Bittersweet Celebration

This day is one of mixed feeings. Today we celebrate the life of a dignified and gracious mare as we, at the same time, say “goodbye.”

Very often, when a horse arrives at Traveller’s Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary, we don’t know what his future will hold, or how long that future will last on this earth. Until each Elder is evaluated and time unfolds, we assume we may be offering hospice care. Perhaps all we can do for this individual is keep him comfortable and well fed until physical frailty makes a good quality of life impossible.

Such is the case with Marye. Marye came to us suffering such severe, untreated, respiratory challenges that she could not or would not eat. She was emaciated and veterinary exams determined that there was a large amount of scarring in her lungs, causing greatly diminished ability to move air in and out.

In her first months at TREES, Marye responded well to treatment, first with steroid injections, then the following spring with Aeromask treatments. As the summer wore on, however, each treatment seemed to become less effective. As we tried “last resort” treatments, thankfully, winter set in and Marye’s symptoms eased, allowing her several months of deeper, relaxed breaths.

Now, spring pollens have arrived once again. As we knew they would. Marye is having respiratory difficulty again. As we knew she would. Sadly, this year, the symptoms are worse than ever and not responding to treatment in any significant way, leaving our beloved matriarch struggling for each breath.

So, as we knew it would, the time has come to make the difficult decision to say goodbye. We mourn for ourselves, knowing we will miss her quiet pride and grace. We also celebrate the last 18 months of Marye’s life on earth, knowing she was happy with her man, Wade. She had a large field in which to meander and graze rather than her previous small dusty pen. She had the company of half a dozen other horses. She had all she needed to eat. And she could breath.

This morning, a cold windy rain is falling, almost as if Mother Nature herself has mixed feelings. She is, it seems, sweeping the pollens from the air to send Marye off on a clean, cool path to her next life while, at the same time, grieving the loss of one of her children.

We too grieve the loss of a family member, but celebrate the time Marye was with us. Knowing she was pain-free and happy outweighs the grief tenfold. Marye, like the Elders before her, will remain with us in some fashion. Each resident teaches us something. All benefit the Elders who follow them.

Rest in grace, big mare.

Various Photos on a Warm Winter Day

A "January Thaw! "  Here are a few random farm shots as we were enjoying the outdoor work today.

Freddie - not too bad considering all the recent mud.  We're not wild about the new mane "do," though.

Sanctuary housing we hadn't noticed while the leaves were on the trees.

The first step in solving some of our drainage problems.  See that little white pipe on the upper right?  Somehow, former property owners thought that would carry all the runoff from the field east of the driveway to the ditch west of the driveway.  The current pipe is the professional version.  According to the weather forecast, it may get its first trial this weekend.

Wade and Marye.  Still a couple and going strong.

Jubal enoying a lunchtime beverage.  Ahhhhhh.

Gracious Nature

There are times when you just have to take time to appreciate the gracious nature of some of our fellow creatures.

At bedtime feeding tonight, while putting out hay for the "front field," I noticed what looked like a light from the barn reflecting on a puddle.  One pile of hay down, second pile ....wait....the puddle moved. It wasn't a puddle.  It was a gianourmous skunk!  OK, she's busily and very happily rooting up all the grubs emerging after the rain.  I'll just make the circle of hay a lot bigger than usual tonight. 

No problems.  We respected each other's personal space and all went well.

But then, Sonny emerged from the shed, having finished his bedtime snack.  "Hey look!  What's that thing?"  Now, our boy Sonny, who is 38, has some pretty impressive cataracts, so had to move in for a closer look.  Klump, klump.klump, klump (Sonny klumps along when not feeling particularly energetic.)  Nose to the ground, klump klump klump.  "Sonny!  SONNY!  STOP!" 

Just as Sonny's nose was about to make contact, Ms Skunk scampered forward about five feet.  Klump klump klump.  Sonny followed.  Again, she scampered. After the third approach-n-scamper, Sonny went on about his business of finding the perfect hay pile and settled in to munch. 

Marye also insisted on a closer look and, again, Ms S graciously scampered a few feet away from the pest.  As I turned off the lights and closed up shop for the night, everyone was contentedly snacking, the horses on their hay and Ms Skunk on her grubs, with not one whiff of odiferous protest.

Thank you, Ms S, for recognizing that our nosy geezers meant you no harm.

Summer Love

Remember Wade's Valentine's Day breakfast with Marye?

February 14, 2009

The love affair continues.

August 31, 2009

Wade is 26 year's old, Marye is 29. Who says love is only for the young?

(That's Sonny in the background. Never did have much use for girls.)

