[Music] Hello everyone, and welcome to Fletcher Farms Amarillo! I'm Julie Fletcher. I can't believe I'm doing this video right now; it does not seem like a year since we rescued Anna.
It's been so crazy that she's been here for over a year already. We rescued her last August. If you don't know Anna's story, here's a little bit of Anna's backstory: I found Anna on a Facebook post from Last Chance Direct Shipped Horses.
Shaya, who runs the program, rescues these horses from the Kaufman kill pen and brings them to her home—the ones that she thinks she can get adopted. This was Anna's video that was posted on Facebook, which went along with the pictures they were showing here. She was broke to ride; however, Anna had problems with her back left leg, and you can see from this video how bad it actually was and the problems she was having with her leg.
You can see right here that she's really limping badly on that back left leg. After we had decided to rescue her and Shaya got her back to her farm, I asked for a better video to see how Anna was walking on that back leg. As you can see from this video, she is limping pretty badly on that back left leg, but she looked defeated—completely sad and way underweight.
We were excited to get her back to our farm and get her on the road to recovery. Cory took the six-hour drive down to Kemp, Texas, to pick her up by himself; I stayed back to take care of the rest of the animals. But Anna was in such bad condition when he went to pick her up.
Poor girl, she needed about 350 to 400 lbs. on her. That's okay; luckily, she's going to a home that knows how to do this.
“Come on, Mas! Come on, babies! Come on, come on, come on!
” There we go, there we go! He's got her home, and she is in some rough, rough shape. This poor baby is so skinny; you can see every rib.
She's super sweet, but you can see every rib, and she is really, really skinny. You poor thing, I know, baby. You can see every bone in her body.
She actually has a lump over here on the side of her—I don't know what that is, but we'll have the vet take a look at that. But she is all skin and bones. She's a beautiful, beautiful girl, and we're going to get you taken care of, sweetheart.
Yes, we are! Since Anna's condition was much worse than what we thought, I consulted with our veterinarian, Dr Wagner, and she said to just feed her coastal hay for the first few days and see how she reacts to it. With a horse that's been starved, you don't want to feed them too fast, because it can cause problems in their digestive system, and that was one thing that we didn't want to do for this poor girl that had been through so much.
Anna's first few days on the farm were very confusing to her. She wasn't quite sure what was happening, where she was at, or who all these other animals were, but she was decompressing and de-stressing, just like all the other horses do when they arrive here at the farm. She figured out the water, which was a good thing, but we also did put an extra water inside because when Anna first got here, we hit a cold snap, and she didn't have any muscle on her body.
So we put an extra water inside so she would have somewhere to get water and stay out of the cold. With her being so thin, we installed a cow glow infrared heater for her so she would have somewhere to come inside and stay warm. We hadn't had the chance to put them up, so no time like the present!
Anna definitely appreciated her heater, 'cause this is her standing underneath it. About a week after Anna got to the farm, her legs started swelling, and she got this lump underneath her belly. We weren't quite sure what was going on, but we definitely needed a vet to come out and take a look at her.
So we got Dr Wagner scheduled. As you can see from this picture, her legs were severely swollen. Dr Wagner came out to the farm that week to give Anna a complete wellness check.
She checked her heart and her lungs and made sure that she had good gut sounds; everything was good. So we did do blood labs; I wanted to find out what was going on with that lump underneath her belly along with why she had swelling in her legs. There weren't any signs of injuries to Anna's legs causing the swelling, and Anna's blood labs came back saying that she was healthy—nothing was wrong with her liver or kidneys, and everything was functioning well.
She did not have an infection or anything like that, so Dr Wagner believes that the inflammation in her legs was because of transport. Anna was transported from Ohio to Dallas and then from Dallas to Amarillo, so she had done a lot of traveling, and at her age, that was probably really hard on her joints. Dr Wagner wanted us to keep her moving and keep her active to help with the swelling and inflammation go down.
The lump under her stomach was due to Anna still having milk in her sacs. At some point, she probably had a foal not too long ago, and that was contributing to the swelling that was in her stomach. Eventually, that did go away, and the lump that was on her other side, that was on her rib cage, Dr Wagner believed that that had.
. . To do with an old injury, so we were just going to watch it and make sure that it didn't get any bigger or change in any way.
