Captain

WELCOME, CAPTAIN! Please click on the thumbnails below to see a larger picture! *Photos may not be copied without permission.
07/06/10: With a very heavy heart, but with taking all things into consideration, most importantly Captain's quality of life, I want to let you all know that he will be crossing Rainbow Bridge tomorrow. Dr. Ryan will be coming -- I'll have a time that Captain will cross in the morning and I'll post it as soon as I know. The backhoe has been arranged. The temps tomorrow are going to feel like 105 degrees. Thursday is supposed to feel like 110 -- he's having a tough time and is only getting worse. Please know that this decision wasn't made lightly or quickly. The light in his eyes has grown dim. He didn't want to get up for his meals yesterday or today. This is very hard for me, I can't tell you how hard it is or how much I've dreaded knowing a day of making this decision would come. I often hoped he would cross peacefully in his sleep but that was wrong of me. He should be with people that love and care for him as he crosses. My family and I will be with him while he crosses, and I will stay with him for sometime after. As much as it rips my heart, it is the right thing to do -- I love him that much. Perhaps everyone can have a minute of silence at the time he is to cross tomorrow, to think of him and to send him good thoughts? If I talk with any of you on the phone for the next couple of days, please, I can't talk about this -- I'll need some time. I'm very far behind on emails; I'm not ignoring any of them, I just haven't had time at the computer. Dr. Das worked on Captain yesterday. He lay down for most of his treatment. He got up near the end of his treatment. We weren't sure he'd get up at all. When he is up, Nuvita is never far away. She is holding her own as we await lab work results from blood drawn by Dr. Das yesterday. Thank you all for caring and for all you do -- you're our extended family, and I know this isn't easy for you either. Captain, Godspeed across the Bridge -- you will run like a young stud again only without pain and stiffness. We will miss you terribly but know that you will be in our hearts, always. You've earned your wings: we're so very proud of you. We love you.
08/04/09: Captain is in the main paddock with Dillon. Dillon and he are always together, and Captain will share his food with him. Everyone loves Captain.
07/15/09: Captain is doing well.
06/23/09: Captain and Zaynah watching Sienna enjoy her “freedom” this evening.
06/18/09: Captain is enjoying the company of his new friend, Zaynah.
06/11/09: Here is Captain getting a bath by Robin and Blodwyn.
02/03/09: Captain is holding his own but his condition is still guarded. We learned that he was born in Dallas, TX, and won over $700 racing about 28 years ago. His real name is "Smoking Joe." He was born in 1979 and raced in 1981 - 1982. His kidneys had already started the process of shutting down before he arrived at the rescue. He has a great team of doctors helping him - Dr. Ryan Meeks of Peterson & Smith and Dr. Hamani Das, our holistic vet. Little Valentine stays by his side. As with any horse that has been starved, we have to take it slow. Receiving good nutrition can be a shock to his compromised system. He seems comfortable and does have light in his eyes.
01/03/09: Captain is a 30+-year-old Paint gelding that arrived today. We have no background on him. He is extremely underweight, not quite a body score of a 1 on the Henneke Scale. We checked out his mouth, and there was a huge part of the problem. He has no top front teeth! When the dentist came out, we learned he has few teeth in the back either -- and where he has one on top he has none on the bottom. It is impossible for him to grind up his food. He has a lip tattoo, so we think he has been raced. He had diarrhea for the first few days, and we had our holistic vet come out and work on him; it cleared up within 24 hours.
Captain gets several small meals a day. He has already started to show weight gain. We must take it slow with horses that have been this neglected and starved. A new diet, even a healthy one, is a kind of shock to their system. His feet were in horrible shape. Our farrier has trimmed them once. But like changing his diet -- we have to take it easy on his trims -- nothing drastic. Captain has so much life and energy and kindness and wisdom in his eyes. You can feel it when you're around him. He has a very strong will to live, and we will do all we can, with help from others, to let him live out the rest of his life without worry.
The few teeth Captain does have were very sharp and had cut into his mouth. You can see cuts and ulcers.	Captain does have a tattoo but no upper teeth!	Dr. Das working on Captain
Captain wearing his warm blanket eating his warm mash soup. A very thin but happy and content horse. Captain is slowly, but surely, gaining weight - just like he should.