Snoop and Emery.

What an incredible difference,Marilyn.

I certainly hope that Emery comes along and continues to enjoy the life that you are giving him.

You certainly are these animals' guardian angel. They may never be whole, but they sure are in the right place!

That is incredible Marilyn! Rooting for Emery to heal. Maybe those two won't be able to be together at all?

Hooray and Hugs for Emory! Sending him my thoughts. And to Snoop, so he'll feel calm and happy to have his bud back.

This brings tears to my eyes. So happy the Emery found you. You are giving Emery a great life now. You are on special lady.

Wow, poor old horse, he looks so much better now. What a good thing, that you overheard the ladies who had been trying to help.

Yes...Emery looks 100% better! Such beautiful horses...and the pup looks like he's trying to stay close to you....:0)

You've done a good job with him. He looks so much better.

He does look so much better, great job on nursing him back to good health. Too bad his buddy Snoop treats him badly. Maybe his behavior will improve with the separation.

Snoop is not really mean to him, but he is the alpha horse and Emery is so clingy. He wants to stand right up next to him all the time.

Praying that Emery's leg will heal. Poor boy doesn't need any more problems.

I will definitely be praying that Emery's leg heals and that he will get well. He is so lucky that you took him into your heart and home.

You are such a special person, Marilyn. An animal angel here on earth.

I remember you telling me that story about walking him all the way home. Unbelievable. Boy wow howdy what a change in old Emory. The best to Emory and snoop. Congrats to you.

Wow. Just. . . . .WOW! ! ! What an amazing difference in 2 months! The first picture looks like he doesn't have a chance of surviving, but just look what some love and proper care can accomplish! ! ! I remember when you posted about finding him (him finding you through the ladies at the feed store?), and the long walk home. But reading the story again and seeing the pictures has brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, THANK YOU for posting this! You are an absolutely awesome person. I pray that you will be richly blessed for the work you do with your animals, and that you will always have the strength and the where-with-all to continue to provide the love and care they need. Also praying that Emery's wound will heal well and that there will be no more of them!

Oh, and prayers going up for Jody, too!

Rusty

Aw, you’re doing a great job with him.

They are both quite beautiful! Wonder if Emory would be safer and just as happy with the donkeys?

Thanks for the update. I love seeing and hearing about all of the critters.You do so much for them and I know Emerys life is so much better now.

Sylvia, I probably will put him out with the donkeys and put Snoop with Bane and his donkey, Amos. Or, I may put Emery in with the two fillies I have. He is in the barn with them, so they are getting used to each other. I think it will be a long time before he can go out though. If we get the place I want, I will have plenty of room to separate them. I hate this happened to him, because I brought Snoop here to be a companion. Snoop has arthritis and very enlarged and calcified knees. But even though he sometimes limps, he is feeling so much better and, like I said, Emery is very clingy.

Thank you for the good thoughts for Emery. He isn't out of the woods yet. He still has a lot of swelling in his leg. Every time he lays down, I worry that he won't be able to get up. I know I am a worry wart about him. I just love that old horse so much. He acts like he feels fine though, and he is eating good....so we will wait and see how he does.

sending healing thoughts Emery's way!!!

marilyn, you are awesome!!

What a difference two months has made - he's gone from looking like the end was near to looking like a different animal! He must feel so much better. You do such a great job with your rescues.

Poor thing, he's been lonely for so long he doesn't know or has forgotten horse etiquette. I hope his leg heals up and that the rest of his days are healthy and happy. Also, that a workable solution is found in order that he can have some much needed four legged companionship.

Before this injury happened, he was feeling so good, bucking and playing. Just kills me to see him like this.

The change is remarkable, and they both look so much alike. I truly hope this injury isn't going to set him back. He looks terrific, and he's just aching for a buddy to hang out with. I don't suppose Snoop will come around in time, and just accept him?

marilyn, your story about Emory is absolutely heart warming. Bless your heart for not only taking him on, but walking him the 12 miles home. Talk about dedication. Truly admirable. May you be blessed for what you have done. :)

I see you have him on meds, but I wanted to share something I literally just read about a few minutes ago. I was searching herbs for healing and came across this page on Plantain. (not the banana type plant) The article states "plantain leaf is a first rate "first aid" plant. It later in the write up describes how to mix it with olive oil and bees wax as a healing ointment. Anyway, thought it might be of interest to you (or others). :)

