Smiles and a Few Laughs

It's hard to believe 3 weeks have passed since the miracle filly was born. There's been a lot of lows & a few highs during that time. Some of lows have been close to devastating & the highs have brought smiles. Wed the 27th was another high with some laughter. Filly went out into her little sun paddock WITHOUT her splints & wraps. This was her first unsupported outing since the contraction had her on the fronts of her fetlocks. While her legs are still uncoordinated & the fetlocks do buckle some, she had a great time playing. She figured out that she can buck pretty darned good if she leaves her front feet barely on the ground. She also stretched her legs for a little bit of speed. Not yet a racer baby, but she's working on it. Her overall body coordination has gotten strong, so when her fetlocks defy her she's able to stay upright & not fall. She was really cute trying to be the spunky foal she should be. Laughter could be heard in the barn at the sight of her antics.

Filly was outside for about an hour & was unsupported for 2 1/2 hours. She's getting stronger by the day. There is some concern over the swelling in her knees that was caused by falling. We're hoping it will resolve with no scar tissue, & hopefully it won't be a cosmetic issue either. There are big plans in the future for this little girl & they might even include the showring. Filly really is what dreams are made of.

Mama is doing well. She gets electrolytes twice a day in this heat & is holding her weight. Actually, her ribs are getting softer & softer and her hips are covering. She looks like she really does have a butt on her. She's come a long way in the 60 days she's been with CMK. Sixty days ago it was questionable if she'd pull through, let alone give birth to a beautiful filly. Sixty days ago she was over 200lbs thinner. Hard to believe. Today she's closer to being the healthy, beautiful mare she should be. It amazing that in such a short time she's rebounded so well. It's amazing what proper feed & nutrition can do. Such a shame that horses are allowed to waste away. Sad that not all can be as lucky as Mama.

Horses are such wonderful, amazing & forgiving creatures. What kind & gentle souls. Go hug your horses.

I am amazed at CMK's ability to work miracles I am so glad for filly and for CMK's ability to stay strong even in the face of great hardship. CMK I applaud you on all counts you have done an AMAZING job and I hope others will join me in applauding all of your hard work. And another thanks to all of those who have supported CMK in one way or another without that support Filly and Mamma would not be where they are today. Keep up the good work.

A Good Day With Some Road Blocks!!!

There's no rest for the weary & CMK is pretty weary. Fortunately CMK's boss is very understanding regarding Filly's needs because CMK is working short days this week to give Filly's legs more time without the splints. Ideally the filly will be splint free for 2-2 1/2 hours per day. That seems to be just the right amount of time to work the tendons without tiring them. A disturbing development is that the filly has figured out it's easier to knuckle over onto her fetlocks to eat. She's found it's easier to do that than try to stretch her neck to the ground. Grrrrrr....poor CMK has to walk behind the filly to keep her from doing this as it's really counter productive to using the tendons correctly. At least we know the filly is smart. She's also a little stalker, not wanting to be touched or looked at, but enjoys sneaking up behind CMK & nibbling on clothing. She also loves to chew on everything, including the wheel barrow & manure fork. She sure is a cutie.

Mama is holding her own but doesn't seem to be doing well in the heat. She still has some of the odd sweating patches but at least the oiliness is mostly gone. During the hottest part of the day she really sweats & her respiration is a bit high. It's going to be tough managing her in the heat this summer. She's getting electrolytes daily & appears to be doing better at retaining her fluids & not dehydrating. Poor girl's had a tough time, but at least her coat is now shining & her eyes are bright.

Both Mama & Filly got doses of probiotics to help with their gut flora. Filly's diarrhea is still under control, soft but heading towards normal. Mama's manure is a bit soft but very normal & a great improvement over her diarrhea upon arrival. All in all Tue was an ok day.

A Day To Remember .....