Thank You’s and other Tidbits

We have a lot of short updates and want to thank a lot of people today, so we’ll try to do it all in one post and hope we don’t leave anyone out.

We’d like to remind local Reiki practitioners that the first Shelter Animal Reiki Association orientation for the TREES program will be this weekend, Saturday, June 20, 10AM – noon. To participate, or for more information, please contact Janet Dobbs

The next Reiki workshop will be Reiki I, for both humans and animals, July 11-12. Saturday will be in McLean, VA, Sunday at Traveller’s Rest in Spotsylvania. For more information.

Our first resident update concerns Jubal. He’s back out with his “herd” (Fitz, Emma and Josh) and seems to be doing just fine. The wound on his fetlock is almost completely healed and almost all of the puffiness gone. Whew!

Lizzie is still gaining weight and doing well. She has settled in to the group including Sonny, Rienzi, Val, Marye and Wade. We’ve discovered she prefers to be called just Liz (not to be confused with “Just Jack” for Will and Grace fans.) Call “LIZ!” and she comes at a trot, but call “LIZZIE,” and she barely acknowledges your presence.

Josh is moving up in the pecking order in his field. Yesterday we noted that Fitz, who towers over Josh and outweighs him by several hundred pounds, was waiting in line behind Josh for a turn at the water tank. (The two boys and Emma all go for a drink immediately after eating a meal.)

Marye is still doing well and has not needed another Aeromask treatment yet this spring. Fingers crossed!

Now, the thank you’s!

First, thank you to Rennie, Gene, Carol, Michaele and Jim for coming to the sanctuary last weekend to help dry the place out after our freakish rainfall. It’s rained a few more times since, but nothing like the approximately 9 inches we got in about 24 hours that week.)

Thank you, too, to Gene and Carol for dropping off a new Wet Vac in case the weird wet weather continues.

Thank you to our neighbor, Patty, for arriving with a smorgasbord of seeds and grains about ten minutes after learning of Elmer’s arrival.

Thank you to COTH’s “Oldenburg Mom” for the gift of ~ 900 pounds of luscious smelling hay and to Samantha for coming along to help unload. Thank you, COTH’s “Nootka” for posting TREES’ contact information, making this donation possible.

Thank you, “Janet’s Dad” for a roll of quilt batting to use as leg wraps.

Thank you to Janet Dobbs’ students all, both Reiki and Animal Communication, who participate in workshops at TREES. It’s always fun to watch people’s faces as they come to understand that all things in nature are connected.

Thank you to everyone who sent prayers and support when Forrest arrived then departed in too short a time. Special thanks to Dr. Amanda Blanton who spent a good portion of her holiday weekend here. Thank you, again, to Gene and Carol for taking over the farm chores so we could focus on Forrest. Thank you Sam for transporting this determined old gentleman. Thank you, Janet, for being with Forrest as he crossed, and to Nelson, for bringing your backhoe out on Memorial Day, then returning a few days later with a donation. It seems Forrest touched a lot of hearts in the few days he was here.

We are continually (and gratefully) overwhelmed by the people who want to help offer retirement/hospice care to special needs elder equine. The horses, though, always feel there should be more visitors (more admirers.) If you’d like to visit and meet our special residents, please email us at info@equineelders.org or call 540-972-0936 (but remember that we’re somewhat telephonically challenged until Verizon comes June 24.)

Marye - AeroMask update

It works!

It really does work!

When Marye came to TREES last summer, emaciated and with severe COPD, we didn't know if we could offer her many more days on this earth. Initially we were able to manage her symptoms well enough to allow her to eat normally, but her breathing was never "normal" until well into November.

As a last resort, this spring we appealed to TREES' visitors and supporters for an Aeromask Equine System. We'd never heard of this system before, and knew no one using it, but thought it looked promising. In April, two of our most dedicated volunteers, Gene and Carol, donated funds for the mask. It arrived within a week.

The main parts of the inhaler system include a plastic cup that fits over Marye's muzzle, a tube to direct the medication into the cup through a rubber port, and a "human inhaler" that expels the medication into the tube. Marye was prescribed two different medications, one to be given in four "puffs" once a day, the other in eight "puffs," twice a day. Easy, right?

Well.......sort of. Its easy once you get the hang of it, but there is a little bit of a learning curve. In order for the treatment to be effective, the timing must be just right. If the inhaler is "puffed" as Marye is exhaling, the medication will go right out the exhalation valves. So, the person doing the "puffing" must watch the valves closely to determine when to express the meds. It may vary a little depending on the person's reflexes and reaction time, but it seemed the optimum time to puff is just before the exhalation valve closes completely. It probably also depends, to some extent on the horse's breathing rate and how much time you have between the exhale and the next inhale.

