Portland

We’re happy to say that Portland’s recovery has continued and he’s now officially up to a good weight (4/9 as determined by Dr DeWard) and looking healthy. Now that he’s got plenty of good food to eat and no mean horses beating him up, he’s truly enjoying life again, which is wonderful. 

We had Portland examined by Dr Bob DeWard and asked him to evaluate Portland as a potential riding horse. SAFE board member Kyle Putnam, who is Portland’s fairy godmother, has been concerned for some time now about the battle scars that she’s observed on his legs and body, and Dr DeWard’s findings do support her suspicions that Portland may not end up being a riding horse. 

Dr DeWard determined that both of Portland’s knees are arthritic, with fairly severe reduction in range of motion in both joints. There is quite a bit of bony growth and remodeling in his knees that not only can be felt when palpating, but can also been seen when you examine his legs, and this may worsen as he gets older. Portland also has a reduced range of motion in his lower legs (fetlocks, pasterns, and coffin joints) but without the bony thickening present in his knees. He has several scars on his forelimbs as well as on his hocks. His hocks also show visual evidence of arthritis including bony thickening and remodeling. His right stifle joint is mildly to moderately filled with fluid. He appears to have suffered an injury to his sacra-iliac joint at some point in the past, with a possible fracture to the right illial wing. He has limited range of motion in his hind limbs, poor muscle tone, especially in the back & hindquarters, and is mildly swaybacked.

Dr DeWard’s opinion that this Portland would make a suitable companion animal, but is a poor candidate for riding. Competitive riding is out of the question. He says that the argument could be made that low intensity exercise under saddle would be acceptable, but he would discourage any rider over 80 pounds and strongly recommends that exercise be limited to walk only on level ground with good footing. 

On the positive side, Portland is healthy with good teeth and good feet. As long as he can stay comfortable, he should be able to enjoy life as a companion animal. He certainly deserves a safe place to live out the rest of his days in the company of humans and horses who will treat him kindly. 

If you would like to take a look at Portland’s complete medical report from Dr DeWard, you’re welcome to download it by clicking here.

Thank you to Kyle Putnam, Portland’s fairy godmother, who made this video:

So happy to share this photo of Portland who is really starting to bounce back from the neglect he suffered. Looking good, big guy!

If you have yet to meet this amazing gelding, I wanted to give you just a little taste of what it’s like to know this special horse.  I lovingly call him my “boyfriend” because he embodies a strong, caring gentleman who would undoubtedly take long walks on the beach and read poetry to you near the fire.  He is a real charmer!

In turnout, Portland plays kindheartedly with Chance and knickers in a soft low voice to the mares.  If you go to visit with him, he stands near you, even with all the grass at his feet, and lets you pet his forelock and love upon him.  To say this majestic gelding has been to war and back is an understatement. In his deep, dark eyes you can see the wisdom of an old soul.  I am truly honored to know him and astounded by his forgiveness; when some horrific man took him to the brink of death, this gentle horse can trust again and shows nothing but love and understanding.  

He has made exceptional progress gaining weight and has become quite handsome through his transformation.  His many years as a stud race horse are evident as we begin to see the definition return to his shoulders and neck.  When the mares are near him he often stands dignified and noble in an effort to show off for them.  He is downright stunning to watch passage along the fence to flirt with a passing mare.  However, at any moment when I ask him to pay attention to me or to calm down, he is very responsive and easily reconnects to what is being asked of him and relaxes to become his sweet gelding self.

I’m very happy to let everyone know that his weight and health are so well that he has been taken out to a foster home for a few months.  There he can enjoy lots of turnout and gain more weight and muscle.  I can’t wait to see how incredible he looks when he returns to Safe Harbor and is evaluated as a riding horse!  He is a gift and I am humbled to call him my friend.

These photos of Portland were taken by photographer Karen Wegehenkel at SAFE Harbor in July.

Portland got a spa day today, thanks to Terry!! Looking good!!

Portland’s condition is continuing to improve, but he is still very thin. He’s also covered in bites, scrapes, and scars — evidence of the life he was leading before he was rescued. His coat is improving and he has shown us some glimpses of spirit and energy, which is wonderful to see

In his previous life, Portland was very much on the low end of the pecking order in his herd, which is partly to blame for his emaciated condition…what little the herd was given to eat, Portland didn’t get much of it because the other horses chased him away. He’s a living reminder that many Thoroughbreds don’t do well living “the rough life” in a pasture without supplemental hay and grain. With their high metabolism, many Thoroughbreds are “hard keepers” who have difficulty keeping weight on even when given adequate care. Thoroughbreds are amazing athletes with tons of personality and heart, but they can be difficult to care for, which is why we look for adopters with Thoroughbred experience when placing one of these horses.

Here are some pictures of Portland enjoying a sunny afternoon at SAFE Harbor:

Portland is a 16 year old Thoroughbred gelding who was seized as part of a neglect case by Snohomish County Animal Control and signed over to SAFE late last week. Portland was removed from his owner with a Body Condition Score of 1 (out of 9) meaning that he was very close to starving to death when he was seized. His owner is now facing 1st Degree Animal Cruelty charges in Snohomish County.

Portland has been in Animal Control custody for the past three weeks under the care of their veterinarian and his condition has stabilized but he is still extremely thin and faces a long road to recovery. His ribs, spine, hipbones, and shoulder bones are all very prominent, he has no topline or neck muscling at all. He received farrier care while in county custody but as you’ll see from the photos below, a lot of damage has been done to his hooves due to long term neglect. He’s been treated for lice and fungus and both conditions seem to be clearing up.

In another life, Portland was a racehorse named Rose City Special, who ran 38 times with a record of 9–13‑4. He won the Oregon Sprint Championship Stakes at Portland Meadows in 2002. As for his life after the track, we don’t know much at all. We’ve been told that he belonged to a 4‑H kid who abandoned him with his previous owner, but we have no way of verifying that story. Until he has gained back the weight he has lost, we won’t know if he is rideable or not, but no matter what Portland is capable of, we are very grateful that he now has the chance for a much better life. Portland is a very sweet and gentle horse, and it’s heartbreaking to see him in such sad condition.

SAFE was also able to assist in this neglect case by persuading the property owner to allow us to bring in a veterinarian to geld his stallion, who was running free with his herd and breeding his mares. The stallion was successfully gelded about two weeks ago, and we have continued to monitor the situation to ensure that he is getting the proper aftercare. The cost of this procedure was covered by SAFE’s Community Outreach fund. We are happy to report that the former stallion is healing well and adjusting to a new life in which he will not be able to start any more unplanned equine pregnancies.

Below are more photos of Portland, taken shortly after his arrival at SAFE. He’s going to need a lot of care, and contributions to help him can be made with a tax-deductible gift to SAFE. We will keep you updated as his story progresses.