Anna stayed on the coastal hay diet for a little while longer, and then we slowly started adding Alpha Pro to her diet. We started out with two pounds of Alpha Pro per day and then increased it by a pound every three days, so we were working up to Anna eating 30 lbs of Alpha Pro per day to put weight on her. Since Anna was weak and underweight still, we didn't want to turn her out with the rest of the herd, but Dr Wagner recommended that we take her on walks every day because we needed to keep her legs moving to get rid of the inflammation that had built up in those back legs.
So, Anna and I would take a three to four hour walk every single day, and that helped with the inflammation in her legs. Anna is sporting her beautiful new halter that somebody sent her as a gift; we really appreciate it! Going for a little walk in this pasture area that's over here next to the barn has a lot of green grass, so she can eat, do what she wants, and get a little exercise.
We finally got a manger moved into Anna's stall, so she doesn't have to eat off the ground. We put her Alpha Pro in here, in the big tub, and then she's got her hay over there, so she doesn't have to eat it off the ground, and then she won't waste as much. Anna was still severely underweight, but she was making progress every single day; she got a little stronger, and by September, she was already starting to look a lot more healthy.
Since winter was quickly approaching, since it was September, Cory and I needed to come up with another plan because I wasn't going to be taking Anna for walks in the middle of winter. So, we took some temporary panels and fenced off part of the padded area so Anna could go out into the pasture and graze by herself. Obviously, we did give her some hay out here, but she was able to go out in this area, fenced off from the other horses.
She was able to have contact with them, but not to a point where they could interact and she could get hurt. The inflammation in Anna's legs wasn't getting any better, so Dr Wagner came back out to the farm to do some more blood work and just to give her a checkup again. His lower legs seemed to be the most swollen; from her hock or her knee all the way down to her hoof was very inflamed.
That was the part that Dr Wagner was just examining, so she thought that she was developing some arthritis possibly, and if they continued to swell, we would have to bring her in for some x-rays to find out what was going on in those legs. Anna was starting to limp on her back left leg, and that's why Dr Wagner suspected maybe it was some arthritis that was developing. The reason we didn't bring Anna to the vet's office and just had Dr Wagner come out to the farm was because we thought a trailer ride would be too uncomfortable for Anna, and it would cause her more pain and inflammation in those legs.
So, if the swelling and inflammation continued even after the blood work came back normal, we'd probably have to bring Anna in for x-rays at some point. Anna's blood work came back normal again, so Dr Wagner did start Anna on some Previcox, which helps with pain and inflammation for what was going on in her legs, so we were going to give that a try and see if it helped her out. We had to bribe Anna to get into the stock for her farrier day; she was in desperate need of a trim.
However, since Anna was so weak still in those back legs and they were swollen and she was in pain, she did not want to lift her feet, so we had to come up with Plan B. We took her out of the stock, and Kimmy rounded her toes with a saw and cut off the parts that needed to be cut off. It worked out quite well, and to this day, we still do the same thing for Anna; she uses a saw and cuts down her toes when they get a little bit longer.
It works out well, and they might not be beautiful, but it makes Anna functional every day. Anna continued to get stronger; it seemed like she had a new will to live, and she actually looked a little bit happier. When she first got here, she looked so defeated and sad.
We were just glad that she was starting to settle in and enjoy her life here on the farm. "Do your belly that a good scratchy spot, sweetheart! " Oh my goodness, I know you got a scratchy spot!
By November, Anna looked like a completely different horse than what she looked like when she got here in August. She seemed happy, she was healthy, and on the road to recovery. She enjoyed her time out in the padded area and getting to know all the other horses on the farm.
When winter came and she got her winter coat, she was extremely fluffy. As you can see here in the winter, when the horses grow out their winter coats, we do make sure that we keep them brushed and groomed on a regular basis. Their coats are designed to hold in heat, and if there's dirt or debris in their coat, it might not hold in the heat properly, so we do make sure that we.
. . Keep them groomed at all times during the winter, and no one seems to mind the extra attention and love.
Anna's eating lunch today with Charlie; I'm trying to get her used to eating closer to the other horses, so Charlie hasn't tried to kick her or anything like that. I've got her eating in Freya's stall, so today we are trying a new adventure. Right?
