Callista
| SEX: Mare | BREED: Quarter Horse type | INTAKE DATE: 08/25/2020 | ||
| COLOR: Sorrel | MARKINGS: Star, LH Sock | |||
| YOB: 1990 | AGE: 30 | : | ||
Callista is a super sweet mare who has seen better days. We don’t have a whole lot of history on her but what we do know is that she needs some TLC. She appears to be about 30 years old and has a body condition score of 2/9.
Dr. Renner from Rainland Farm Equine came out when she arrived to make sure she was stable and to check on a hip issue. She has generalized muscle atrophy from the neglect, but the right side of her hindquarters is significantly more atrophied than the left, and she is quite lame on that leg. Dr. Renner did an ultrasound to see if he could find a hip fracture, but found nothing obvious. The ultrasound did show some arthritis there though, and clearly something happened to her to cause significant damage. It has been recommended that we give her a month of good care to see if she can recover to the point of not living in pain.
Callista is farther along in her re-feeding process than Cyrus, Rowan, or Anakin were when they came. However, she is still on a strict feeding protocol of pre-weighed alfalfa hay for the next few weeks. She is also on strict quarantine to protect her from any diseases that might jeopardize her rehabilitation and to protect the herd if she’s harboring anything contagious.
All SAFE horses are adopted with a no-breeding clause, no exceptions.
A Sad Goodbye to a Special Horse
There’s just no easy way to say this…we had to say goodbye to sweet Callista this evening. 💔
When we first met Callista, we were immediately concerned about the severe muscle atrophy in her right hip. An ultrasound didn’t reveal a fracture, but the amount of arthritis was an indication that some kind of trauma had taken place. We decided at intake to give her 30 days and monitor her comfort level, and shower her with love and care. That was almost two months ago…and every day since then, Callista has won our hearts with her bright eyes and that sweet, sweet nicker…
But today, Callista went down in her paddock and could not get back up. Our vet was called, and after about 90 minutes, she was able to stand up again, but her right hind stifle was swollen and very lame. She was given a dose of bute, but it didn’t improve her ability to bear weight on that leg very much. And a difficult, painful decision had to be made.
Callista came to us as a hospice case, and we knew we’d probably have to say goodbye to her before too long. The neglect she suffered in her past was so severe…we knew we’d be faced with a tough choice at some point. Tonight, the choice was simple: release her from her pain and discomfort, or take the risk that she would end up going down again, perhaps in the middle of the night, and not be able to get back up. We couldn’t accept that risk, and so we chose to let her go. Callista enjoyed carrots and apples and cookies, and then she passed peacefully, quickly, and quietly.
It’s hard to accept that we’re not going to see her sweet face again, that lovely crescent moon star, or hear her happy nicker. But we fulfilled our promise to Callista: we took her out of a bad situation and gave her two months of good food and great friends. There was something so special about this mare, and we all loved her simply and honestly. She brought out the best in us, and we’re very lucky to have known her. Still, it hurts to say goodbye. Rest in peace, sweetheart. We won’t forget you.
Callista Intake Photos
Callista, Welcome!
Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the SAFE herd. Callista is a super sweet mare who has seen better days. We don’t have a whole lot of history on her but what we do know is that she needs some TLC. She appears to be about 30 years old and has a body condition score of 2/9.
Dr. Renner from Rainland Farm Equine came out when she arrived to make sure she was stable and to check on a hip issue. She has generalized muscle atrophy from the neglect, but the right side of her hindquarters is significantly more atrophied than the left, and she is quite lame on that leg. Dr. Renner did an ultrasound to see if he could find a hip fracture, but found nothing obvious. The ultrasound did show some arthritis there though, and clearly something happened to her to cause significant damage. It has been recommended that we give her a month of good care to see if she can recover to the point of not living in pain.
Callista is farther along in her re-feeding process than Cyrus, Rowan, or Anakin were when they came. However, she is still on a strict feeding protocol of pre-weighed alfalfa hay for the next few weeks. She is also on strict quarantine to protect her from any diseases that might jeopardize her rehabilitation and to protect the herd if she’s harboring anything contagious.
She’s on some good pain meds, and her wounds are being treated daily. She’s also on antibiotics because one of her wounds is infected. So we’re keeping her as comfortable as we can. Hopefully we can get her through this rough patch and on her way to a happier life.
She was christened with the name Callista by a SAFE volunteer who won the naming rights in a drawing at our holiday party last January. She has a star in the shape of a crescent moon, so her new name comes from the name of one of Jupiter’s moons. We think it fits her perfectly!
If you want to take an active role in Callista’s recovery, why not become her sponsor? You can sign up at http://safekeepers.safehorses.org to make an automatic monthly donation and help this sweet lady on her way to a wonderful new life.
