Daisy & Gina
Two ponies walk towards the sun
Daisy comes from Austria and is twenty years old. Completely neglected, with extremely overgrown hooves, ignored by everyone, overlooked by everyone, she was standing in a meadow next to a children’s playground.
An animal-loving woman discovered Daisy. Her horror was followed by a matter-of-fact conversation with the previous owners. They had meant well with Daisy, but had no idea about horse husbandry. They had left Daisy standing in a grazed meadow without a shelter. How must she have suffered from pain due to her extremely overgrown hooves? She could barely walk.
The children were playing and running around in the neighbouring meadow. Daisy herself had no one to play with and no reason to whinny happily.
"The farrier was probably last there a year and a half ago ..."
In order to keep a horse’s hooves healthy, they must be trimmed and groomed daily. They must be brushed after scraping and the outer and inner frog furrows should be gently cleaned.
The perfect hoof has a smooth surface, without cracks or furrows. Ideally, the horn on the coronet band is soft, smooth and elastic.
Daisy’s hooves were unfortunately not ideal, but a catastrophic condition that caused terrible pain for the twenty-year-old Shetland pony.
"I will give Daisy back with one laughing and one crying eye..."
Daisy’s rescuer received the pony as a gift from the previous owners. However, she was concerned about the “repair” of the health problems. Cushing’s was also suspected. The veterinary costs would have been beyond her personal financial means, so the prudent woman turned to Gut Aiderbichl. Daisy should be allowed to live and perhaps it would be possible to relieve her of as much pain as possible and give her a new zest for life.
There is always a solution - happy ending for Daisy
Everyone helped together: the animal carers, the vets and also the farrier did a sensationally great job. Daisy’s state of health was not the best, but she fought against her pain, accepted the therapies well and let the farrier work on her hooves.
Then the only thing that helped was waiting. How would the various therapies be accepted by Daisy’s sick hooves? The improvement took time and caused concern. No amount of help is too much, no amount of worrying, sighing and hoping is too much, because a wonderful pony is at stake.Everyone hoped and wished that Daisy’s hooves would want to keep going. It took patience and a lot of love in dealing with Daisy. Gina, the pony in the neighbouring stable, tried to make contact with the sickly Daisy.
For a few days now, Daisy has been walking around the yard with her friend Gina. Still slowly, with hoof boots, but she likes to move again. All her worries and efforts have paid off – Daisy has left her dark valley of pain behind her.
It is to be hoped that further therapy, the right feed and care of the affected hooves will minimise painful flare-ups. With regard to Cushing’s syndrome, further examinations and possibly treatments will be necessary.
Love Daisy – enjoy your friendship with Gina. Enjoy your walks around the yard. Rest assured that we will do everything we can to ensure that you have a long and happy pony life.
Daisy and Gina’s story is very similar:
One ray of sunshine is enough to illuminate much darkness
~ Francis of Assisi