Memorial Day bought yet another little improvement for Filly. When the wraps & splints were removed, her tendons were stronger. She was able to stand up with straight pasterns & fetlocks not drooping. Her steps were firmer & more correct with only a few knuckling mishaps. Her time unsupported was 2 1/2 hours, which was just right. She wasn't tired & even tried to play a little. Well, really she was just trying to kick Mama to keep her from moving the milk bar. For the last few days filly has been allowed sunshine time in a small outside paddock. Because it's important that she not get too tired, her time out is short. She really enjoys nibbling at a few blades of grass & sniffing noses with her horsey neighbors. Her appetite is bigger than she is & she loves to dive into her mother's bucket. Another favorite play time is dunking her nose in the water tubs. There's even speculation that when no one is looking, she's dunking her wraps in the water because they sure are wet a lot. Probably just sweating but it wouldn't surprise anyone if this feisty little darling really was splashing in the water. Tomorrow she'll be 3 wks old & what a long 3 wks it's been, but finally she seems to have made a positive turn around.

Memorial Day is to remember all those who have served this country & kept America free. Today it's also a day to remember as the day Filly played splint free, even if for only a short time.

Dancing Winds cannot be thanked enough for the daily help & support. CMK couldn't do it without you. The emotional support from friends has been awesome. R & B were so wonderful to offer their services, which don't appear will be needed, YAHOO! Thanks for being there everyone.

Thank you from CMK, Mamma, Filly, and Me.

The fear that Filly needs to go to Davis for surgery is now over and as we look towards her baby steps to recovery these items will help towards her recovery and are also very much appreciated.
vet wrap & more vet wrap (to the tune of about $7/day) & more vet wrap , cotton wrap/sheeting, elasticon tape, Desitin, Mare & Foal feed, not to mention Mama could still use some help like beet pulp, senior feed,corn oil.

Baby Steps Towards Recovery

Sunday, May 24th, brought a couple of minor & much celebrated improvements for the filly. It was the first time in a week that she didn't have yellow, water diarrhea. While not yet a normal manure the soft, grey, dog-like pile brought a huge smile to CMK's face. What a relief to know the Bio-Sponge & probiotics are working. The wraps & splints were off for 4 1/2 hours. With cautious steps Filly was starting to take mechanically correct steps for the first time. Her legs are weak with the tendons lax from the tetracycline treatments, but everyone is so thankful the treatments have worked. Now to strengthen the tendons by short periods of no splints & wraps. After 4 1/2 hours with no support, it was apparent that the time was too long. Filly was quite tired. She is such a good little girl while laying down to have her wraps & splints put back on. Tomorrow the time unsupported will be shortened.

Sat the 23rd was an AWESOME day. While Filly's diarrhea still hasn't resolved, the spark is back in her eyes & she's no longer lethargic. Where her attitude had been such that she would let her mom walk away when she was trying to nurse, she's now body blocking Mama & kicking her if she doesn't stand still. She's full of bucks & running & pretending she's a reining horse. Today she got to go outside in a small paddock to enjoy some sun while her stall was stripped & disinfected. It felt so good to be outside that she bucked & jumped 'til CMK thought she was going to hurt herself. All the other horses had to come hang over the fence to watch Filly's celebration. They must have missed seeing her in the "mommy" pasture because they were all so excited to see her back. CMK's gelding would have jumped over the fence to get to the filly if he could have. Guess it's a good thing he's not that athletic. After playing in the sun Filly & Mama returned to their newly bedded stall. Filly loves her shavings & was ready for a nap. She's such a cutie. Today she got her first dose of probiotics to get the gut flora back on track. What an awesome sight to watch a sick foal rebound with life. Today there were tears of joy.

Mama is doing good with her forced stall confinement. As long as she has hay in front of her 24/7, she's happy. She did really enjoy her short time out in the sun, nibbling on a few green blades of grass. Hopefully she & her filly will be able to spend a little longer outside as each day comes. Today was definitely an emotional high.

