Fee: $1250.

- In Foal to Bravo -

Bravo on YouTube
Due June 2009

More Images of Diva here

Donations Welcome.

Silver Bump, 16.2hh, 14 year old ex-champion racehorse. Winning 21 of his 47 races! This character who oozes personality, love and unlimited cuteness once gave his owners and riders recognition, pleasure and financial gain. Once he started to slow up, he was discarded. He ended up the hands of the most heartless and cruel woman in Central Florida. A woman who stuck this talented horse in her backyard (along with a pregnant mare) and watched him starve, go thirsty, get too hot or too cold .. and let him live through his consequential pain. At the end of the day, this MOTHER (yes folks, she has children!) would rather put fuel in her Harley and fill her own expanding stomach with food and beer. This person also threatened to shoot and kill Ghost to "hide the evidence" of her abuse. Horrifyingly enough, this disturbed female is planning on getting another horse for her daughter. Meanwhile, Ghost has had thousands of dollars invested into his rehabilitation. We had to take our time re-introducing feed and grain, we had to spread out his vaccination and worming program and gently introduce supplements again. The farrier said that Ghost was in incredible pain with his feet (in fact, half of his hoof came off due to an untreated abscess). Ghost cribs (bites on fence or stall edges and sucks in air). This vice has developed because it releases endorphins. When he was starving and in pain, he would crib to disguise the pain and hunger he was going through. Apart from being an undesirable vice, the harsh reality is that it has worn his teeth almost to the gum. We are desperately trying to break him off this habit, as once his teeth are gone - eating will once again become a major issue.

Picture Above: Hours away from death - taken on 4 April 2008.

Picture below taken 6 weeks later ...

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