Venus is a very sweet Rocky Mountain Horse we rescued from a “rescue” in Summer 2018. Venus’ left eye was cloudy due to several wooden splinters that had she had gotten in them while turned out in the “rescue’s” rickety paddocks. No one had been checking on her so, over time, the slivers worked their way into Venus’ eyeball. The slivers had been embedded for so long that they scarred the eye tissue and permanently blinded Venus in her left eye for the rest of her life. You can read more about Venus’ rescue here.
Venus got some cool new shoes last month when she was diagnosed with founder. Our vet took radiographs to determine the extent of the rotation. Luckily the rotation wasn’t extreme, so our regular farrier, Antonio Lopez, was able to put shoes on Venus to make her feel more comfortable.
Antonio put the shoes on backwards (the round part in back) so there would be less pressure on her toe where the swelling from the laminitis is the most extreme. The backward shoe and short toe allow Venus to bend her ankle and “break over” more easily as she walks. Antonio used the radiographs to better balance her hooves with respect to the rotation of her coffin bone.
It took a few weeks, but Venus has finally started to feel like her normal self again! We have been able to lightly exercise her again, and she is feeling great! She’s also started running around her stall a little, which means that she is feeling well enough to move out on her own.
We’re not sure exactly how or why Venus became laminitic and foundered, but we’ve made sure she is on a low-sugar diet, and she is also on medication to regulate her thyroid. We’ll continue to monitor her and work with our vet to keep her healthy and comfortable!
Here’s a video below of Venus feeling so much better! (click image to view video)
Sponsor Venus: Bring Hope to Her Journey for Just $10/Month!
Your support can make a real difference in Venus’s life. For as little as $10 per month, you can help provide the care and comfort she needs to thrive. As a sponsor, you’ll receive a beautiful photo of Venus and can request updates about her progress anytime. Together, we can ensure Venus continues her inspiring journey of recovery and happiness.
Click here to become a sponsor today and be a part of Venus’s incredible story!
