Dedicated Dreamer

Post Reply
Montana91
Registered Guest
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 3:10 pm
Real Name (first and last name): Donna Manley

Dedicated Dreamer

Post by Montana91 »

In her day she was a cute little white pony with a long mane and tail, and had probably been some child’s first adored pony. The little girl out grew her shiny pony and who knows where she ended up between that time and now. Once the truck to Canada was loaded, she was among the horses left in pens waiting for uncertain fate. She appeared on an “end of the line” Facebook page. Anyone can give an amount for “bail” and take any of these leftover horses away.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Soderberg Straub, founder and president of Dorset Equine Rescue in East Dorset, Vermont, had seen two ponies on the site and decided she had to go get them. Borrowing a trailer, Jen and her husband made the 18-hour round trip and one night stay over, to rescue the ponies. The little white pony was desperately underweight, had neglected overgrown hooves, a growth on her hip and patches of skin without fur typical of Cushing’s. She had trouble chewing and a few missing teeth, a testament to her malnutrition.

She was named Lorelei and quarantined with the other pony, Coco, to wait for the vet and farrier to determine their conditions. In the meantime, Lorelei refused to eat anything other than hay where it end up in her cheeks and had to be removed daily. The good news was her hooves just needed trimming and were in relatively good shape.

With the vet visit came news of her health. Her teeth had been neglected for years making eating difficult and painful due to sharp points on her teeth. One tooth was infected and needed a painful and difficult extraction. To rid her tiny body of all the parasites a two-week dose of antibiotics was prescribed, and a series of wormings. Several baths helped in trying to eradicate the lice in her coat. As suspected she has Cushing’s, a thyroid condition, which through drug therapy can fortunately be a livable disease. The large growth on her right hip was diagnosed as cancer, but thankfully is not spreading. The growth does not impede her movement making no sense of surgical removal.

Within two weeks at the Dorset Equine Rescue she already started to look better. Her coat began growing; she began eating her hay happily and became a little more comfortable around people. Maybe she knows she’s being taken care of by people who want to care for her and help her find a caring home. After four months she’s much more open and trusting of people. During the summer months she started eating pellets and gaining weight. Her coat evened out with clipping and medication. She even began trotting around the pasture for no reason other than she could and had the energy to do so.

Jen’s life-long dream of establishing an equine rescue finally came true a little over a year ago. Her attitude of “nothing is impossible, but everything is probable” fuels her imaginative fundraising events. With the support of her husband Chip, who spent many hours of hard labor building a new watering system in a ledge-filled area, and dedicated friends and volunteers, the newly formed rescue is gaining momentum with eleven horses finding forever homes through Jen’s dedicated dreaming.

For more information on the Dorset Equine Rescue, a 501(c) rescue, go to their website at thedorsetequinerescue.org or their Facebook page.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Montana91
Registered Guest
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 3:10 pm
Real Name (first and last name): Donna Manley

Horses in Need Documentary Project 2014

Post by Montana91 »

Dedicated Dreamer
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by Montana91 on Mon Feb 02, 2015 10:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
Montana91
Registered Guest
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 3:10 pm
Real Name (first and last name): Donna Manley

Re: Horses in Need Documentary Project 2014

Post by Montana91 »

Dedicated Dreamer
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Montana91
Registered Guest
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 3:10 pm
Real Name (first and last name): Donna Manley

Re: Dedicated Dreamer

Post by Montana91 »

Dedicated Dreamer
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Montana91
Registered Guest
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 3:10 pm
Real Name (first and last name): Donna Manley

Re: Dedicated Dreamer

Post by Montana91 »

Dedicated Dreamer
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Post Reply

Return to “Horses in Need Documentary Photo Project 2014”