The Ponies - Duke

SWEP RESCUE

Duke's Story

UPDATE: July 2006
Duke is being well cared for and is stabled in an American style barn; all stables have rubber matting. He, and 3 other horses, have several large fields in which they are turned out. Growing into a fine looking young horse Duke is approximately 13hh at the moment but from his build and height of his rear quarters he will probably make a sturdy 14.2hh.

Duke has bags of character and shows no fear of anything. He has regular natural horsemanship lessons in order to try and teach him about invading peoples space, he is so fearless he would walk right into you to get at something behind you; as a number of sore toes prove.

UPDATE: January 2005
Duke has been found a loan home.

UPDATE: December 2004
At last, the original wound to Duke's leg has healed sufficiently well for him to surgery to be gelded, and now we can begin our search for another home for him!

DUKE'S STORY
In October 2003, one of SWEP's Trustees attended Hallworthy Market; Cornwall. She had grave concerns for a colt foal approximately 3 months old. He had a nasty gash on his hind leg, he was emaciated and very lifeless. DEFRA Vets withheld him from the sale and put Duke into an isolation pen. Several hours later our Trustee was becoming more concerned for Duke he was deteriorating fast. The owner had gone home and left him at the market, when confronted by telephone, the owner said he would take him home and turn him out in the field, grass would make him better.

Our Trustee persuaded him that Duke needed veterinary attention and said that if he was handed over to SWEP, he would have any necessary veterinary treatment and we would bear the cost of getting him fit and well.
After 40 minutes in a trailer Duke arrived at our yard at 4 pm, whilst we were unloading him it was very evident that his jaw was locked, his hind legs were seizing up. He could not walk, eat or drink and was in an advanced stage of tetanus. The Vet arrived and confirmed our diagnosis. Duke was sedated and given anti-tetanus, serum. It was crucial to keep him sedated and calm. All noise and disturbances were to be kept to a minimum.
Duke had to be sedated all night, the Vet came to see him and monitored his progress six times throughout the night, as it was vital to keep topping up the sedation as well as to ensure he was warm and safe. Duke was sweating and fighting the tetanus He would try to get up, kick and move even under the sedation. He had a terrible time that night and we feared we were going to lose him.
A long day followed and another night of intensive care with experienced SWEP volunteers caring for him. By the next morning, towards lunchtime, the Vet was slowly bringing Duke out of sedation but still ensuring he was sedated enough, to keep him calm. Anne Barnett of Equine Touch had been called in. Anne did some movements on one side of Duke while he was still lying down, she then worked on his jaw line. Duke's mouth started to move, his lips at first and then his mouth. Within half an hour Duke was sitting up and eating hay from one of the bales used to prop him up. Not long after he started to drink. Within two days he was out grazing on grass.
The gash on his leg, where the tetanus had entered, took just over three weeks to heal. It is rare for an equine to recover from tetanus, particularly the advanced stage that Duke had reached. Thanks to teamwork and dedication from the Vet, the Equine Touch treatment and intensive care from SWEP volunteers, Duke is now a healthy colt foal. He seems to think that humans are not so bad after all and greets one and all with interest and affection.

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