Dixie Is Developing a New Talent

Without going into it deep, we had a miniature foal that couldn't latch on to get milk. The mare developed mastitis so I tried to get a different mare to adopt the foal. Somehow the foal got stepped on by the mare and popped her knee out of joint. I pulled on it and it popped back in but it seemed the knee cap had broken off or something. It also started to have severe diarrhea. The vet thought it best to put her down. He said if you want to take a chance he could give it a steroid and antibiotic shot. He gave us a tube of stuff to help the diarrhea. We had brought her in the house where we could feed her without getting dressed in the night.

Dixie is and has not been keen on doing anything with the horses unless she can't get out of helping me. After helping feed the little filly a coupla days and after she thought it might have to be put down she has made it a project to do research and try to see if she can keep that from happening.
I think she has succeeded. The filly was keeping both hind legs drawn up from the time she was stepped on. Dixie was feeding her a bottle with the filly laying over her lap and the filly would go to sleep. Dixie took one leg and slowly pulled it down straight and rubbed it. then she did the other the same way and the filly did not draw them back up while she was asleep. The swelling of the knee is gone and she will drop her legs down straight while taking the bottle. When she trys to stand she will not straighten them out.
Anyway here are some pictures.

A coupla hours after birth.

Trying to get her to latch on. Teats real small and short.


Bottle feeding today at lunch.


Sound asleep and satisfied. You can see both legs are down straight.


Down for a nap.


Later this afternoon.

aaaaaaaawwwwww

Your story warms my heart . I also wouldn't have the heart to put her down & would do about the same thing to try getting her back on her feet . I pray you & the Mrs can be successful & she lives a long energetic life of trotting around . God bless all true animal lovers . Ken

I've got a calf right now that I'd bottle feed if the cow would let me. A danged first calf heifer. She had a heck of a time having it. I finally wore her out and pulled the calf. She got up and walked off like she just took a crap. I got the calf in to the barn in some straw in a pen and went back out and got the cow.
I went back in half an hour but the calf wasn't up. I had to go to the funeral home for a visitation. I tried to bottle feed some powdered colostrum when I got home but by then the nasty blich tried to run me down. I thought it might just be the dog she was upset about,so I had the wife take him out while I put the milk in the tube feeder.
I went back in,grabbed the calf's nose and she charged me again. I opened three gates trying to get her out and couldn't. The little bugger's still down,but they're on their own for now.

There's one across the road that was born today too that I hope sucked. That miserable cow wouldn't let me near that one to vaccinate or tag it.

You and the Mrs. are to be commended Dick.

Randy I need to give you a heeler pup that would teach those old heifers some manners! Lee

Just make sure that little guy spends a lot of time with other horses. Even though they are small, they can hurt you bad when they get bigger. They need to learn their manners and a horse is the best teacher, people are too soft on them.

Best of luck!

I need something for sure! I'm getting way too old and tired to keep taking beatings like this.

What a cutie! Sincerely hope she makes it.

I agree with your decision, would have done everything I could to pull her through.