Since Anna was on the road to recovery and she was stronger now, we did get her turned out with the other horses and released out into the pasture area so she could get exercise on her own. She did really well her first day. She did, however, get a little bit lost and confused on how to get back into the barn area, so I did have to go out there with a halter and bring her back in.
But she's figured it out now, and she does enjoy her pasture time. When Paisley arrived at the farm, Anna seemed to like her right away. They kind of stuck around together, and they would eat hay together.
However, Anna does have her moments when she just doesn't want to be bothered by anybody. Since Anna was integrated with the herd and we didn't need to divide the padded area anymore, we reused those panels and made some feeding stalls for the horses. So, we put Anna and Paisley in these little runs so they wouldn't be able to try to hurt each other; however, Anna was going to still try to hurt Paisley.
Everybody enjoys Alpha Pro so much, and nobody wants to miss out on dinner or breakfast, so separation is definitely required because once the horses all see the Alpha Pro, everyone starts getting a little bit kicky. So, separation is a must around here around dinner time. Anna takes mealtimes very seriously; sometimes she likes to share, and sometimes she doesn't.
Most days she doesn't like to share, and this is an example of kind of what happens with her and Paisley. We do put out hay in a bunch of different places so we don't have all the horses piled up in one area to cause fights. With the addition of all the new horses, we're going to definitely have to add more feeders this winter.
In January, we brought Anna down to MVP because she was still limping on that back left leg pretty bad, and we wanted to get it checked out and make sure nothing was going on with her leg. What we did find out was that Anna has a bone spur in her stifle joint, which you can see right here from her x-ray. So, Dr Wagner was actually out on maternity leave, so Dr Barlay did a steroid injection into her stifled joint.
Since getting the injection in her stifle joint, Anna does seem to get around a lot better. When Finn arrived on the farm, Anna took a liking to him right away. I was so happy to see her making an actual friend.
However, she did like Paisley, but most days she didn't like Paisley, so I was really excited to see her with Finn. She followed him around everywhere; they did everything together. As you can see, they're standing out of the rain together with the donkeys, and they were just best friends.
I was really happy to see her making a friend and having a companion to hang around with in the wintertime. The other mares get a little pushy with Anna just because she is kind of weak and lower on the totem pole, so we did bring Anna and Finn in in the evenings for an extra flake of hay. When we first got Finn, he was a little bit of a problem child, but he was always sweet with Anna, and I just love that they had such a connection right away.
My favorite part was watching them groom each other. When friends come to visit, they never get out of brushing. This is Larry, who's one of our friends that was visiting from out of town, grooming Anna.
These are just some pictures of Anna from her time here on the farm. I didn't want to put a bunch of pictures, but these are just a couple that were my favorites. [Music] You're the only smart one using the shade.
You're the only smart one. I know you're such a good girl, Mama. Good morning, Anna!
How's the Anna Banana? We're going to do a video about you today. You don't want to do a video?
Well, we have to do a video. You want breakfast first? Okay, let's get breakfast.
Are you ready for breakfast? Anna still eats 30 pounds of Alpha Pro per day; she gets 15 pounds in the morning and 15 in the evening. Alpha Pro is a pelleted alfalfa that's mixed with vitamins and minerals, and it's made into a mash.
So, we soak it in water, and it makes it easier for them to eat. So, that's what she's eating here, and she does love her Alpha Pro for breakfast and dinner. "Hey, you two, want dinner?
" One year later, Anna has made a complete transformation, and it's all thanks to Last Chance Direct Shipped Horses. If it wasn't for them and their networking of these horses that are in the kill pens, Anna's fate would have been a lot different. But that's what Anna's been up to and pretty much everything that she's gone through since arriving here on our farm.
She was probably the one horse that scared me the most because I honestly did not think she was going to make it through the night. She was in such horrible, horrible condition when she arrived here, but we got her on the road to recovery and got her healthy, and she's living out her best life. Life now, and that's just amazing to us.
We're so glad that we were able to do that for her and give her the retirement that she deserves. So, I am walking across the 43 acres right now to go find Anna, and of course, she is all the way down at the other side of the pasture. I'm walking down that way now.
Well, we've made it clear across the pasture. This is the back fence right there, if you can see it. Where the donkeys are, that's our back corner of the property.
That's Finn, but this is the backside of our property. They usually come out here during the day to graze. That's Freya, and that's our girl Anna.
