Interesting Stories and Situations on Rainbow Gate Farm!
Hello! This page is not for the faint at heart! Over the time we have raised horses, we have come
across a number of unusual or different situations and some of them are documented here! Injuries,
diseases, foaling situations - you might find it here.
In all cases we worked closely with our vets, and these stories and treatments are written here for
interest only. Please contact your own vet and follow their advice if your horse is sick or injured.
across a number of unusual or different situations and some of them are documented here! Injuries,
diseases, foaling situations - you might find it here.
In all cases we worked closely with our vets, and these stories and treatments are written here for
interest only. Please contact your own vet and follow their advice if your horse is sick or injured.
Misty on left in the summer of 2003
Misty's Story- the
fight against cancer.
fight against cancer.
Misty's story has a sad ending. Misty was put down due to advanced un-curable skin cancer on June 7th
2004.
By posting her story I hope maybe someone might see this and perhaps save their own mare before it is
too late, as it was for Misty. Skin cancer in horses is not rare but it does often go unrecognised. Misty
was seen by four different vets over a course of two years. Only the last one to see her correctly
diagnosed her cancer on sight, which was confirmed by biopsy. When I read back over her record card, it
saddens me to think she could have been treated and lived.
We first purchased Misty in 2002 with a three month old colt by her side. We were told she had torn
during delivery of her colt, and the vet had recommended not breeding her back until it healed up. We
brought her home and waited, meanwhile applying antibiotic cream to the area and giving her systemic
antibiotics also. Three months later there was no improvment, in fact it looked worse. We had the vet
see her again. They gave us some special ointment for it and told us it was okay to go ahead and breed
her. We bred her to Mr Golden Bonanza, and on 9/5/02 she was confirmed in foal. As the weather
cooled down there seemed to be some improvement in her vulval area, and she wintered well.
The next spring it became obvious that she had slipped the foal. Note that in July and also in August of
2002 she was given two doses of WEST NILE VACCINE. We have repeatedly had mares vaccinated in
early pregnancy lose foals after being vaccinated with this vaccine. We no longer use it on mares within
the first two trimesters of pregnancy.
EARLY 2003 -We had her seen by the vet again for the ever lingering "infection" in her vulval area.. It
was recommended that we only breed her AI in 2003 but that it was okay to breed her. Meanwhile we
kept trying everything we could think of on her sore open "wound". We tried the vets "mixtures", blue
coat,red coat, antibiotic cream, oral antibiotics.....nothing worked. In July and August she was given two
courses of sulpha.
At this point we still had no idea we were dealing with cancer. Again it seemed to improve slightly
through the cooler months. Misty maintained good condition.
On September 26th 2003 Misty was seen by Dr Dave Connell for the first time. How we would wish we
had gotten Dave to look at her the year before.
He confirmed her 60 days pregnant. He also told us that he was 99% positive that the "wound" that
didn't heal was cancer. He took a sample of tissue for a biopsy and sent it in to the lab. It was skin
cancer. It had now spread to her lymph nodes. Inoperable. The recommendation of the lab was to foal
the mare in early 2004 and put her down immediately.
Once again Misty improved throughout the winter. In late May 2004 just weeks before she was due to
foal Misty began to go downhill. She began to lose weight dramatically and no longer even looked
pregnant. Still hoping to save the foal we tried everything to help her, giving her as much grain as we
could with corn oil and probiotic supplements, but within another week it was obvious she was suffering
terribly. Within two days she went from drinking and eating well to refusing all food and drink, and we
put her down. The vets considered the foal's chance of survival was minimal having suffered through it's
dam's ravaging cancer so we did not attempt to deliver the foal if indeed it was still there. We will never
know.
HERE IS WHAT WE LEARNED WITH MISTY:
Our vets are good vets yet not only ours but Misty's previous owner's vet all missed her true diagnosis.
IF Misty had been diagnosed after foaling in 2002 the cancer was of a size where it would have been
operable and could have been removed. A year later it was so massive it was impossible to remove.
WHITE RUMP MARES ARE AT RISK - Mares with white rump areas are at high risk of developing
skin cancer. It usually appears at first looking like a small sore that will not heal. For some reason they
often appear near the vulval area of a mare, probably because this area is in direct line with the sun.
Below is a photo of Misty's cancer. It is NOT a pretty sight. Hope this information saves someone
else's horse.
2004.
By posting her story I hope maybe someone might see this and perhaps save their own mare before it is
too late, as it was for Misty. Skin cancer in horses is not rare but it does often go unrecognised. Misty
was seen by four different vets over a course of two years. Only the last one to see her correctly
diagnosed her cancer on sight, which was confirmed by biopsy. When I read back over her record card, it
saddens me to think she could have been treated and lived.
We first purchased Misty in 2002 with a three month old colt by her side. We were told she had torn
during delivery of her colt, and the vet had recommended not breeding her back until it healed up. We
brought her home and waited, meanwhile applying antibiotic cream to the area and giving her systemic
antibiotics also. Three months later there was no improvment, in fact it looked worse. We had the vet
see her again. They gave us some special ointment for it and told us it was okay to go ahead and breed
her. We bred her to Mr Golden Bonanza, and on 9/5/02 she was confirmed in foal. As the weather
cooled down there seemed to be some improvement in her vulval area, and she wintered well.
