To make a contribution to Amigo’s Fund, send donations to the University of Tennessee, Large Animal Clinic, Billing Office, Patient #211197, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN., 37996-4550.
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Galapago Amigo has logged 700 miles in competitions and is ranked nationally with the American Endurance Riding Conference, but the gelding’s most heralded performance may be his comeback from a devastating and ghastly injury.
The chestnut endurance Arabian horse is a patient at the Large Animal Clinic at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, where he has recovered and relapsed many times since Jan. 17.
That’s when owner Gary Sanderson, 45, found Amigo impaled by a tree branch. The 2-inch-wide, 3-foot-long limb lodged deep into Amigo’s left side - breaking two ribs.”His gums were blue, and he had the smell of death on him,” recalled Sanderson. “I’ve been an emotional wreck ever since.”
Sanderson rushed to call a veterinarian to the 110-acre rented farm in Union County that Amigo and two other geldings - Sysco and Quest - call home. No one is sure how the tree limb got lodged in Amigo’s chest cavity.
A veterinarian suggested that Amigo might need to be put down, but Sanderson couldn’t let Amigo go so easily. “I don’t have any children, you know. He’s my youngest son,” said Sanderson, who rides Amigo in 50-mile cross-country races throughout the Southeast.
So Sanderson gently led Amigo into a horse trailer and transported him to UT. Amigo stood the whole trip eating hay, then walked the 30 yards from the clinic’s entrance to the stockade.
“We’d seen various sorts of chest injuries, but nothing this dramatic,” said Dr. Nicholas Frank, associate professor and large animal medicine section chief at UT’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “The other surprising thing was he was standing looking remarkably good considering what was going on with his chest.”
Frank said for him, and other veterinarians, clinicians and students, that was the moment they knew Amigo was quite exceptional. “This horse has an amazing will to live,” echoed Karen Kalck, a medicine clinician.
Since Amigo walked into the Large Animal Clinic, his case has been touch-and-go. His first operation was to remove the dirty branch from his chest, but there were concerns about air rushing into the chest cavity, which would cause his left lung to collapse. It did. Then his right lung collapsed. Doctors were able to re-inflate both, but there were other troubles ahead.
While the tree branch had been removed successfully, it had also left a large amount of debris. Frank and other attending veterinarians began a rigorous course of antibiotics to battle the seven types of bacteria in Amigo’s system.
But the antibiotics began to lose their efficacy, and doctors had to perform another surgery last week in an effort to scrape away some of the infection. That second surgery turned out to be more harrowing than the first. Amigo was standing during surgery when he suddenly dropped. Both lungs had collapsed at the same time. Doctors worked hurriedly but delicately to re-inflate the lungs but had to abandon scraping out the infection.
In the meantime, Amigo had several drainage tubes inserted, received a dozen bags of plasma and survived a blood clot. His weight has gone from 970 pounds to 840.
And still, he has rebounded.
“We shouldn’t underestimate this horse,” Frank said. “He has a tremendous stamina and will to live. He’s pulled at the heartstrings of most of us here.”
Others, too, have become attached to 9-year-old Amigo. In his stall at the clinic are notes from supporters in nearby counties, from North Carolina and Texas. His Facebook fans - from Jordan, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other parts of the world - number 6,000 and counting.
“Folks have been awesome,” said Sanderson. “He’s come so close to death so many times, I’m grateful for the support.” Sanderson, who’s a federal government environmental safety and health worker, said he doesn’t expect everyone to understand the bond he has with Amigo and his other geldings. But plenty of people do.
Supporters and Facebook fans have dubbed Amigo “One Amazing Horse” and have helped Sanderson to make a dent in the $22,000 hospital bill Amigo has acquired. According to clinic staff, that’s the largest medical bill at the clinic in recent history. Sanderson has maxed out his credit cards to pay for Amigo’s care, he said. So he established a fund at the Large Animal Clinic for donations and hopes the fund will help Amigo and other competitive horses to survive traumatic injuries.
“No one really needs to go through the emotional roller coaster I’ve been on and then to have to think about how to pay for it,” Sanderson said, his voice choking and trailing off. Amigo’s chances for recovery just a week ago were 50-50 - but the odds were much longer in mid-January. Frank said the horse’s chances get better each day, even though he is not in the clear yet. Amigo still has the worrisome infection and needs to heal from the two surgeries.
“It’s difficult to predict the outcome,” Frank said. “You never know when a patient turns the corner, but we have made a tremendous amount of progress when he had less than a 5 percent chance to live.” Sanderson said he has confidence Amigo will be home with him and his brothers very soon. In fact, he’s riding on it.
To make a contribution to Amigo’s Fund, send donations to the University of Tennessee, Large Animal Clinic, Billing Office, Patient #211197, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN., 37996-4550.
Donations may also be made at the Facebook page “Amigo - One Amazing Horse.”