A Better Day

Friday the 22nd was a much better day. After a somber Thurs night where CMK thought she was going to lose her beautiful filly, Fri ended in a smile. Filly seemed to have turned around & was full of herself. She was bucking & kicking, body blocking her mom, & even kicking her mom. What a little BRAT! She pulled the drying leg wraps off the fence & was biting the rails. She even had the nerve to bite CMK's finger. Not that CMK minded in the least. Her wraps & splints were removed & her legs were given a 1/2 hour breather, the longest she's been able to go unsupported. It was so awesome to see the soles of her little hooves on the ground, instead of being on tippy toes. This could just be the turn around everyone has been waiting for anxiously. The diarrhea has still not resolved so the Bio-Sponge treatments will continue. Filly is still not running a fever so it's felt the diarrhea is in fact the result of the antibiotics. A trip to town will be made tomorrow for probiotics. Thank you everyone for your support & well wishes. Keep those good thoughts coming because they are indeed working.

Donation Fund has been established for Filly

I would like to thank you everyone for trying to help CMK, Mama and Filly. Mothermare has posted that Davis estimates the filly's care will cost around $2,000 and that Filly would also benefit from the use of Dynasplints but the rental is $400 per month each. Also, Filly will need bandages, meds and other supplies once she returns home and the possibility of surgery still remains. Gasoline may also be an issue for CMK. I fear there will be many trips to Davis for Filly before this is over.

Mothermare has set up a fund for those who want to donate money for filly's vet care at UC Davis, any excess funds will be donated to Davis once Filly's treatment is completed. Anyone wishing to donate may call Sharon in the finance office at (530) 752-6166 and tell them you want to donate to Mama and Filly. All information is completely private. Neither donors or recipient will be identified.

Dynasplint has been contaced as well to see if they will offer some help for the cost of the splints.

Thanks again to everyone for their continued support of Mama, Filly and CMK

A Hard Day And Sad Thoughts

Another low day with tears. A call was even placed to make arrangements if the sad decision should become necessary. It's a very somber evening at CMK's. Filly's legs are no better & maybe even a bit worse. She can only walk in a crouched, bent legged position on the fronts because her knees can't seem to support her. The poor little thing gets tired easily & spends a lot of time laying down. No more bucking & foal play. It's heartbreaking to watch her attempts at laying down because her legs just don't work right, making it so hard to fold easily to the ground. Getting up is easier & she has that procedure down pretty well. Her diarrhea isn't getting better & after 3 days her skin pinch shows slight dehydration. Hopefully the Bio-Sponge will begin to work. On the plus side her appetite is good & she's still running no fever. Only 2 weeks 2 days on earth & life has not shown much kindness. It just seems so unfair. Please keep this little darling & CMK in your thoughts







Again we would like to thank all the wonderful people who have opened their hearts to help. Without friends like these CMK wouldn't be able to give Filly the chance she deserves. Thank you!

For every day there's a step forward, it seems there are two days of stepping back. Filly's legs are worse today & now the right one appears weaker than the left (which has been the bad one). Poor little filly was walking hunched over with bent knees, much like a 90 yr old person. For a while she just stood on her knees like a kneeling camel. This with the short splints & light wraps. So sad & heartbreaking to see. There was no bucking, running & kicking at mama today. More time was spent laying down & resting. The diarrhea has not gotten better so her hinny was once again washed & swabbed with Desitin. Might be time to invest in Desitin stock, along with Vet-Wrap. Fortunately she isn't running a fever & will be started on Bio-Sponge. Luckily for CMK the filly's godmother came again today to help with the bandaging & clean up. Since there was no way CMK's knee would allow the movement necessary to hold an ever growing foal, other friends came over as well. Thank you all. This wonderful filly is such a sweet little girl & just lays quietly while all the doctoring goes on. Of course it helps to have her own personal fly swatter. Tonight the short splints were reset with thicker padding that covers the knee for added support. Hopefully she will have a better tomorrow. Thank you so much Dancing Winds. You are invaluable & truly appreciated.