The next spring it became obvious that she had slipped the foal. Note that in July and also in August of
2002 she was given two doses of WEST NILE VACCINE. We have repeatedly had mares vaccinated in
early pregnancy lose foals after being vaccinated with this vaccine. We no longer use it on mares within
the first two trimesters of pregnancy.
EARLY 2003 -We had her seen by the vet again for the ever lingering "infection" in her vulval area.. It
was recommended that we only breed her AI in 2003 but that it was okay to breed her. Meanwhile we
kept trying everything we could think of on her sore open "wound". We tried the vets "mixtures", blue
coat,red coat, antibiotic cream, oral antibiotics.....nothing worked. In July and August she was given two
courses of sulpha.
At this point we still had no idea we were dealing with cancer. Again it seemed to improve slightly
through the cooler months. Misty maintained good condition.
On September 26th 2003 Misty was seen by Dr Dave Connell for the first time. How we would wish we
had gotten Dave to look at her the year before.
He confirmed her 60 days pregnant. He also told us that he was 99% positive that the "wound" that
didn't heal was cancer. He took a sample of tissue for a biopsy and sent it in to the lab. It was skin
cancer. It had now spread to her lymph nodes. Inoperable. The recommendation of the lab was to foal
the mare in early 2004 and put her down immediately.
Once again Misty improved throughout the winter. In late May 2004 just weeks before she was due to
foal Misty began to go downhill. She began to lose weight dramatically and no longer even looked
pregnant. Still hoping to save the foal we tried everything to help her, giving her as much grain as we
could with corn oil and probiotic supplements, but within another week it was obvious she was suffering
terribly. Within two days she went from drinking and eating well to refusing all food and drink, and we
put her down. The vets considered the foal's chance of survival was minimal having suffered through it's
dam's ravaging cancer so we did not attempt to deliver the foal if indeed it was still there. We will never
know.
HERE IS WHAT WE LEARNED WITH MISTY:
Our vets are good vets yet not only ours but Misty's previous owner's vet all missed her true diagnosis.
IF Misty had been diagnosed after foaling in 2002 the cancer was of a size where it would have been
operable and could have been removed. A year later it was so massive it was impossible to remove.
WHITE RUMP MARES ARE AT RISK - Mares with white rump areas are at high risk of developing
skin cancer. It usually appears at first looking like a small sore that will not heal. For some reason they
often appear near the vulval area of a mare, probably because this area is in direct line with the sun.
Below is a photo of Misty's cancer. It is NOT a pretty sight. Hope this information saves someone
else's horse.
Misty in early March of 2003. Here
she was still holding her condition
well.
she was still holding her condition
well.
Here is Misty in summer of 2003.
She is licking on a high protein lick
tub.
She is licking on a high protein lick
tub.
The cancer by early summer 2004. We now know that the reason
she tore when foaling in 2002 was DUE to the cancer already
there weakening the area. If your mare tears during foaling...this
might be something to consider and get checked out right away.
she tore when foaling in 2002 was DUE to the cancer already
there weakening the area. If your mare tears during foaling...this
might be something to consider and get checked out right away.
Annie's Story
Annie is a yearling purebred Arabian filly who was injured as a weanling in a freak
accident in which she climbed through boards and into a cement feed bunk flipping upside
down and breaking her knee. She went through a long period of recovery and there were
many times that she came within a day of being put down. Infections raged in her wounds
and she could not stand without support for almost six weeks. The vets did not believe
she would be able to weight bear or use her knee ever again and were fearful that it would
fuse solid.
Well Annie proved them all wrong. The months and months of nursing her back to health
in a stall were well worth it. Look at her below flying through the pasture with her knee
both extended and bent! The best part is that she still likes us after all the shots, prods
and times we had to force her to her feet when she just wanted to lay there and die but
look at her go now!
accident in which she climbed through boards and into a cement feed bunk flipping upside
down and breaking her knee. She went through a long period of recovery and there were
many times that she came within a day of being put down. Infections raged in her wounds
and she could not stand without support for almost six weeks. The vets did not believe
she would be able to weight bear or use her knee ever again and were fearful that it would
fuse solid.
Well Annie proved them all wrong. The months and months of nursing her back to health
in a stall were well worth it. Look at her below flying through the pasture with her knee
both extended and bent! The best part is that she still likes us after all the shots, prods
and times we had to force her to her feet when she just wanted to lay there and die but
look at her go now!
GO ANNIE! When
first injured the vet
told us he doubted she
would ever be able to
weight bear again on
her broken
knee........well he was
very happy that she
proved him wrong!!!!!
first injured the vet
told us he doubted she
would ever be able to
weight bear again on
her broken
knee........well he was
very happy that she
proved him wrong!!!!!
Thanks for looking....any questions
please e-mail us at
anderegg@alpinecom.net
please e-mail us at
anderegg@alpinecom.net