Jasdip, Snoop accepts him....they get along most of the time. Emery just doesn't know when to stay back a little. Emery usually finishes his feed first, so he goes and helps Snoop. Snoop tolerates it to a point and then he will back his ears. He never has kicked out at him in a mean way...but I have seen him lift a leg as if to push him. He has never hauled off and tried to kick him that I have seen. It could have happened when they were just feeling good and kicking up and he got kicked accidentally. Also, Snoop is a very big horse. Emery is a medium sized horse, to the small-ish side. Emery has had very poor nutrition for many years. Snoop was someone's work horse....in that he was probably a roping horse or a barrel horse. Something that put a lot of strain on his legs and caused his swollen joints. He was probably always fed well and his bones are probably very strong. He is a very robust horse! Emery stays so close to him....if Snoop goes to get a drink, Emery goes. If Snoop does anything....Emery is right there with his head pressed against his side. The way he stands so close to Snoop, could be that Snoop got tired of it and kicked him.

Emery is a very sweet horse. He will lay his head in my arms and loves for me to stroke his face. Snoop....is super suspicious and doesn't like for anyone to make a fuss over him. But they are friends....it is just that Snoop is not as "needy" as Emery is. And usually with horses, as most animals, there is a pecking order. So Snoop would be number one in that situation. By the way, Snoop was his name when we got him....what his previous owner called him. We usually call him Jug Head. The county got his owner to sign papers, giving him up....after she abandoned him at the auction barn. She said, "I love him so much." So much she was willing to send him to hell in a Mexican slaughter house.

Beth, thank you. I will research that. His leg is wrapped with a poultice to help the swelling.

We have a very needy dog that behaves like Emery. The others pets, 2 cats and another dog give her a pass most of the time, but occasionally become impatient.

It's a whole new game when the animals are hundreds of pounds. With so many new ones and the family upheaval with TuLo's loss, it must be pretty tricky to find the right groupings. I do hope that you can get that place that you want with multiple pastures and stalls already built so that it's easier to separate them when someone needs some time out.

Any interest in your property yet?

I too hope that Emery is able to recover from his injury.

Comfrey leaves are great to put in a poultice also, just microwave for 30 seconds and put it in with whatever else is in the wrap. Most of mine has been killed back by the freezes but I could mail you a bit if you want to try it. I like it for sprained wrists and ankles.

Thanks, but i have some really good stuff from the vet. It is a pink salve that is thick and you pat it on and then wrap it in Saran wrap so it doesn't absorb into the outer wrap, and wrap it with vetwrap.

We haven't even listed this place yet. It is such a godawful mess. Have had several people come look at it anyway. A lot of people like it but haven't got the money and we can't finance it for them because we need the money out of it to buy another place. If Jody would come home and help me, I might be able to get it cleaned up better. Two areas still have a lot of hurricane debris. We are on a big curve in the bayou and the water came straight across our place, carrying everything you can imagine. The first two months we worked on fixing a fence down one side of the property, which gave the horses a place so they could come home from down the road. Then it has rained so much, and that was a small pasture, so turned them out and it rained some more, and then it rained more night before last and it is a horrible muddy mess. The "regular" horses are out together. The two fillies were in with the donkeys, but got out, so went to the round pen...and now with all the mud, they are in the barn. Emery is in the barn, and Snoop is in about an acre sized lot that is around the barn.

Snoop isn't standing in mud and he has a stall he can run in out of the weather. But the mud around the barn is awful. I hurt my back day before yesterday from trying to pull my foot (boot) out of the mud. It's not like you can quickly walk anywhere around this place. We need some dirt work done. We had the guy with the bulldozer here for three or four days but he had another job he had to get to. He said he isn't busy in January, so Jody said he would have him out then to do some more work. However, it is much too muddy to do anything. So.....I am more or less marking time....waiting for the weather to get better. I am so cold natured, and I have a very hard time walking in the mud....and carrying everything I have to carry to the barn, because I don't have a good place to store my feed and hay....which is why I go to the feed store every day. January is always our worst month...so just waiting for it to pass.

It is really brisk outside. I am really happy just to be able to run outside until I get chilled. I cannot imagine spending hours out in it, taking care of pets. I'm putting in some kitchen time today, so it's warm and humid in here.

Wish I could get some of your rain.

Is it Numotizine poultice, Marilyn? You have reached a memory in the recesses of my mind, back from maybe the 70s, where we used to do exactly the same thing, with the Saran wrap, but put it under stable bandages. But with all that mud, I can see why you'd need the vet wrap. I hope it dries up soon.