Are you Anna Banana? Anna hates the stick—the camera on a stick—so we'll see how she tolerates this. Since the addition of all the geldings, they've kind of broken into two different groups: Anna, Finn, Freya, and Lena usually all stick together, and then the donkeys—they stick by the donkeys.
But this is Miss Anna. She had a bacterial infection on the back of her hoof; that's why her foot's wrapped, which she doesn't ever keep wrapped for more than five minutes. She stays out here and grazes all day long, and she's doing so much better.
Her hoof has grown in; she looks so different from when we first got her to what she looks like now. A long way! You're such a beautiful girl, yes, you are!
The leg swelling has completely gone away too, that she had from when we first got her, and that lump that was underneath her belly went away as well. So, what Dr Wagner said that those were—are exactly what those were. But now that she gets the exercise that she needs, she's doing really good and just living her best life, enjoying retirement, and spending time with the other horses.
She usually hangs out with Finn, but Finn these days is hanging out with Freya, so I don't know what's going on with that drama. I know—who's a pretty girl? You are!
She does still limp on that back leg, obviously from her stifle joint issues, but she still makes it around and gets to where she needs to go. And obviously, she can make it across the 40 acres, and she does really well. So, we're so glad that she's here and that she's enjoying her life of retirement.
As you can see, her back has filled in a little bit. I know, I'm being rude; I'm sorry. She still does have the lump on her side right here.
Dr Wagner believes that that's an old injury; it never gets any bigger or any smaller, so we're not overly concerned about it, but we definitely do keep an eye on it. We hope you enjoyed this video and wanted to say thank you to everybody that has sent us gifts from our Amazon wish list, Alpha Pro, and donations, and to everyone that participated in the bonfire T-shirt fundraiser. Thank you all so much!
We ended up selling 200 T-shirts, which is absolutely amazing! We're so glad that y'all participated in that and that you were supporting our foundation. We're so happy, and it warms my heart because there are going to be 200 people out there with Grandpa's face on their T-shirts, so that's really exciting for us.
Thank you to everybody that did participate in that fundraiser and for everything else that you all have done for us. We're truly grateful for it, and we can't thank you enough for all of your support. Ways to support our farm: you can purchase goat milk soap that's available on our website.
I'll put a link in the description below. Misha bars are made with ingredients you can pronounce—pure, high-quality food-grade, and organic natural plant oils are mixed with therapeutic-grade essential oils, along with goat milk straight from our goat, Misha. All our soaps are handmade in small batches using the cold process method.
All our soaps are available at FletcherFarmsAmarillo. com. Head over there now and check out all our soaps we have available.
We always need feed; we go through about 175 lbs per day, roughly, of Alpha Pro to feed all of the horses here on the farm. So, we definitely always need Alpha Pro feed. Our local feed store, HFNC, has supported us from the beginning and has helped us out with people that want to send us gifts of Alpha Pro.
Here is their contact information. To purchase a gift of Alpha Pro to send to the horses, you can contact them and tell them you wanted to add Alpha Pro to our account, and they'll put those bags on our account. Also, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the Big Hoof Foundation.
We still do have a temporary website. I am getting closer to almost finishing the website for the Big H Foundation, but we still do have a temporary website on Fletcher Farms Amarillo for the Big H Foundation. If you wanted to make a donation, donations go to support the horses, all their medical care, and anything that the horses need.
So, that's where your donations are going—to all these horses here on the farm. If you want to make a tax-deductible donation, I'll leave a link in the description below on where you can do that. Dr Hardy, who came out a couple of weeks ago to do acupuncture on the horses—if you didn't see that video, check that out for sure.
It was definitely interesting! She gave me some supplements that we should be giving the horses that have arthritis, so like Anna. .
. With her arthritis, we started giving her, but less, uh, which is Devil's Claw with Vitamin B and yucca, and it seems to be helping. We've been giving it to them for about two weeks now, so, um, it seems to be helping them a little bit with their joint discomfort.
So, all the horses get that along with MSM, and that goes into their feed along with electrolytes and things like that. Those are all on our Amazon Wish List, so if you wanted to support us that way, I'll put a link in the description below with our Amazon Wish List. Again, thank you all so much for watching; we truly appreciate your support, and more updates are coming, so stay tuned.
We'll see you soon! Thanks again for watching. Bye!