At least there was one good event today. While walking down the steps, CMK's knee gave a big POP! & almost toppled CMK to the ground. Seems CMK's knee must have been slightly dislocated & it's now back in place. While sore, it has a range of motion & no longer has the big, hard lump on the inside. Silly CMK, taking care of Filly's knees before her own. At least she has her priorities right.

Bumps and Bruises

If we asked CMK how she's doing she'd say "It sucks to be me". While laying the filly down for her re-wrap & re-splint session, Filly landed on CMK's knee. The POP could be heard throughout the barn. This morning it's hard to say who's having more trouble walking, Filly or CMK.

Filly got her new, shorter splints on tonight. Her knees are now only padded for protection in case she falls. It's time to own stock in Vet Wrap. CMK has lost count on the number of rolls used & there will be many, many more needed. Filly's knees should now be able to be used normally in hopes the tendons will strengthen & begin to function normally. Her right knee is still quite swollen but the left knee is starting to look normal. The left fetlock is also still swollen but should start to look better soon. After learning to run, buck, spin & kick wearing splints covering the entire leg, the poor filly had the silliest look on her face when her knees could actually bend. She took the slowest steps & watched how her own legs were moving. Then she found out that laying down & getting up had just gotten much easier. Even better is being able to tuck those little front legs while sleeping, instead of having them always sticking straight out. Filly seems to be enjoying her new "legs". Poor little girl now has a bad case of diarrhea. Not only did she have to suffer the indignity of a hinny wash & Desitin swab, she got a good dose of Pepto. Those little pink lips sure are cute. But YUK, even the milkbar tastes icky after all that. After trying to nurse from both sides, looking for one that tasted good, Filly gave up & lay down for a nap. Some days it's hard to be a foal.

Mama is doing really good. On the weight tape she is 821lbs today. Wooohoooo... Getting close to that 250lbs gained mark. Her coat is getting shiny & she's finally starting to look healthy, still thin but healthy. What a sweet mommy. While her filly was getting new splints she stood over her, rubbing her nose across her filly & softly nickering to her. What wonderful creatures are horses. It's so hard to believe people abuse them, neglect them, starve them, & still they can be so forgiving. Horses are truly amazing creatures.

A Little Ray of Sunshine

Off came the wraps & splints with held breath. What was going to be seen when those little legs didn't have the splints supporting them? As soon as the splints came off the left leg knuckled over onto the fetlock. Filly lurched forward but thankfully didn't fall. Her poor little knees are puffy & can't take any more bruising. What a sinking feeling to see the knuckling over wasn't getting better. Then the filly tried to move. Ever so slowly & carefully she placed her left front foot on the ground & it held. She stood still & shifted her weight. She reached down & started scratching her legs, maybe amazed to find she had them under all that wrapping. It felt so good to be able to scratch the itch caused by the wraps, heat & sweating. Then she moved that left front again, very slowly, not weighting it until she was sure the bottom of the hoof was on the ground as it should be. Shift weight & she was again standing on the leg. Time for the wraps & splints to go back on, but what a little ray of hope those careful steps were. Such an extremely smart filly to know that she had to be very precise in how she moved her legs. No IV tetracycline treatment tonight. It's time to see if the tendons have loosened enough that they can start to strengthen & function normally. Tomorrow will bring a new day with new, shorter splints so that the knee can be free & begin bending, hopefully getting those tendons working. Thank you Grandpa for providing the necessary splints to give this precious miracle a chance at life.

Tears For Baby

Sunday was no day of rest. The wrap on Filly's right front leg had slid just enough that she was able to step on it & trip. As she fell, the splint on the left front leg popped off. All wraps had to be removed so they could be redone. It was so heart wrenching to see that beautiful filly yet again worse than the day before. Her poor little left leg was now completely walking on the front of the fetlock. So many tears were shed at the thought of losing such a precious little miracle. With a lot of help from Dancing Winds, CMK held the filly while Dancing Winds redid the wraps & splint. Once again Filly was up on her feet, trying to take her world by storm. She was trying to do all the things normal babies do, like run & buck & jump on Mama. She certainly knows that when her splint & wraps are in place, she has a new freedom that walking on her fetlock doesn't allow. Poor sweet baby.





