Our farrier is a pretty cool woman!

Our farrier is a pretty cool woman. In addition to her farrier work, she also creates anatomical models of legs that have been sent all over the world. While "normal" legs are helpful - she really enjoys creating models of legs with pathologies which are able to help vets and farriers visualize what various ailments do to the bone structures, helping them develop new treatment and trimming/shoeing options.

 

The ones that she is able to use to educate the most belong to the horses she has personally trimmed for years and knows the history of the horse. This extremely unique and as she says "wonky" leg belonged to one of our beloved horses that we said goodbye to this fall, Raven, and we are grateful that she will continue to make an impact through Amanda's work.

 

Another thing this shows, however, is that x-rays and disabilities aren't always a black and white situation. Many people would have looked at Raven's wonky leg and x-rays and euthanized her - and a case could definitely be made for that. But if you met Raven, you would never have noticed her leg. She was 22 when we said goodbye, and while her leg and the approaching winter was a consideration, it was not ultimately the reason we said goodbye.

 

Raven was a happy, strong, kind horse who ran and played in pasture, even though she was blind. Unless we pointed it out or you really looked, her leg was not what you would notice - she had no limp. She developed this issue very young and her body compensated for it. She was never a riding horse, as she was just a pet to her original owners, and perhaps if she was that would have affected things, but as a pet and companion she did just fine.

 

Not every rescue has the support to allow horses like Raven to live out their natural lives with no expectations, but thanks to your support and a lot of great homes willing to give horses like Raven a pasture pal life, we have been lucky to be able to offer them a good life and say goodbye when it was time. And thanks to our farrier and the various vets we've worked with, we're also lucky that several of our horses have gone on to be able to educate whether through sharing of their records ... or through this very unique service.

We just thought this might be something you'd like to see, as we find it extremely interesting and educational.