Meet Cody, the newest (and oldest!) member of our horse family at Porcupine Hollow Farm.
We have a new old face here at Porcupine Hollow Farm. Cody is a 28-year-old American Paint Horse. I had just told my husband last week that I was not going to be getting any more horses. We have two quarter horses and the farm is home to two mini horses as well. The minis have been part of the family for about 12 years and the quarter horses have been here a few years. The plan is that they will all live here for the rest of their lives. Over the years we have taken in a few other horses that needed a “soft landing” until they could find the perfect home. It always involves extra money and plenty of work, but it is worth it.
On Monday I got a call from Cody’s former owner. She was struggling to meet his needs and was looking for a good home for him. It is very hard to find a home for an elderly horse, but even harder when that horse will immediately need some professional care and the future is uncertain. She had tried some rescues, but no one could take him. After she gave me information about his health, I told her I would stop to see him and called my husband. He is not a horse person. All the funny memes and videos about marrying a horse girl are spot on. He had no idea what he was getting into! However, he has a huge heart and is so laid back. After I filled him in, his response was “How could we say no?”.
I drove out to meet Cody. He was very thin, but calm and sweet. We chatted for a little while and I told her that I would take him. Immediately I got on the phone to make an appointment for my veterinarian to come see him, the farrier to come and trim his hooves and the equine dentist to come evaluate his teeth.
When Cody arrived at the farm, his former owner said that he seemed to brighten up. Annabelle, our female miniature horse, is the head of the farm greeting committee. She screams when she sees any new horse, or even the horse trailer driving up the driveway. She was so happy to see him, and he was obviously very interested in her. The day that he came, Dad was showing a friend around the farm when they spotted Cody. Dad looked at him and said, “That’s not our horse. We don’t have one that looks like him. Our big horses aren’t even here right now!” He was laughing when he told me about it and wasn’t the least bit surprised that I’d brought another horse home. I suppose after all these years, my family has learned to expect these things from me.
We tucked him into the barn. For at least the first afternoon and evening I like to keep a new horse in a safe stall in the barn. It gives them time to calm down a bit and get acclimated to their surroundings. He was looking for the other horses and calling to them. They were just as happy to talk to Cody.
After he arrived, I started working on a plan for his care. I fenced off an area of about two acres where there is very little grass. He was not out on grass at his last home and sudden access to lush grass can cause digestive and metabolic risks lush grass. I also knew that he needed a soft place to sleep at night. Cody doesn’t have much “padding” right now. I put around six inches of sawdust into his stall so he would have a soft place to rest, along with a big bucket of fresh water, plenty of hay and some loose salt.
The second part of his care plan is feeding. He was on a good senior horse feed when he came. Horse feed should never abruptly be changed, especially with a very underweight horse. Until my vet can see him in person and make a feeding plan with me, he needs to stay with what he is used to eating. Right now, he gets about eight pounds of senior feed. I am dividing it into three feedings and soaking it with warm water to make it easy to eat and to help him get plenty of liquids in his diet.
As horses age, it becomes more challenging to keep them at a healthy weight. Their teeth wear down and they often require modified diets so that they have enough usable calories. Having professionals that I trust to help me with him is so important. His first appointment was with the dentist. His former owner had a dentist see him about a year ago, so it was time for another checkup. Throughout much of a horse’s lifetime, their teeth continue to erupt as chewing surfaces wear down. Because they chew with a side-to-side grinding motion, their teeth can develop sharp hooks, points and uneven chewing surfaces. Some teeth even become taller than other teeth. His rear teeth were very uneven, which resulted in him passing long stems of hay because he simply could not grind it effectively. This could be a contributor to his low weight. Thankfully, the dentist was able to correct the uneven surfaces, and I’m hopeful that he will be able to chew and digest his food more effectively. In six months, his dentist will be back to check his teeth.
The next appointments will be the vet and farrier. At 28 there could be underlying health issues that have caused weight loss. It’s also possible that his dental problems, combined with the stress of losing his longtime companion, contributed to his weight loss. I am so thankful that his owner reached out. It’s easy to see a horse in poor condition and assume the worst about the person caring for him. But sometimes life circumstances change, financial resources become limited, or people simply don’t know where to turn for help. Other times, an owner is doing everything possible, but restoring a horse’s health takes time. Neglect certainly happens, but a horse’s appearance doesn’t always tell the whole story. I believe we should treat people with compassion and offer help without judgment.
I am hoping that he can have many more years of life. It is important to me that horses receive the same love and care in their retirement years that they receive thought their younger years. They serve us so well for years and years. It is only right that we continue to care for them into retirement. He has the kindest eyes and has been a gentleman. I will share updates as we learn more about his health and hopefully watch him regain some of the weight he has lost. I don’t know how much time Cody has remaining, but that time will include plenty of food, equine friends, health care and a warm dry place to rest at night.
