Meet Branson...
Branson is a 22 year old Hanoverian gelding that we have recently taken in here at Meadowlark. He came to us on trial as a rehabilitation project, after a combination of long-term equine scoliosis and the aftermath of Potomac horse fever, and was unfortunately he was both unsound and underweight.
Flash forward three weeks and Branson has made some serious strides toward recovery. After some really stellar chiropractic work, as well as a barefoot trim (from a very talented local equine podiatrist), as well as a variety of high-calorie feeds, mashes, supplements and ration balancers, he is now lunging on both leads with very little sign of unsoundness and showing slight signs of weight gain.
(Here is a video of Branson's recent progress - looking much more comfortable!)
Unfortunately, Branson has recently been diagnosed with EOTRH, or Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis. Basically this disease causes the roots at the bases of the horse's incisors to essentially disintegrate, while simultaneously laying down excessive calcification at the root.Eventually the horse's teeth become loose and very sore as the nerves become agitated from the instability of the roots. It's an incredibly painful degenerative disease and unfortunately the only way to treat it is to extract the affected teeth and calcification. Horses with this disease have a hard time gaining weight due to pain while eating, and in advanced cases the teeth can actually disintegrate to the point where they begin to sink into the flesh, causing other complications and infection.
In the photo to the right you can see that he has broken blood vessels and the teeth look especially long. The concerning part is the lumpy top area of his gums, since this is actually hypercalcification of the tooth roots.
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In light of the massive looming vet bills for this poor chap, we have decided to help run fundraisers to help cover his surgery, including the release of three exclusive t-shirts! Below are the different designs for the t-shirts. The first run of shirts will all be on dark grey heathered t-shirt, each with a different color of ink.
We aren't sure if Branson will ever gain soundness and condition enough to be a ridden regularly again, but we are happy to help raise funds so that this sweet old boy can be comfortable as he lives out his days.
Branson's previous owner cannot provide the surgery for him, herself, and since it is a question of quality of life we have decided to do what we can to get him what he needs.
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Shirts will be available in early October, but you can place your order now by clicking the button below! Be sure to fill out your Shirt design and Shirt size with your paypal order, or we cannot guarantee that you'll get what you want.
Check out our designs and place your order below:
Or if you prefer, you can click below to donate any amount toward Branson's surgery:
Here is an example of the size and placing of the image on a dark grey heather t-shirt.
Please direct all inquiries to Emily Jenkins. If you would like to follow Branson's progress, please visit Emily's training blog at: http://emjequine.blogspot.com/
