{"id":329,"date":"2010-08-10T01:12:02","date_gmt":"2010-08-10T01:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rvhr.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=329"},"modified":"2025-05-14T16:58:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T20:58:06","slug":"blairs-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rvhr.com\/wordpress\/blairs-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Blair’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"blair<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

(for updated photo’s of Blair and Ripley click link at the end of the story)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blair\u2019s Story<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Shannon Moore<\/span><\/p>\n

Blair is a very pretty copper penny chestnut mare, who arrived at Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue Inc. under very\u00a0tragic circumstances. On Saturday, July 5th<\/sup>, 2003, she was being hauled to a new location in an unsafe trailer.\u00a0 Holes in the\u00a0trailer floor\u00a0were “over-looked” by the transporter, and Blair managed to get a hoof through the floor boards. As a result,\u00a0her left\u00a0hind leg\u00a0was dragged against the road for an unknown number of miles. Fortunately, a policeman\u00a0stopped the driver, and Blair was able to escape. She literally\u00a0broke out of the trailer once it\u00a0was stopped.\u00a0 Dr. Tanya Hatchett of Clover Creek Animal Health was called to the scene to assess Blair’s injuries. Her right hind leg suffered comparatively minor damage, with a skinned area on her pastern joint.\u00a0 Her left hind leg, however, was not as fortunate. The constant dragging of the front of her pastern abraded away the front of\u00a0her pastern\u00a0joint.\u00a0 This quite literally\u00a0burned away the lowest end of her cannon bone, and the highest end of her long pastern bone, called\u00a0the P-1. See diagram below.<\/p>\n

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This injury left\u00a0her with a hole in the front of her joint about the size of a tennis ball, with no stability left in the joint itself.\u00a0 Had Blair put her hoof down through the hole allowing her sole, or bottom of her hoof, to drag along the road, she would have had no lower limb left.\u00a0 This would have meant certain euthanasia.<\/p>\n

To view photos of Blair’s injuries,\u00a0<\/span>Click Here<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0WARNING:<\/strong> <\/span>The images are graphic abuse photos<\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dr. Hatchett called\u00a0us as she left the scene of the incident, stating that Blair’s chances for recovery were slim. But there was something about this little mare that asked for that second chance. \u00a0Arrangements were made, and\u00a0she arrived at RVHR Inc.’s facility\u00a0on the evening of July 7th<\/sup>. She was thirsty, very thin, scared, and in a\u00a0great deal\u00a0of pain from both hind legs.\u00a0\u00a0Antibiotic treatment\u00a0immediately\u00a0began\u00a0followed by\u00a0gradual cooling of her body. Not only was she in pain\u00a0from an easily preventable grievous injury, she\u00a0was 250 to 300 pounds underweight as well.<\/p>\n

On the first bandage change and cold hosing, the full extent of her injuries became apparent to us. The damage was shocking to us all, and an amazing lesson in living, working anatomy. Knowing that this deeply traumatic injury is unbearably painful — think of a broken bone with the ends grinding together with exposed nerve endings —\u00a0Blair still<\/em>\u00a0offered little\u00a0resistance to having her wounds treated. Dr. Hatchett was truly amazed at her progress\u00a0during her first visit with her at RVHR Inc. when she took x-rays and formed a splint to support the remainder of\u00a0the joint. Blair\u00a0was able to quickly regenerate flesh to cover the exposed bones. Thankfully, we have able to prevent infection\u00a0to tissue and bone,\u00a0and in doing so greatly improve her\u00a0chance for recovery.\u00a0\u00a0She has proved to be a tough mare, and continues to be\u00a0highly motivated to heal and remain with us for her rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

Time will tell how Blair\u2019s recovery will go. At the time of this writing, her prognosis is guarded, but looking better. She is in a splint, on an intensive treatment program, and taking antibiotic therapy. Her will to live is clearly evident as is her appetite!<\/p>\n

The purpose of sharing this story with all of you is not to seek sympathy, but to again raise the awareness\u00a0of horse owners as they trailer their animals during busy horse show seasons. This incident could have been easily prevented by properly performing trailer maintenance, and by doing a thorough check on the condition of the floor. Next time you need to move your horse, when you’re checking your trailer\u00a0for the usual things such as brakes and lights,\u00a0please take an extra ten minutes to test the soundness of the floor.\u00a0 Had this simple prevention measure been performed, Blair would never have had to deal with such pain, nor would her survival during the next 3 to 4 months have ever\u00a0been in such serious doubt to start with.<\/p>\n

Remember, check your trailer well several times a season. Have a list of veternarians and their phone numbers with you as you travel. Don\u2019t hesitate to call the police for further assistance.\u00a0Carry on hand\u00a0some basic medical supplies such as vet wrap, several sizes of gauze pads, extra stall bandages and quilts, duct tape, sterile saline solution, sharp knife or scissors, and an extra halter and lead rope. A fire extinguisher is a good idea as well. Your local fire department will\u00a0assist you in choosing the right extinguisher to carry in your rig, as well as how to use it. While you are at the fire department,\u00a0ask if an\u00a0EMT\u00a0can give you some tips and hints on how to wrap a limb in a pressure bandage.<\/p>\n

Check back with RVHR Inc. \u00a0for updates on Blair. Donations of stall bandages, quilts, and polo wraps to help support her legs will be graciously accepted.\u00a0Donations towards her medical expenses would be most welcome as well. Dr. Hatchett has generously donated her services, but we need to pay the cost of Blair\u2019s antibiotics, medical supplies, feed and hay.<\/p>\n

Update – 08\/04\/03 –\u00a0Blair’s leg is healing well.\u00a0\u00a0She is in a full cast in hopes that the bones in her leg will fuse together to give her\u00a0support to stand. It is still unknown if\u00a0she will be in pain once the bones do fuse.\u00a0 At this time we are hoping for the best for her.<\/p>\n

Thank You<\/em>\u00a0to those of you\u00a0who have donated various products\u00a0to help Blair in her recovery.<\/p>\n

Update – 10\/08\/03 – \u00a0Blair’s leg is healing well. She is out of her cast.\u00a0 Her wound\u00a0has almost covered over with new skin.\u00a0\u00a0 X-rays will show if the bones have fused together.\u00a0\u00a0 As of today she is making progress of putting her weight back on\u00a0the injured leg.\u00a0 She is doing physical therapy everyday with stretching of her leg.\u00a0 A metal support cast has been made for\u00a0her to help her support\u00a0her body weight\u00a0as she begins to add\u00a0pounds to her very thin body.<\/p>\n

Thanks to all who helped Blair during her incident this past July. \u00a0RVHR Inc. was surprised to find out on 3\/1\/04 that Blair will be delivering her foal very soon.\u00a0 We hope that with good feed and supplements Blair and\u00a0her foal\u00a0will be fine.<\/p>\n

She has recovered well from her trailer incident and is now able to hold her weight well on both back legs.\u00a0\u00a0At this time she\u00a0is not on any medications. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Story Continues:<\/p>\n