We miss them all!

This page is dedicated to the stories of all the horses we couldn't help, but they made a difference to so many lives.  As is the case with many rescues, they are either brought to AERO for help too late or have been misdiagnosed.  Each one teaches us so much about compassion and how to help other horses before it's too late.

 

 

 

Rim Rock is a 30+-year old QH that was found severely dehydrated in the Tonto National Forest in the heat of the Arizona summer.  There was no equipment on him and no signs that he had been ridden in a long time so he was assumed to be an abandoned horse.  The person who found him took two hours to walk Rim back to his location to get him food and water.  Rim was not able to eat for several days as he rehydrated.  AERO was called and took him on as an emergency rescue.  His vet check came back clean except for severe arthritis in his front knees. Rim was humanely euthanized this summer due to pain in his hip and old age issues.

Bee - A sweet 11yo Saddlebred mare who was abandoned on a Highway on indian reservation.  She was found wandering on the highway with some injuries. She has fully rehabbed and is healthy, sweet and happy - ready for her permanent adoptive home.  Her swayback was giving her painful cysts and she was humanely euthanized.

 

Rainbow - A Sweet 20+ Strawberry Roan that was dumped in a remote area as a Grade 1 starvation with cancer, cushings, and laminitis.  She was given to AERO by the AZ Dept of Agriculture for immediate euthanasia due to her extreme medical condition.

 

Buttercup - A sweet 20+ grey arab mare that was severely starved, neglected and abused give to AERO by the Arizona Dept of Agriculture due to the extent of her condition.  Buttercup has two ruptured ligaments in her stifles making it impossible for her to lie down and painful to walk.  After several rehab therapies that did not offer relief she was humanely euthanized.

 

Macha the goat - a sweet Boer goat that was septic from an unborn kid- she was septic so long that she could not be surgically assisted and was humanely euthanized.  She came in as a companion to a stray horse received from Dept of Agriculture.

 

 

Ben or Dancer -  a 16yo appendix QH with a congenital condition that caused him to dangerously collapse.  He was humanely euthanized when it was determined his collapsing could not be rehabbed.

 

 

Killian - was 28yo QH that looks like a draft cross whose owner had to release him because she was too ill with cancer.  He was a sweetie, big and mellow - a baby that liked to be coddled and hang his tongue out when he was happy.  He had a severe injury to his coffin bone in one foot and was humanely euthanized.

 

Doc on his arrival on 3/10/07 ADA put weight on him since his pick up on Valentine's day....his jaw hurts and he has hind leg arthritic conditions but his coat is amazingly good.	In starvation cases we give them an easy to digest high calorie diet of free choice alfalfa hay, beet pulp, rice bran, equine senior, and black oiled sunflower seeds plus soaked rabbit chow or hay pellets. The horses graze on what they need.	Socks on 3/17/07 Even with only a week at AERO he is continuing to improve. His changes will be easier to see in the coming weeks. He had a blood draw on 3/23 to test for infections and organ function so we can get his teeth done.	He eats like crazy and whinnies every time he hears the grain in the tack room....he's very happy with his plentiful food and is free grazing on alfalfa every chance he gets.	Socks on 4/5/07 He's continuing to gain weight and getting ready to drop his coat like Misty did. It is harder for him to chew so we are working on getting him to the dentist and in the meanwhile he gets rabbit chow since it is a small pellet!	His hind end fills in a bit more each day. He loves to run around and looks quite dashing doing so.
5/11/07 Doc is up to 1000 lbs after getting his teeth done on 4/23/07.	5/11/07 - Doc loves to run and play in the arena.	6/5/07 - Doc has a couple hundred more pounds to go!	6/5/07 - He's looking much better after just a few short months.	6/5/07 - Most of his curves in his haunches is due to lack of muscle here.

 

Doc (Socks) is a 27-year old 16H Sorrell with Bald face that was purchased at public auction.  The Livestock Board recovered him when he was reported loose in the desert estimated to be 350lbs at that time.  He was not interested in food and had given up on life by the time he was found.  The evaluating vet said he would be best euthanized.  However the Livestock Officer was able to get Socks to eat and he made such a remarkable recovery that they asked if we could assist Doc.  Doc now eats like crazy, is very talkative and acts like a puppy.  He came in older with significant arthritic changes and sort jaws so his ability to recover was amazing but over time his age eventually caught up with him.  He could no longer keep weight on and would spontaneously fall over and not get up.  These falls caused him tremendous pain.  He was euthanized humanely on 9/20/09 at 30 something and we will miss him and his ability to make us laugh.

 

Rascal (Lincoln) is a 2yo Half Arab red roan that was surrendered by the owner for proper rehabilitation from a number of genetic deformities that occurred due to lack of nutrition in a mare the owners acquired in poor condition.  Rascal has bone spavin, narrow set front legs with angular deformities, stifle and hock effusions, and is under developed for his age.  He was very clever and interactive with a sweet personality.  Unfortunately his genetic challenges caused more and more pain as he grew and the difficult decision to euthanize was made.  He had a special place in our hearts at the rescue and we look forward to seeing him in a stronger body next time.

Junior was a 26yo gelding that was grade 1 body score left starving in a backyard in organ failure.  He had severely slippered feet, a significant wave in his teeth from lack of care in his mouth and showed neurologic symptoms.  He was humanely euthanized after suffering significant long term neglect.

 

Chiquita was a small Quarter Horse that was ridden by kids of a family. Chiquita suffered a leg fracture that was left untreated for a year in her backyard with significant pain.  She was surrendered for humane euthanasia.

 

Marabelle was a 20ish  TB mare that was scared of people and used as a broodmare until her owner had to move her to a new location.  She tried to jump a fence in fear and tore her side open badly.  Because she was unable to be handled and her injuries would have required extensive doctoring she was humanely euthanized. 

