Meet Raven

Raven on the left.....the day we brought her home. Raven on the right, the day she went to her forever home.

Raven, a seven year old Standardbred mare, came to us through an owner surrender. Her owners were no longer able to care for her, so they were trying to sell her before they took her to an auction. Abby and I drove 3 hours each way to see her. When we got there, we knew immediately something neurological was wrong with her, even though they had a vet there the day before, with us on Facetime to do a pre-sale evaluation. Clearly, the vet didn't tell us everything, which is sad. But we were there, and we weren't going to let them take her to auction. We didn't pay the amount they were asking, we basically gave them enough to cover the vet bill and brought her back to the rescue. She was very sweet, easy to be around, super thankful for room to move around, and happy to be with us.

We had the vet out immediately, and we tested her for neurological issues. She tested positive for EPM, which is not a death sentence with horses, and most horses around here have it, they just don't show symptoms. Stress, change in environment, another illness, or pain can cause it to flare up. This h

orse had been moved four times in a year. That would do it!

So, medication for EPM is $1000.00. It is only needed for the first 30 days, and then the symptoms are either gone, or they will always be there. The horse will always test positive for EPM once they have it. We decided to try to find her a person who would love her, give her the exercise and attention she needed, and were so blessed to have someone contact us who would give her exactly that! After a few visits, and one that involved a choking incident and a vet visit, her new owner decided she was hers! It takes a special person to adopt a horse with any type of issues, but to actually be there when something went wrong, stick it out for 6 hours until the horse was better, and then still want to adopt her.....THAT person is an angel!

We have been getting good updates about Raven. Her new owner is very patient with her and they are working towards her being able to go on the trails. We are super thankful for her adoption and the part we played in helping them find each other.