_____________________ Angela Bryant Starke is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel.
The following is from Liverystable.net Newsletter… I couldn’t have put it better myself!
Also see their horse blog.
Ever been in a tough situation with a horse where it seems like to quit would be training him that he can get away with doing the wrong thing? It’s a principle we’ve all heard of before: Don’t let the horse win or he’ll fight you every time. But there’s quite a bit of evidence to the contrary.
Take a fearful colt that’s never had a halter on in his life. You get him cornered in a stall and are working with the lead rope and halter, and just about get the halter over his nose when he just can’t stand it and pulls away. You work a little longer, working him into the corner, and get the halter near his nose again, and he pulls away and runs again. Have you lost the battle here? Are you teaching him to always pull away? Not really, if you remain calm and patient and keep working with movements that don’t heighten the colt’s anxiety. Repeating what you had done before and trying for a little more progress, however many times it takes, will most likely end up in a haltered colt that has learned to not be afraid of you. Letting him escape may give him a more relaxed look at being touched, while forcing the issue or keeping him in a stranglehold while he’s trying to bolt will do more harm than good.
Another example would be riding a young horse out on the trail, coming up on an obstacle that he is genuinely afraid of or wary about crossing. A rider that is not sensitive to the horse might urge the horse forward strongly, apply a lot of pressure, and even spur him if necessary to get the horse past or over the obstacle. The rider’s mindset is that the horse should always do what it is asked, and if not then the rider should make him do it, otherwise the horse will learn to always refuse obstacles. But this is not a correct mindset to have if you’re training a young horse, and the pressure put on the horse in the situation will create more fear and agitation in the horse, causing more problems in the future. When you ask too much of a horse at the wrong time, you create a battle that could have been avoided, and instill a distrust in the horse. A better solution to the problem would be to let the horse stop and inspect the obstacle, take some time to let him get over his apprehension, ask for movement in an arc that brings him closer to the obstacle but not directly at it, and eventually getting the horse over it. The horse needs the freedom to stay true to his self-preservation instincts, and robbing him of those is something he will remember for a long time and distrust you for.
The disclaimer on this article is that there is a difference between a horse that is learning something new and a horse that has no respect and is just testing its rider. A horse that is genuinely afraid of something should be handled with patience and given time to think through it. A horse that is refusing to yield to the rider’s cues out of stubborness is a different matter and should be worked more strongly to get the correct response.
Any way you look at it, patience is a key factor to working with horses, and the more you use it the better horse trainer you’ll be.
____________ CONNIE’S NOTE: I would add that we are ALL trainers, whoever does ANYthing with a horse and whenever you do anything with that horse, you are teaching it something, even if you are not conscious of it. The real challenge for any horseperson/trainer is to maintain a continual awareness of where the horse’s mind is at any given time, and to interact so as to put that horse’s mind in a comfortable place. Even the horse that challenges you because he is stubborn, is just trying to sort out who is the herd leader. He will be most comfortable as soon as he is SURE who is the boss– yet an effective herd leader always keeps the safety of the other horses in mind. The other key is to be able to perceive the difference between when the horse is truly uncomfortable due to his fearful instincts, and when he is being “stubborn” because he thinks HE is a better leader than you.
Horses ALWAYS live in the moment. There is no such thing as a plotting, scheming horse who is out to get you. Yes, there are downright mean horses, many of whom became that way due to past experiences with dominating or cruel or inconsistent– therefore untrustworthy– humans. But there is NEVER a horse who has been planning all day just how “bad” it can be when you get around it. Try to bear that in mind, and your attitude and approach– and your RESULTS– as a herd leader will improve immensely!
This is off my usual topics, but I am always interested in being and staying healthy, so I can have more quality time enjoying horses and other activities. Since eating healthful foods is the easiest way to keep healthy– along with staying active, of course– I post this article link.
I particularly like their alternative suggestions to add a little extra flavor without tons of extra calories. I am putting hummus on my grocery list! I think HorseGal and other health-conscious folks will be interested!
There are certain advantages to having a son who’s a pilot!!!
Magical night lights of downtown Boston! Best if watched full-screen: double-click on this image to be taken to youtube, then click on 4 arrows at lower right of screen.
Ez treated Antoine and me to a once-in-a-lifetime view of Boston, from a Cessna 152 out of Hanscom Field. He even let Antoine hold the controls for a bit. Ez was in instructor mode, and I was in a fantasy world, at least that’s what it felt like!
Bute (phenylbutazone) and Banamine (flunixin meglumine) are the most common non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used by equine veterinarians and horse owners. They are in the same category as aspirin and ibuprofen and are very effective against fever, swelling and inflammation from injuries and infections, laminitis (founder), and musculoskeletal pain.
Banamine is very effective against visceral pain and is the medication of choice for colic. Bute and Banamine do not come without side effects however, and could do more harm than good if administered improperly. The two organ systems most commonly affected are the kidney and gastrointestinal systems.