 

Roadrunner was an 8yo QH that had a broken spine from being dragged behind an ATV by kids.  She could not control her hind legs and fell without warning.  She was humanely euthanized and is no longer suffering this tragic injury.

 

Captain when he was picked up.	Captain after three months of rehab on his adoption day!	Captain with his new family!

Captain -  was a 30 something that was abandoned in the desert with severely arthritic knees and extremely long feet....and he was underweight/dehydrated of course!  Captain had a way about him that charms everyone with his calm demeanor and steady attitude.  He loved people and horses and couldn't get enough attention.   He was hanging out at a wonderful foster home waiting to be transferred to a sanctuary but his buddy Diamond (the horse on the left in the last picture) talked his mom into keeping Captain so he has a friend!  Captain transitioned on 9/19/08 in a loving home with his family around him. We'll miss this special boy.

 

 Valiant came to us with an advanced case laminitis with no coffin bones.  He did well for a period of time but started to decline and in his last days started getting facial paralysis, severe abcessing, and his heart and digestion began to fail.  Valiant was the most extraordinary horse we've ever had in our barn and we loved him very much.  See his memorial page for fond memories.....he was euthanized on 3/24/07 at his request (of course).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diamond came to us with an advanced case of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in her eyelid and eye socket.  She received surgery to remove the tumor and the eye in an effort to save her life.  However the surgery uncovered that the tumor had spread to her sinus, her bone, and eventually her lymph node.  AERO was able to provide three months of care for Diamond where she was able to enjoy life but eventually the tumor grew aggressively making it hard for her to breathe.  She was euthanized on 7/25/05 and we will miss her!   See more pictures and read Diamond's diary here!

 

Rascal was a 7-week old foal that was found at auction by Colt Behrens. Colt purchased the foal immediately and sought urgent care for Rascal upon her arrival at their home. He and his mom contacted AERO for additional assistance to help with Rascal. Rascal had a badly damaged eye that needed to be removed, was severely malnourished, and ran a high risk of septic infection. Filled with compassion and a heartfelt desire to try and save Rascal, Colt spent nearly a week caring for the foal following very strict post-operative instructions. This included changing an IV every 2-hours, bottle feeding, and changing the bandaging. After Day Five the infection was too much for Rascal and he passed away. Through this experience Colt was inspired to become a veterinarian. AERO was equally inspired and we are currently working on setting up a scholarship fund for students seeking a career in equine medicine. 

KoKo was a 12-year old mare who's owner could not afford proper care for her injuries that she had sustained over 10 years ago. The long term effects of this form of neglect caused the coffin bone in her right-front hoof to nearly disintegrate.  KoKo was rescued by the Maricopa Horse and Pony rescue, who contacted AERO for assistance.  Unfortunately, her diagnosis was poor and she was euthanized on New Year's eve 2001.  We thank MHPR and Dr. Lisa Berg for their help with KoKo.  Close-up photo of Koko's damaged foot.

Cinderella's Pumpkin was a 8-month old Arabian filly that was rescued by a Mom and her young daughter.  Pumpkin had been stepped on by another horse at a very young age resulting in her hip joint being damaged.  The Arabian farm that owned Pumpkin at the time did not make any attempt to seek medical care, and instead put Pumpkin out in pasture.  After being rescued by the mom and daughter team, they tried to rehabilitate Pumpkin for several months and then called in the assistance of AERO in anticipation of surgery.  After several hip x-rays, Dr. Julie Lucas at Southwest Equine deemed there was not a feasible surgical option.  Pumpkin's owners made a difficult decision to euthanize Pumpkin since her quality of life no longer existed in her current state.  Pumpkin warmed the heart of the young girl who rescued her, and gave us all a bit of joy and love before leaving us.

Biscuit was a 1-year old draft mix filly that had unusual swelling in her hock joint.  After having several veterinarians review the x-rays, it was determined that Biscuit was a rare case of Valley Fever.  Due to the fungus' behavior in horses, it had 'eaten' away a weight bearing part of the bone from the inside of the bone, out.  It was only a matter of time before Biscuit's leg fractured and there were no treatment options to help Biscuit at such a late stage in the illness.  Biscuit left us all with such important learnings on the rare occurrence and unique behavior of Valley Fever.

Bobbie Girl came to AERO as a possible surgical candidate but upon examination by Dr. Julie Lucas of Southwest Equine, it was determined that she had irreparable trauma to her fetlock joint.  Bobbie had a bone cyst in her fetlock joint (usually a result of trauma) that over an extended period of time had resulted in significant deterioration of her cartilage and had bone rubbing on bone.  The owners agreed Bobbie's quality of life did not exist because of her immobilizing condition and made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize her.

Windwalker was a 2 year old horse that we found at a stable that purchases horses (typically at auction) to sell to slaughter houses in Texas for rendering plants or human consumption.  We had to purchase Windwalker for $75 in order to "rescue" him from this stable.  The bones on his back were exposed and blackened, his flesh was falling off in sections, and he had severe infection.  (Photos available soon.)  We had several veterinarians look at Windwalker's wounds which resulted in several conclusions as to the cause of these wounds.  Some felt it was either fire or chemical burn, while others felt it may have been a stud bite that quickly became infected and "chewed" by Windwalker himself.  Windwalker was humanely euthanized several days after attempted rehabilitation - his condition was so extreme that nothing could be done for him.  The tragedy in these cases is that there are many horses with severe medical conditions, like Windwalker, that suffer for weeks waiting to be transported for 3-4 days and finally slaughtered.  Many arrive dead from the trip conditions alone.

In loving memory to all the other horses that we were unable to rehabilitate.  May they come back soon in healthy bodies to wonderful homes!

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