2011 Bay & White Gypsy Horse Mare
Vicky x Ghost, Wobbler Mare
When Cassie was 9 months in utero, we found out her older brother was confirmed a Wobbler; a horse that has a compression in their spinal cord making them neurologic. So Vicky goes into labor, and little Cassie emerges into the world. Normally a foal can stand on its own within an hour of birth. Cassie attempted to stand but just couldn't figure it out, so helped hold her up for the first 2 hours of her life. It was clear from a young age that she was neurologic, but our vet didn't want to call it till se was older. At 5 months old, out vet and I were standing in front of Vicky & Cassie's stall just talking when Cassie raised her head, and immediately split all her legs and belly slapped the ground. At that point our vet said she is a Wobbler.
Her forever
Our mutal friends/clients owned Vicky and Cassie at the time, they were selling all their horses, and when it was determined Cassie wouldn't be an easy sell/would require the right home, they let me take her home to live out her days with her friend at the time Isabella. Cassie fit right in, and over the next two years developed a lot of muscle and fat which helped compensate for the neurologic. In fall 2017, I decided to send her to live with Annie at my then friend's place in Colorado on 600 acres and she would get to reunite with her brother Rampage! In Jan 2019 I got word Annie was starving, so immediately brought her and Cassie home.
The Future
I promised Cassie and Annie when they returned they would never leave my care again. Cassie fared far better through that experience than Annie did. Cassie fully enjoys hanging in between the two Shires, Annie and Adrianna. I joke that they are her bodyguards as she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. The other herd members will push her around until she hangs out between the two Shires, then nothing happens to her :). Cassie is also like Cami with Equine Metabolic Syndrome, so her diet is closely monitored to control insulin levels.