Yes, Mrs. S....it is Numotizine. I started using it back in the ,70's too. My old vet recommended it to me. Fortunately I haven't had to use it very often. I left out one step in the procedure. After the saran, you wrap it in a cotton batting, and then the vet wrap. He is on 100% stall rest for six weeks, so he is out of the mud. I just wish I was! What kind of horses did you have? I have had mostly Quarter Horses but also some Arabian crosses, Saddlebred, and a couple of Appaloosas and some ponies. Bane is gaited, so he is either a Tenn. Walker or maybe a Spotted Saddle Horse. I wish I knew his history. All I know is he came with a dozen other gaited horses to the kill pen. I had a few horses with a lot of Thoroughbred but have never had a purebred Thoroughbred, but a lot of former race horses go through the kill pens. When I get better accomodations, I plan to take in at least one more senior horse. I know the county would give me another one.

Oh, I rode hunter/jumper and later a significant amount of dressage, so I've had my share of thoroughbreds and warmbloods, but we had ponies and 2 of my favorite horses ever were appaloosas. But now I have too many kids, and our locale is too expensive, to keep horses. But, I love looking at your photos and the inspiring rescues. Someday, I'll do a little bit of what you're doing, and my heart is with rescue like you're doing. You are making the world a better place!

I'm so sorry that Emery is having trouble. Too bad Snoop can't be made to realize that he is hurting Emery and losing his company.

Have you ever done clicker training with your horses? I've had good luck with some of my dogs who were very sensitive to timing with regards to their behaviour.

Too bad they don't make Thunder shirts for horses. They definitely work for dogs. I had a clingy dog and use the ThunderShirt for about 30 days and after that didn't even have to use it anymore.

All the best to Emery and the rest of your group. Daily prayers said for all of you including Jody in his struggles.

"Emery is a very sweet horse. He will lay his head in my arms and loves for me to stroke his face."

The 12 mile walk home had to have been very hard, but Emery knows you saved him, he's thanking you and loves you for it.

Rusty

The walk home was very hard on him, but we went slow and let him stop and rest often. We met several people on our walk that offered to help us. One man went home and got his trailer, saying he could load Emery, but he couldn't and I wouldn't allow him to be pushed very hard. There is an arched bridge going into Liverpool and he would not go over the bridge. We were still about four miles from home, so I took him back to a vacant lot and asked the man who lived near if it was his....and it was, and if we could leave him there overnight. The next morning, Emery was gone....and I panicked, thinking he had started back to his former home, but we found him across the road, eating grass behind someone's house. He still didn't want to cross the bridge but I got a bucket of feed and every couple of steps, gave him a handful, and we made it across. One of the funniest things happened about two miles from home. A man came out to the road and offered to help us. He offered us water. We had water and thanked him. He asked how far we had to go...I said, "Two miles". He couldn't believe we were going to have to walk that far. He said, "It isn't every day you see an ol....er...elderly lady walking a horse down the road." He almost said "old lady" and he caught himself. I didn't mind. I am an old lady and Emery is old and looked like death warmed over.

Yeonassky, I have clicker trained dogs and donkeys and when I was in school to be a vet tech, back in 1972, we had to teach an animal a trick, and I clicker trained a cat. And when my daughter was little, we clicker trained cats. We trained one but the other cats watched and did the same trick....sit up on command. I started clicker training a horse one time, but never did much with it. Got her to touch the target. She learned very quickly. Amos, the donkey, was clicker trained to back up. I was feeding the horses treats the other day, and Amos started backing up....offering the behavior....so he could get an extra treat. :)

Clicker training is a valuable way to train any animal. It actually gives you a way to communicate with them, and it is surprising how agreeable they will become when they know what you want and there is a little something in it for them. There are those who don't believe in ever giving a horse a treat. I think anything that makes life a little easier for them, or for us, is a great way to do things. And yes, I know what it is like to try and give a horse something like paste wormer, especially if you are by yourself, or have a particularly tall horse. I found out my horses like cinnamon swirl bread, so I take a slice and put a dab of wormer in the center and fold it twice like a sandwich and give to them. Repeat until they get the entire dose. However, I almost killed one of my favorite dogs. I knew it any horse gave a problem, it would be TueLo. She took my little wormer square and spit it out and my dog grabbed it and gulped it down before I could stop him. So he got enough wormer for a 300 lb animal. Almost killed him, so now I make sure none of the dogs are standing there watching. It helps for the other horses to be there though because they are a little greedy and want some too.