Mama never ceases to amaze with her gentle spirit. While her darling filly was laying down getting her legs her wrapped & splinted, Mama stood over & kept softly nickering. It's obvious she knows that humans are doing everything possible to save her baby. It's so sad to see a mama mare watch over her struggling foal. Sunday was the lowest of lows, the hardest day yet.

Our thoughts and prayers are with CMK since distance keeps us from being there.

Where is the Window?

5/16 Another roller coaster day. This morning things were looking up after last night's IV tetracycline & leg wraps. The right front was being used normally & the left looked a lot better. But when it came time to change the wraps tonight, the left front was actually worse than yesterday. It now knuckles so the fetlock is on the ground. Fortunately CMK knew to be prepared for the worse & had gone into town to get supplies. It's looking like 10 rolls of vet wrap aren't going to go very far. Good thing Tractor Supply has a huge supply. A section of 4" leach line makes a great foal splint. It's lighter weight than PVC so much easier for a little foal to maneuver. The filly's ever awesome grandpa cut & sanded the pipe so there's no rough edges to cut baby skin. Of course with a wonderful friend helping with the wrapping, there's probably no need to worry about rubs & sores. This little girl is going to be so athletic. She was bucking & dancing like a ballet dancer. You also can't believe how quick she can get up wearing the splint. Amazing to watch her pop up like nothing is out of norm. Another medical visit was in order for a second tetracycline treatment. It can only be hoped that the IVs will start to work so the tendons will relax in the left front. We can only wait to see what tomorrow night's rewrapping brings.






There are so many great people pulling for this filly. Her trimmer, who she has yet to meet, has done a lot of research on how to help treat contraction. Once the foal extension shoes (found by Trimmer) arrive, Filly will meet her trimmer who has offered to come help put on baby's first shoes. Dancing Winds has been there every day because more than 2 hands are needed to wrap squirrely filly legs. Dancing Winds can also be called at any time & never hesitates to rush over if there's a problem. So many people have offered emotional support & on CMK's behalf, thank you everyone for being there.

It's said that when God closes a door he opens a window it is my prayer that we find the window soon.

Stumbling Blocks and Mountains to Climb

5/15 Another tough day at CMK's. The filly is getting worse & now the right front leg is knuckling over. Another call to the vet, & the filly received a first (hopefully only one needed) IV tetracycline treatment. It was also determined that since she is now knuckling & tripping on both fronts, wrapping her legs becomes a necessity to keep her from hurting herself. Her poor little knees have already taken a few bumps & bruises. Her left front now sports a modified human leg brace & it seems to be giving her the support she needs. The right front will have a brace tomorrow. It was pretty scary having people doing all that, plus washing the scours away & getting swabbed in Desitin, but the sweet little girl sure acts a little happier with her new leg supports. It might be a little difficult to get up & down, but at least she isn't falling. There's still opposing opinions as to whether the filly should be turned out or confined. CMK has taken the decision in hand & has decided to confine Mama & Filly. She's too worried the filly will get hurt trying to run in all her braces & wraps.








Silly Filly thought the shavings were great fun. She kept pawing them & finally decided to take a nice roll & nap. She really did seem a bit happier after everything was done & the humans left.







Mama mare is doing pretty good & seemed to know everyone was trying to help her baby. She was trying to eat but kept going over to check on her filly. She's such a gentle mare & even with strangers working on her baby she doesn't threaten or get frantic. She just kept an eye on everything, stayed just out of the way, & at one point seemed to tell her filly to be calm because everything would be alright. Her discharge is gone & she has never had a temperature (knock on wood). It looks like she's gained a few pounds but CMK will have to get out the tape this weekend to confirm it. All in all, today's prognosis for Mama is happily above guarded & she's on her way to recovery.

