I've been debating how to share with you all the information I have of this amazing creature we've dubbed Angus Og, whether by facebook, website or blog. Then I realized that when you look Angus in the eye, you can see he has a story all his own to tell. Who knows what this horse as seen and done, or what has been done to him, but now he has found himself with us. For good of for bad, it's still his story, and so as a story it shall be told. So here goes...
Off to see a man about a... carriage?
It all started two weeks ago (May 2014) when Joe and I spotted a too-good-to-be-true deal on a horse carriage on Craigslist not too far from here. We scrambled to email the owners and got an appointment to check it out on Sunday afternoon. The price was fantastic, and I had longed to get into carriage driving with our Shire gelding Hero for some time, it being one of the few major things on my bucket list, so we took our trailer with us and had high hopes.
Once there we met a lovely couple planning a move soon and selling some of their driving equipment. We bought the carriage on sight (it's simply lovely) and were making a deal on some harness when the owner and I got to talking about Shire horses. I never miss an opportunity to brag about Hero, so we chatted and she mentioned she had a Shire too, but one who needed a new home. I instantly perked up, hoping against hope to get another Shire, and then she mentioned her boy had... some problems.
Once there we met a lovely couple planning a move soon and selling some of their driving equipment. We bought the carriage on sight (it's simply lovely) and were making a deal on some harness when the owner and I got to talking about Shire horses. I never miss an opportunity to brag about Hero, so we chatted and she mentioned she had a Shire too, but one who needed a new home. I instantly perked up, hoping against hope to get another Shire, and then she mentioned her boy had... some problems.
The Disclaimer
I pause here in our story to make some important clarifications. The folks who gave us Angus were very nice, normal people. Horse people, but horses were not their main business. When someone sees a horse like Angus, in the condition he is in, most instantly see red and start getting very upset. I can see how they would, his body condition is awful and he looks severely neglected. I don't know how many more days he would have lasted like that. However, not all horse owners who have horses like this are mean, evil abusers. These folks were obviously out of their abilities or expertise to care for Angus' problems. He needs daily care, a monitored and changeable diet and close supervision that they just couldn't provide. Should they have found him a new home sooner? maybe. Should they have worked on the things they could have done more easily, like his feet and teeth? yea, probably. But there was obviously something more wrong here, and for whatever reason this horse and these owners did not work out. I refuse to condemn them as abusive, although the equine management background I have screams with every siren possible that this could have been prevented. However, they could have just as easily given him to the meat buyers, or put a bullet in his head and called him done, and either could have been a foreseeable future for him, second only to a slow, starving death. But they didn't allow any of those things, and I believe that means something. So, this is all I'll say about the owners, and end it here; I'm glad they trusted us, total strangers, to take Angus in and give him another chance.
Problems and History
Angus has a condition called EPSM- Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy. EPSM is a genetic predisposition found in horses that fail to digest grains properly. The result leads to damage to muscle tissue during exertion. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of all draft horses have the predisposition for EPSM, and it certainly can be fatal. There is quite a bit of research on this disease, but in laymans terms (and non-horse people terms) it can be easier described as diabetes for horses. Horses with EPSM seem not to be able to derive adequate muscle energy from carbohydrates, the main source of energy in grains, sweet feeds, and pelleted horse feeds. The treatment for this disease is (wait for it...) simple, good, natural horse food! Low carbs and starches and high fat through added oil so the horse can process energy from fat instead of sugar. Good hay, grass pasture, clean water and some added fats such as canola and soybean oil have been proven to do the trick. And the other important treatment- exercise!
As the previous owners stood there talking about how this horse needed special help, all I could think about was that I had everything Angus needs- a few good pastures, a corral where he can eat a special diet by himself and not have his food stolen by other horses, a friend for him named Hero and lots and lots of education from my Ag degree screaming to be put to use. I was giddy with excitement, and the past owners offered to deliver him to us that evening.
And so, Angus arrived. Why did we name him Angus? Well, our darling daughter Evie, queen of the Disney Princesses, took one look at this huge horse (with absolutely no fear whatsoever) and screeched "MOM, HE LOOKS JUST LIKE ANGUS FROM BRAVE!" Henceforth, Angus. We added the Angus Og bit, since we have a bit of a tradition here of naming horses after religious deities of all faiths. Angus Og is the Irish God of Love.
BTW, there are lots of wonderful articles and books on EPSM and the main veterinarian who researched it, Dr Beth Valentine, DVM PhD. Read more about it here and I'll be mentioning it more as Angus' treatment progresses.
And so, Angus arrived. Why did we name him Angus? Well, our darling daughter Evie, queen of the Disney Princesses, took one look at this huge horse (with absolutely no fear whatsoever) and screeched "MOM, HE LOOKS JUST LIKE ANGUS FROM BRAVE!" Henceforth, Angus. We added the Angus Og bit, since we have a bit of a tradition here of naming horses after religious deities of all faiths. Angus Og is the Irish God of Love.
