Aubrey

Last Saturday, Aubrey slipped on a wet stall mat at her foster home. When she got back up, she was not putting weight on her right hind leg. Dr. Fleck examined her and found that she was very sensitive in her pelvic area. He was fairly certain that she has sustained a fracture to her pelvic bone but could not confirm with x‑ray due to the thickness of this area on a horse. 

At the guidance of Dr. Fleck, we decided to put her on pain medications to see if there would be any improvement over the next few days. She was set up in a deeply bedded stall with hay and water within easy reach. Over the next two days, her vitals, heart rate, and respiration remained elevated but did show a slight improvement after medication was given. Aubrey did not move around very much in her stall, but would, at times, set her injured right hind down. She continued to have a good appetite, bowel movements, and was somewhat tolerant of her confinement. 

Dr. Fleck visited her yesterday morning to do another evaluation. He had been very realistic with us on Saturday, so we know that without marked improvement in the next few days, the kindest choice for her would be to euthanize. Sadly, she was still not bearing weight on that limb and any movement to put weight on it seemed very painful. We all felt that giving her a few days, as long as she was comfortable, was fair and would help us know we were making the right decision. Yesterday, we are comforted knowing that we were able to give her one last act of kindness and end her pain. 

Aubrey’s foster mom Jackie spent the last days carefully watching over Aubrey. She kept her hay raised up so she could easily and happily munch away at it. Jackie took Aubrey’s blanket off and gave her a nice long grooming, braided her hair, “did girl things.” She also did some light energy work to comfort her. While Aubrey was not the most affectionate mare, she clearly enjoyed the attention. She became very relaxed, started to fall asleep, and her heart rate even dropped a bit more. SAFE is forever grateful for Jackie’s love and care of Aubrey. 

Aubrey had beautiful last days. She was loved, fed, and her every need was attended to. Horses force us to live in the moment with them, and we are thankful that in the moments that Aubrey had with us, she was never mistreated, alone, or forgotten.

Aubrey returned to SAFE without having had dental work in about 3 years. She has been seen by our vet and had much needed dental work to reduce the sharp points on her teeth. Aubrey’s ideal adoptive situation would be a home where there is a steady herd of retired horses. She does best with the 24/7 company of at least one other horse. From her race track years in confinement, she has developed some behaviors that help her deal with anxiety such as weaving, flipping her lips, and excessive water drinking. All of her anxiety behaviors are more exaggerated when she is enclosed in a stall, so the best conditions for her would include free access to go into and out of her shelter. Aubrey can be a bit dominant, so it would be best if other horses with her were somewhat submissive. Aubrey has ongoing thrush issues on her left side due to previous injuries. Her adopter will need to stay on top of preventive care for thrush.

Why Annual Equine Dental Care Matters: Annual dental care is important for horses so that the sharp points on teeth do not lead to painful ulcers in the horse’s mouth. It’s also important to have a vet look into a horse’s mouth on a yearly basis for other issues that may impact a horse’s ability to chew. This gives the vet an opportunity to look for any emerging health issues before they become serious.

Aubrey spent two years at SAFE before being adopted as a companion horse in 2018. Sadly, Aubrey’s adopter experienced a medical issue and could no longer care for Aubrey or her elderly gelding, Ro. Upset and unsure what to do, the adopter called SAFE for help. We talked about both horses, the time needed for her to recover and the difficulties caring for them as she herself was aging. Ro had been in failing health for some time and the vets had told her that a peaceful euthanasia would be a gift, given the pain he was experiencing. Aubrey, while having her own health issues that prevent her from being a riding horse, is only 15 years old and has many good days still ahead of her. While she did not need to be rescued, she was in a difficult situation and needed our care once again.