Proper dosing is important to effective use of bute and Banamine while minimizing side effects. Banamine should be given at .5 mg per pound of body weight in both the intravenous and paste form. That is equal to 10 mls of the injectible for a 1,000 pound horse. The paste form is dosed by weight on the tube. Banamine takes effect within 2 hours and the peak response is 12 hours after it is given. The total duration of effect is 24 to 36 hours.
Banamine can be given safely at the recommended dose every 12 hours in a healthy, hydrated horse for several days. The importance of following the dose and frequency of administration recommendations is that research has determined the amount that will give the maximal result with the minimal side effects. Careless or uninformed administration of Banamine can have deleterious results.
Bute comes in an injectable, paste, and tablet form. The tablets for a full grown horse are normally 1 gram each. The injectable form is to go in the vein only and should be given by a veterinarian. Administration outside the vein can cause serious damage to the tissues. The recommended dose for bute is 1 to 2 grams a day. The dose can be split and given every 12 hours. Higher doses can be given for short periods of time as prescribed by a veterinarian. Low doses of bute can be given safely in many horses for weeks and months at a time. The lowest effective dose should always be used.
Occasionally a horse will suffer side effects to even lower doses. These usually involve the gastrointestinal system. If your horse shows signs of colic, diarrhea, lack of appetite, or depression while on bute, contact your veterinarian. Bute is thought to have the highest risk for gastrointestinal side effects but any NSAID can cause a problem. Bute is very effective for musculoskeletal problems but should not be used for colic as it is less effective than Banamine and can limit the types of medication your veterinarian can use for treatment.
Sick horses are often dehydrated, and giving bute or Banamine to a dehydrated horse can cause permanent kidney damage. It is a good idea to contact your veterinarian before administering one of these medications. Your horse may need intravenous fluids to rehydrate prior to safe administration of an NSAID. Take the horse’s temperature before giving bute or Banamine. They are effective fever reducers and can lower your horse’s temperature. Your veterinarian may want to know if the horse has a fever before you give the medication.
Pain is an important protective mechanism of the body. A horse with an injured, painful leg will not want to bear full weight on the leg and will be less likely to further injure it. Bute and Banamine relieve pain and inflammation and at times may cover the pain when more aggressive therapy is needed. Banamine and bute are convenient to have on hand but you should always consult your veterinarian before medicating your horse at home.
A friend of ours is sailing around the world on an ARC Rally (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, World Cruising Club), how cool is that! They started the Rally from St. Lucia Island (SW of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean) in January, and are now heading down the east coast of South America, having gone through the Panama Canal. Their finish schedule is to be back in St. Lucia by April, 2011.
Here are their websites, with lots of cool photos. wildtigris.org
Our friend, CN, actually sailed from Spain last October (where the Wild Tigris had been undergoing refitting and repairs) across the Atlantic to St. Lucia to begin the ARC Rally in early January. As many as 200 boats are participating; it is not a race, but rather a pleasure cruise with groups of yachts staying more or less together (as I understand it).
Crew of Wild Tigris, our friends Heidi and CN on left
Antoine from Liege, Belgium talks frequently with his family back in Belgium. He Skypes with them online using his laptop and its built-in webcam. They can converse and see each other over the internet because they both have webcams.
One day he carried his (wireless) laptop out to the barn to show his sister the horses, who were partaking of their morning grain. When he went into Gilford’s stall with the computer, Gilford suddenly noticed the thing and jumped backwards. Antoine beat a quick retreat out of the stall!
(To make full screen, click on 4 arrows at bottom right…)
One of our previous exchange students, Joonatan from Finland, talked to his family face to face also, via the amazing technology available these days.
Washington, DC (February 8, 2010) — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) postponed the proposed roundup of nearly 500 wild horses in the Eagle Herd Management Area in eastern Nevada, just three days after the national law firm of Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney notified the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that it would sue to stop the helicopter stampede and capture, which had been scheduled to begin February 15.
The BLM received over 9,000 public comments on the proposed roundup, which would have left just 100 horses behind to roam over 670,000 acres of public land. It’s the second roundup cancelled by the BLM this year. In January, the agency announced that it was postponing the capture and removal of 200 horses from the Confusion Mountains Herd Management Area in Utah, after receiving thousands of letters in protest.
The number of wild horses warehoused by the government (35,000) now exceeds the number of horses left free on the range. The Obama Administration plans to capture and remove nearly 12,000 wild horses in Fiscal Year 2010, compounding a fiscal black hole that is costing American taxpayers tens of millions per year.
Meanwhile, wild horses comprise a minute fraction (0.5 percent) of grazing animals on public lands, where they are outnumbered by cattle at least 200 to 1. Currently the BLM manages more than 256 million acres of public lands of which cattle grazing is allowed on 160 million acres; wild horses are only allowed on 26.6 million acres this land, which must be shared with cattle.