I apologize for not updating sooner but I have been away from my computer all weekend.

Stumbling Blocks In Store!

What an emotional roller coaster the last 7 weeks have been at CMK's. Last night the beautiful filly was worse in her front legs. Both knees are now swollen & both pasterns now knuckle over, causing the filly to grab her toes in the ground & fall. No wonder her poor little knees are swollen. She was given 1/2cc VE/Se in the hopes that the problem is a selenium deficiency. Please keep this miracle filly in all your good thoughts. If the VE/Se doesn't work, the only option is to take her to UCD for possibly contraction of the tendons. And this is really not an option because the expenses would be astronomical. So please keep sending prayers & well wishes.

Mama had no temperature as of last night so that's a VERY good indication all the antibiotics are doing their job. With just a little more luck & lots of TLC, Mama is getting closer to recovery. CMK will try to take pictures this weekend so watch for them next week. Thanks all & have a great weekend. Go hug your horses.

With this sad news I would like for those of you who would like to donate via Paypal to please use the email address wpejzcw@yahoo.com .

A New Lease On Life

Seven weeks ago no one was sure Mama would survive. Seven weeks ago no one thought it possible that she could have a live foal. Surely if she survived, there was no way the impending foal could have developed into a normal foal after being so severely malnourished in utero. One week ago a beautiful filly was born. A miracle really. A miracle that she survived in utero, a miracle that she survived a difficult birth, a miracle that she has no deformities, & a miracle that she continues to overcome her hard start in life. Yesterday was her 1 week birthday & she celebrated by letting her human mom scratch her little neck. She was shy, but it felt so good she even scratched her human mom back. CMK was grinning ear to ear knowing the right decision was made in bringing Mama home. No matter the sacrifices, the long sleepless nights, the lonely vigil & the constant worry, it's all worth seeing the new sparkle in Mama's eyes as she proudly shows her new baby off to future herd mates.

While the long road has a long way to go, Mama & Filly are traveling each day ever so slowly to a new health & lease on life. Filly's knee is still swollen but she was less lame on her 1 week birthday. That's a very good sign that she's just given it a good bang. Today she will recieve a dose of VE/Se to help her on her way to healing. It was determined yesterday that Mama was strong enough to be wormed. Only with a 1/2 dose, but another small step on the way to health.

Update From CMK

Just 7 days old & already this beautiful filly has captured my heart. Tonight she has a swollen knee & is lame. Poor baby. Just when she's getting friendly I have to betray her trust with thermometer & checking out that knee. The good thing is there's no heat in the knee & she doesn't have a temp. Hopefully she's just banged the knee hard & isn't going to start showing signs of a joint problem. Her vulva is almost normal with just a smidgen of swelling. She's such a darling. Mommy is holding with no temp. Yahoo! She still has a nasty discharge but there's no odor so I'm almost guardedly optimistic (knocking on wood). Her appetite is great & she's eating everything in front of her. Can't let nursing her filly cause her weight to lose ground. She's a wonderful mother & seems to know that her baby is a miracle.

Mare and Foal in Need

On Mar 27, 2009, CMK took in a mare who was at death's door. Most people who saw her didn't think she'd survive. Mama taped at 585lbs with a body score of 1, had all her hair rotting off, was anemic, & was bagging in preparation to foaling. She was also showing classic signs of Placentitis. By the first of May Mama hit the weight tape at 861lbs & was still holding on to her foal. May 6th came & Mama brought a beautiful filly into the world. It was a difficult birth with complications. Today Mama tapes at 782lbs (post foaling weight), so she's gained 200lbs. Unfortunately the road is still long, she needs another 200lbs & is still on antibiotics. If there are any angels out there, Mama & Filly could sure use some help.