BTW, there are lots of wonderful articles and books on EPSM and the main veterinarian who researched it, Dr Beth Valentine, DVM PhD. Read more about it here and I'll be mentioning it more as Angus' treatment progresses.
It Takes A Village
So Angus spent his first night here in our dry lot, pacing back and forth, barely eating and nervous about all this new stuff going on. That Monday morning I went out to look at him and he would barely stop pacing to notice me. His manners, especially for such a large horse, were lacking in my opinion. And up close with no one else around I could take my time to get a good look at him. I began to get that sick, sinking feeling you get when you think you may have bitten off more than you can chew.
But then the cavalry started to show up. Firstly, my friend Angela who was just as excited as I was about tackling this project horse. She came armed with lots of extra knowledge only gained when one has rescued countless other horses, some even in worse shape than our Angus. She also is my go-to gal when it comes to supplements and home remedies. She gave me the motivation to get started and we haltered this behemoth and decided that a shave and a hair cut were the first things on Angus' schedule for the day.
My husband Joe is another major part of this equation. The fact that he didn't turn down the idea of taking on Angus right there and then in that owners yard told me he was on board and would do what he could to help. And he's much more than just a pretty face- Joe has years of horseshoeing and trimming experience from when he was younger, before a broken lower back and shoulder surgery made trimming horses continuously out of the question. He was to be invaluable that first Monday when we finally got a close look at Angus' feet.
And then there is Jules and Katrina. Julie (Jules) Womack is our resident expert on barefoot trimming and Katrina Paplovich is our local equine therapy guru. Literally, these two women can work wonders diagnosing equine problems and coming up with avenues of treatment. Jules has already started helping us, and I know as soon as I can get Katrina out to see Angus (I'm hoping he puts a little more weight on and his feet get better first) she will make him much more comfortable.
And lastly, there are my plethora of facebook friends and family. Whether they are horse people or not, they have been supporting us from day one and it feels so wonderful to have them asking about Angus and encouraging us on. It will literally take a village to get this horse back to health.
But then the cavalry started to show up. Firstly, my friend Angela who was just as excited as I was about tackling this project horse. She came armed with lots of extra knowledge only gained when one has rescued countless other horses, some even in worse shape than our Angus. She also is my go-to gal when it comes to supplements and home remedies. She gave me the motivation to get started and we haltered this behemoth and decided that a shave and a hair cut were the first things on Angus' schedule for the day.
My husband Joe is another major part of this equation. The fact that he didn't turn down the idea of taking on Angus right there and then in that owners yard told me he was on board and would do what he could to help. And he's much more than just a pretty face- Joe has years of horseshoeing and trimming experience from when he was younger, before a broken lower back and shoulder surgery made trimming horses continuously out of the question. He was to be invaluable that first Monday when we finally got a close look at Angus' feet.
And then there is Jules and Katrina. Julie (Jules) Womack is our resident expert on barefoot trimming and Katrina Paplovich is our local equine therapy guru. Literally, these two women can work wonders diagnosing equine problems and coming up with avenues of treatment. Jules has already started helping us, and I know as soon as I can get Katrina out to see Angus (I'm hoping he puts a little more weight on and his feet get better first) she will make him much more comfortable.
And lastly, there are my plethora of facebook friends and family. Whether they are horse people or not, they have been supporting us from day one and it feels so wonderful to have them asking about Angus and encouraging us on. It will literally take a village to get this horse back to health.
Feet First
Now back to Angus' first days here. I've tried to photograph as much as I can on his beginning condition so we have something to compare to. I've yet to weight him, but his body condition is so bad I can assume he is around 1400lbs just due to his frame and bone size, and he should weight about 2000lbs. His coat was dull and scratchy and it seemed he hadn't finished shedding out all his winter hair. The dander on his coat and in his hair was just gross, but it was the caved-in appearance of his flanks and the protruding sternum than just make me cringe whenever I looked at him. We groomed him as best we could, trimmed his forelock so he could see and pulled the knots out of his tail. Then we tackled his feathers, and that's when we finally noticed how bad his feet were.
We had to shave his feathers as best we could to get a better look, and we were shocked with what we found. He looks as though his feet have not been taken care of in some years. Cracks, overgrown frogs, dished out hoof wall, separated and stretched laminate, outrageously thick hoof walls- you name it, he has it. Joe tackled the hardest of the problems in the hopes that we could get him through a few days before Jules could come out. Between the two of them brainstorming his feet, we will get him though this, but it will have to be a little at a time.
Throughout all this "Spa Day" care, which took about 5 hours in all with each hoof trimmed, Angus was a perfect gentlemen and at one point even fell asleep. We were amazed at how calm he became once we started working on him, after spending the night pacing.
Throughout all this "Spa Day" care, which took about 5 hours in all with each hoof trimmed, Angus was a perfect gentlemen and at one point even fell asleep. We were amazed at how calm he became once we started working on him, after spending the night pacing.
At the end of it all, we trailered him to one of the best pastures we had to give him a few days to acclimate and just eat. Day one down, countless to go. The next task, which took me a few days to research fully, would be Angus' new diet.