Now, add to that waiting 30 seconds between puffs. So you're watching the valves, watching the clock, and remembering to "puff." All while keeping an eye on the horse's "eye" and attitude about the whole idea.

Marye, though, is a real trooper. She seemed to understand the process and stood as still as she could as we asked her to breathe through a plastic cup filled with some odd smelling vapor.

In the days before first treatment, Marye's breathing ranged from 36 breaths per minute to just over 40. (At her worst last year, her rate weas close to 60 breaths per minute.) At the end of the fourth day, on May 3, her respiratory rate was down to 18 breaths per minute. On May 2, a rainy spell began that lasted for 11 days. As the pollens were washed from the air, we discontinued treatment on May 4, and Marye's breathing has remained normal. As we go into summer, we may need to resume treatment, but for now Marye and all her humans are thrilled with the results.

Thank you, again, to everyone who supported this treatment trial and to those who offered other ideas to manage Marye's COPD. Her Ladyship is feeling very pampered and extremely grateful that no one gave up on her.

Love is fleeting........

Remember, last Valentine's Day, how excited we were that Wade had finally made friends with another horse? Wade had become the object of Marye's affection, and the two spent a lot of time grazing together.

Well. our fickle female has changed her mind.

Apparently, Val (front) is now the most desirable companion in the field.

Maybe its "birds of a feather" syndrome?

Marye's AeroMask on the way!

Thank you Gene & Carol! for donating the entire amount needed to purchase an Aero Mask Equine System for Marye. Its been ordered and should be shipped tomorrow. The timing couldn't be better since Marye developed a little discomfort over the weekend (as have some of the rest of us,) probably due to the sudden appearance of loads of tree pollens. Hopefully the "Craigo Respiratory Therapy Unit" will arrive quickly!

Thank you, too, to everyone who forwarded Marye's need to other blogs and bulletin boards and to everyone who contacted us with suggestions on managing our brave little mare's symptoms. Please know that we appreciate all the ideas and support. Going ahead with the AeroMask system in no way means that we don't take seriously other ideas and modalities..........for other residents "alternative" ideas work well. For Marye, however, those alternatives have not worked well and her comfort comes first, in whatever way works best for her. Of course, we don't know what will happen with this "inhaler" either, but it sounds like a perfect option. We'll let you know what happens.

WANTED! AeroMask Equine System for Marye.

Last July, we introduced you to Marye, a 28 year old mare who suffered such severe COPD that she could not eat and breathe at the same time. Given the choice between eating and breathing, Marye chose to attempt breathing. Her owners had decided to let "nature take its course" as Marye lost every spare pound, ignoring feed in her efforts to pull air in and push air out.

July 12, 2008

Our veterinarians started Marye on a course of steroids to reduce inflammation and ease her breathing. While that treatment worked, it was not ideal. Marye was more comfortable and gained weight nicely, but her breathing never returned to normal until late November, when many allergens disappeared for the winter.

August 17, 2008

Now, Marye faces another spring. In addition to the COPD, or “heaves” (somewhat comparable to asthma in humans,) this determined little mare is showing what may be symptoms of early Cushings Syndrome. If that is the case, systemic steroids are not the first choice of treatment. Cushings itself causes overproduction of natural steroids, leading to many of the common complications of the disease, such as suppressed immune systems, abnormal weight gain and a likelihood of founder.

Recently, we became aware of the The AeroMask* equine system (ES), developed by Trudell Medical International, which delivers medication directly into the lungs, rather than injecting it intravenously or into a muscle. This method of delivery is said to reduce the risk of side effects. We also hope it will be more effective since it will send medication directly where it is needed rather than dispersing it throughout the whole body.

TREES is hoping that a reader out there somewhere has a used AeroMask system (Size: Medium) they no longer need, that he or she is willing to part with at a reduced price. We’d very much like to offer this treatment to this game little mare who, last summer, had every reason to lay down and not get up, but didn't.

If you or someone you know can help give Marye a few more comfortable years, please contact TREES at info@equineelders.org , 540-972-0936, or PO Box 2260, Spotsylvania VA 22553

Marye in her Winter Woolies - February 2009

The March Hair

Imagine this:


...and this........


........and this.......

plus twelve more just like them, shedding all that hair all at one time.

After just one grooming session last spring, it looked like Sonny should have been bald, but looking at him, there didn't seem to be any visible difference:

HELP!!!

If you are in the Spotsylvania, VA area and would like to spend a relaxing hour or two brushing, currying and generally helping our elders shed their very impressive winter coats, please give us a shout. info@equineelders.org or 540-972-0936. Dress for March Hair.

A Valentine for Wade

These are more than "sweet" pictures for Valentine's Day.

