In 2008, we were asked to rescue two neglected mares called Kayleigh and Petal. Both ponies were pregnant and were in a very sorry state when they eventually arrived at Willow Farm. The poor frightened mares were not used to being in contact with humans as they had been left alone to breed and produce foals like production line machinery. Petal is Kayleigh's daughter and was not quite as emaciated as her Mum. We soon realised that the girls were in a pitiful state. They were crawling with lice and their feet were extremely overgrown, so that they looked like they were wearing slippers. The toes on their hooves were no longer in contact with the ground. We treated the lice problem and asked our farrier to trim their feet as best he could. Clifford had his work cut out, as these little Welsh cross Arab mares hadn’t been used to having their hooves handled. With a lot of patience and sheer determination, we managed to get them both trimmed. We were very worried about whether the girls would have the strength and the necessary nutritional reserves to be able to eventually feed their own foals, as Kayleigh was so emaciated it seemed unlikely that she would be able to feed another little being. We could clearly see every rib and the outline of her pelvis; we had a lot of work to do if she was going to survive.  Kayleigh not long after she arrived , her neck shows how emaciated she was.. We started using a feed called Simple System, which Sharon had researched. It is made primarily from alfalfa and is highly digestible and made up in a soft format. Both mares were delighted with the amount of food that was now available to them. As they had been wormed on arrival they started to put on a little weight. To monitor their progress we weigh taped them weekly. When the dentist came for her routine visit to Willow Farm, we asked Siobhan to check out our new residents. Although four years of age, Petal showed no signs of having any corner incisors, Siobhan felt that this was probably due to malnutrition (not surprising, as we already knew how poor her mother was). She treated Petal, who didn’t have too many sharp edges and then moved on to Kayleigh's mouth. We were appalled with what we saw there, it looked like the poor mare had never had any dental work carried out, Her teeth were very long, uneven and some were loose. Her mouth was full of ulcers and it was amazing that she managed to eat anything whatsoever. When horses eat (especially when they eat with their head up in an unnatural position) they wear their teeth down unevenly, which creates sharp edges. If these edges are not rasped away, they can start to cut into the sides of the mouth and eventually the grinding surface of the molars is reduced, as the flat area decreases. So, not only is this painful but the food is travelling through the gut in a less digested form, as the teeth have not performed the initial chewing process. Siobhan suggested that we address the situation in a little and often manner, just taking off the sharp edges initially (and gently). Her teeth were so bad it was possible that they would need ‘power’ work, but she was so weak we could not consider it at this point. After her treatment Kayleigh happily tucked into her haynet, it was obvious that she felt much better – despite the horrible grinding noise her teeth made as they were still very long. Both mares had quite loose droppings initially, and Kayleigh took several months to adjust to the degree that she was able to cope with her food. Her hind legs had to be washed on a daily basis. They both gradually put on weight and tucked into their Simple System feed gratefully. They were fed (and still are) Pura beet to help put on weight and Lucie nuts and Grass pellets for general wellbeing. Petal soon began to blossom and become more playful. We kept them in at night, as they were still very weak and by no means healthy. We fed them three times a day and kept them in the garden near the house so we could keep a close eye on them. Both mares foaled in the garden , on their own , quite effectively. Kayleigh had a little palomino foal called Bailie and about a month later , Petal gace birth to Sundance - also a palomino. This is a very popular clolour and is probably why they were so popular as breeding machines! 
Bailie showing us how flexible he is, Kayleigh in the background with her ribs visible
We asked Julian from Bell Equine to check Kayleigh over once Bailie had been born, because she had very little milk. He was very concerned with her condition generally and unsure how long she would be able to cope with motherhood. It was a miracle that she had been able to carry Bailie full term! The future looked very bleak for her and we discussed the possibility of putting Kayleigh down once Bailie was on hard feed, and could potentially survive without his mum. Both Bailie and Sundance were given foal creep pellets very early in their lives and ate part of their Mum’s Simple System feeds. They are both quite strong-minded little fellows and have always been very independent. They would follow Petal and Kayleigh up to the garden and only occasionally go for a little detour on the way back, introducing themselves to the other stabled horses on their way. We continued (obviously) to trim the mares’ feet and now Bailie and Sundance have also had a few sessions with Clifford. Bailie has a slightly dropped pastern, but this has gradually improved over the months and we are hopeful that he will have normal limb conformation.  Petal looking suspicious..
As they became healthier their personalities started to emerge. Kayleigh and Bailie are both very laid back and gentle, whereas Petal and Sundance are little more, er challenging? Sundance got a bit rude at one point and decided he was the boss, leading to him earning the nickname Damian for a short while. He has since decided he does like us after all. He loves playing with Bailie and we have recently turned them out in a huge paddock so that they can stretch their legs a bit more. Petal has blossomed and her body condition score is now a ‘3’ – which is a good level, but not fat. Kayleigh was listed as a ‘0’ when she arrived (emaciated) and has now risen to being a ‘2’ (moderate). This may be the best we can hope for, because of her previous life. As long as she seems healthy (within reason!) and happy she will live out her days at Willow Farm. Bailie and Sundance are due to be castrated in summer 2009, unless they are sold before this time. We haven’t weaned them as we feel all four have been through enough and the boys, despite their independence, are a little immature.  Baillie and Sundance grooming each other.. The mares are due to see the dentist again in May 2009 and of course we have to continue to pay out for trims, wormers and a lot of hay and feed! We would like to sell Petal, and perhaps Sundance with her. She is a very pretty mare and would make a good show pony. We only sell horses and ponies to customers who can promise a home for life though, so that we know they will be safe in their new life. Roy always visits the potential new home to ensure that it is suitable for an ex Willow Farm rescue. We try to fund our work through the Riding School and Saddlery, but this is not always possible. Should the story of Kayleigh and Petal have moved you, please use the donation button on the web site to help us with our work. (Please note we are not a registered charity). If you would like to send a donation via cheque, then we would be very grateful. Cheques should be made payable to Bell Equine or C Martin….we then use them to pay our farrier or pay off our continuous vets bill!  If you do decide to donate, please accept a big thank you from all the humans, horses, ponies, dogs, cats and the pig at Willow Farm, you are enabling us to carry on our work and improve the lives of animals in need. THANK YOU |
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