Sooner

QH Gelding
Foaled February 24, 1991
DECEASED March 19, 2012


Back early in the year I was approached about a 30-something gelding in the Kern County  animal shelter. At the time, I couldn't take him, and got Courtney at Under the Angel's Wings rescue in Phelan to take him for six months (for which we had a committment for support).  Well, Courtney fell in love with Moses, but she had another elder horse with serious hip problems who was very unhappy in his stall, with just a little turnout each day. She thought he'd benefit from the unique set up here at TGC, and so I agreed to take him instead.

Courtney wrote:

I had my friend look up thru the QH assoc the registered name the previous owner gave. Registered Name is: Katie Fabulon (Good God, isn't that an AWFUL name for a gelding? I'm not fond of Sooner, but it beats Katie!) which is a sorrel gelding with a star and no other markings. Born Feb 24, 1991 so he is actually only 20 years old. He is also an appendix QH as well. He was bred in Oklahoma by Choctaw Nation Jones Academy in Hartshorne, Ok there are no transfer records since the original breeder so we can not see who has had him or where he has been.The old owner had disappeared so I have not been able to get a hold of her since I picked up Sooner.... she promised to come volunteer, send a monthly support check, etc etc and welll as I am sure you see all too often the horse they sooooooo dearly LOVED they just forgot about now....

He was bred in Ok and was used as a ranch horse there as I am told. Yes he was an owner surrender and he came 5/29/2010 to me. Around the beginning of Aug 2010 I had one of my small volunteers get on him bareback and ride him around the yard just to evaluate his riding skills and he was very good, then was placed with foster home on 8/28/2010 where they did not ride him at all they only ponyed him around the block and he hung out in their turnout area. They had their vet look at him and his opinion without x-rays or any other work up was that he has a hip injury (which we knew) and nerve damage to his lower back. Their vet said it was not painful for him however it would not be safe to ride him as he could not feel his hind legs where they are being placed so this would  be a danger to ride him so then he was returned by foster home to me on 5/14/2011as they needed a riding horse and did not have space for a pasture pet .
And below is how he looked a few weeks after she took him in, when he'd GAINED weight:



Below  is how he looks today, June 29, 2011, the day after he arrives at TGC.  I've already scheduled Laurie Henkel to come next Tuesday to adjust his back and hips, as he clearly has some hip issues.

Anyone can see he needs some time to recover from something.  Courtney's vet  (and yesterday, without prompting from me, my farrier thought the same thing) thinks his injuries look like those caused when a horse flips over backwards.  But Courtney tells me he ties well so....?  He moves pretty well, considering.


So, bottom line, Sooner has been thru the mill. And probably nothing done to help him since his injury, except the bute which Courtney gave him on his bad days. Look how caved in his butt is, atrophied on that left side. Laurie Henkel will come Thursday July 7 and with any luck, there will be something she can do to help him.

 

                GOODBYE TO SOONER

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