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 Big
Ed
Breed: Hanoverian
Sex: Gelding
DOB: 1996
Height:
18+ hh
Color: Bay
Markings:
Star
Arrival
Date: January
2007
Location:
Hitchcock, TX
Adoption Fee:
In Rehab
Temperament: I
cannot imagine a horse
that would be a more
devoted companion than
Ed. He is a wonderful,
gentle soul and deserves
the very best. Whoever
adopts Ed will have to
be able to afford his
daily upkeep (given his
size, he eats about
twice the amount of a
regular size horse),
ongoing veterinary
care, and, most
importantly, have the
time and emotional
ability to care for his
special needs. He
should probably be an
only horse, so that his
prospective owner can
dedicate all of his or
her available resources
to him. Care should be
taken that he not be
placed in a home where
he will not be expected
to perform above his
physical abilities, as
this will destroy him
emotionally - which in
turn will have
ill-effects on his
health. Even though he
is incredibly willing
and sweet, he is not a
beginner horse and will
need a
somewhat experienced
rider/handler - someone
who really understands
the nature and soul of a
horse and will be able
to recognize subtle
changes in his
well-being before they
turn into big problems.
Despite the difficulties
he is having, Ed has
gained some weight and
is generally in good
spirits.
Physical problems /
health issues: Ed
went to see a vet on
Saturday, April 13. We
got a firm diagnosis of
lymphangitis, possibly
triggered by an old,
likely untreated cut
just below the left
hock. Current treatment
consists of 2-3 months
of Tucoprim and 5 days
on, 5 days off on Dex,
supportive therapy
includes compression
wraps and hydrotherapy,
washing the affected
areas with
anti-bacterial soap and
applying ointment to
keep the skin from
cracking further. His
prognosis is poor and
treatment will likely
have to continue
throughout his life.
Chances are the swelling
in his legs will never
completely subside. The
compression wraps force
the swelling above the
wrapped area, this is a
normal side-effect.
In addition, his
teeth and
gastrointestinal
problems will have to be
addressed, but given
that Ed is severely
compromised, the vet did
not want to put too much
stress on him at once.
These issues will be
dealt with at a
follow-up appointment,
there will be updates to
come. The vet agrees
with my nutritional
approach,
supplementation, as well
as keeping him stalled
as little as
possible (this
aggravates the pain and
swelling).
Interaction with horses:
He gets along very well
with his pasture mates
but does not socialize,
except with one little
gelding that he's made
friends with.
Interaction with people:
Ed is a gentle giant,
and will be a wonderful
companion to someone who
cares enough to give him
the treatment he needs
History: Donated
by his previous owner
Training / abilities:
Ed is cleared for light
riding or ponying
along-side another
horse. I took him out
for a little while and
he was really enjoying
the change of scenery.
Not a whole lot is known
about his training, as
he is not physically
able to do much right
now.
Experience level
required to work with
this horse:
Experienced, given his
size and physical
challenges
Has this horse ever:
Bucked?
Reared? Kicked? Bitten? Other?
Ground handling:
Catch? Lead?
Tie? Trailer?
Clip? Trim Feet?
Bathe?
Special needs:
Other comments:
Ed’s vet mentioned that
he diagnosed a horse
matching Ed's
description with exactly
this disease about 8
years ago - and to quote
him "horses like that
don't come along every
day".
There are many
factors that all have
to come together to make
Ed as comfortable as
possible, so that he can
meet his new Mum or Dad
as healthy and whole as
we can realistically
expect. I think he is
on the right path.
More pictures:
 
 
Adopt: Please contact
us regarding adoptions at adoptions@habitatforhorses.org or call 1.866.HFH.LSER(866.434.5737).
Are you unable to
adopt but would still
like to have Big Ed in
your life? Sponsor
him through our
Virtual Foster program.
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