When Wade (chestnut with white blaze) first arrived at Traveller's Rest, he was very much a loner. He tolerated people, but did not seek attention, and he kept significant distance between himself and the other horses.

Today, though:



Marye was the one who invited herself into Wade's "space," but he seems to like the idea!

TREES believes that emotional well-being is as important as physical well-being. Seeing Wade so comfortable with another horse this close is cause for celebration.

Happy Valentine's Day, Wade!

Elder Horse Updates

Finally. After welcoming three new residents within 10 days, we've had time to catch our collective breaths and add the newcomers' photos to the Residents page. We hope, soon, to add individual pages for each resident so visitors can keep up with residents' activities. Watch the Residents page for progress. Visit soon, visit often. We'll try to keep up!

Marye yesterday (Aug 17, 2008) Can you believe the progress in just one month!?

Got Bots?

'Tis the season. Botfly season. The flies themselves don't harm horses, but their larvae are common parasites of the equine digestive tract.

Ever see this on your horse's legs? (They may appear on other parts of the horse's body as well.) Marye brought these bot eggs with her when she arrived. They were immediately removed.

After the adult botfly attaches eggs to individual hairs on the horse, the eggs begin to hatch when stimulated by warmth and moisture when the horse licks his leg or rubs his muzzle over the eggs. The larvae then burrow into the tongue or gums, where they stay for several weeks. As the next stage emerges from the tissues, they are swallowed and attach to the stomach lining. Approximately nine months later, the grub-like larvae pass out in the manure, pupate in the soil, and the cycle begins begins again.

Last fall, I visited a herd of horses whose legs were literally covered in solid masses of bot eggs. Viewing the photo of "Bot Larvae" at the link listed below will illustrate why that was a disturbing sight. Aside from the potential masses of larvae in the stomachs, it must be tortuous to have that many larvae burrowing into the tissues of the gums and tongue.

Ivermectin will control bot larvae, but wouldn't preventing infestation be easier than managing the subsequent effects?

For more on bots, visit http://www.extension.org/pages/Stomach_bots_in_horses

Update on Marye

After a hectic week (dentist last Monday, Farrier on Thursday, Massage Therapist on Friday, and "routine" chores in between,) we'll just copy 'n' paste a Marye update posted elsewhere on Saturday:

Oh boy. Marye arrived Monday. She was breathing pretty normally Monday and Tuesday. (She has severe heaves/COPD) While she was still at the other farm, the vet started her on dex to knock down inflammation and ventipulmin as a brochodilator/mild expectorant. Then she came off the dex, continuing on just ventipulmin.

Unfortunately, as her body cleared itself of the dex, she started having trouble again. On top of that the weather took a turn, becoming much hotter and more humid than it was early in the week. Dex injections yesterday made no difference at all. Today the vet came back and gave her a different steroid that I've never heard of before now. Triamcinilone (sp? having a little trouble reading her writing) That reduced the symptoms some, but we're still not back where we were last week.

Wednesday is supposed to be extremely hot and humid, so Doc is standing by for an inhaler treatment that day if needed. Our hope was that if we could get Marye through this (hopefully short) heat wave, we'd have more time to customize a long-term management scheme for her.

But....after Doc had me listen to her lungs today, I'm not terribly optimistic. There is so much scarring that at least one area of one lung is not moving any air at all. Another area literally sounded like a rusty door hinge, which Doc said was the tissues of the bronchi trying to pull apart and take in air. It was the strangest sound I've ever heard through a stethoscope.

The good news is that Marye is very bright and alert, eating well and grazing so we'll keep tweaking her care and see if we can get this under control. On the other hand, she's not buying the reasoning that we need to get her breathing under control before allowing her to go out with a herd.

We're doing our best to keep dust down, 24/7 turnout except during meals, but we are having a mildew problem this year, with more rainfall than normal.

Meanwhile, we're open to any and all alternative or complementary treatment ideas. We don't care how off the wall they may sound!

Edited to add: Since that update on a horse-related discussion forum, we received a response recommended Spirulina as a possible way to manage COPD symptoms. We'll keep Marye on her current medications as we begin this trial, then see if we can wean her off the steroids and ventipulmin.

Coming soon to Traveller's Rest..........

New arrival! This is Marye (pronounced like "Marie.") She is currently being cared for by an acquaintence of the owner and will arrive at TREES Monday (july 28) She seems like a dignified, elegant girl. (So far......we'll see what happens when she puts on a little weight and joins a group of already smart aleck elder horses.)

If you're in the Fredericksburg, VA area and would like to meet Marye or any of TREES' other residents, let us know. We'll schedule a visit!