The Wonder Mare And The Unlikely Foal
by Jane Merritt, California Painted Ponies

I have a story to share about an Arabian mare named Rafeena. The mare belongs to Michelle Swank of Prestigious Ponies in Temecula Ca. This is one tough cookie!

Michelle raises Sport Ponies and owns several small mares including Rafeena who is one of two beautiful, black bay, arabian mares. Michelle has become involved with the American Warmblood Registry and the Sport Pony Division. Her desire to raise beautiful ponies and her devotion to them is wonderful.

Last year along about January, Michelle contacted me about breeding her pony mare "Dancer" to Nifty. Dancer is a beauty and would be a lovely cross with Nifty so we began plans for breeding. After two failed attempts and a third shipment of semen on the way to Dancer with little hope of conception, a decision to split the shipment into two packets was made at the last minute.

Michelle in desperation and up to her ears in vet bills called me to ask if it would be alright to use half of this last shipment on a little Arab mare, Rafeena that was standing in the field appearantly in heat. By the time Michelle got ahold of me a couple of days had passed and the semen was getting old. I of course said, "that is fine just let me know what happens."

On March third, Rafeena was inseminated with seventy two hour old semen, without even worrying about sonograms and all the prep. I recieved a call in about 16 days from an excited Michelle stating that Rafeena was pregnant but Dancer was not. Michelle was very happy but had still held hope that Dancer would also be pregnant. We were all amazed as Rafeenas story is just beginning.

Rafeenas' pregnancy did not affect her desire to run for the sheer joy of running. She would run and play with another Arabian mare for hours in the pasture. On September fourth Rafeena and her stable mate were running and playing as usual when Rafeena suddenly stumbled, she continued to run until Michelle managed to get her to whoa.

Michelle immediately called "Murietta Equine Clinic" Dr Cobb was on call and came out to attend Rafeena. Dr. Cobb told Michelle that this was bad and that she needed to get the mare to the hospital. He splinted and wrapped the leg and helped load Rafeena into the trailer and off they went. The pregnant mare was carefully transported to San Louis Rey Large Animal Hospital.

Xrays proved that Rafeena had broken her right front pastern. On September fifth she underwent a three hour plus surgery to repair a P2 fracture, and in order to support the mares weight, the surgeon also pinned the cannon bone. Michelle was told that is was very likely that Rafeena could loose her foal.

As luck would have it, the cannon bone was weakend by the pinning and it broke the day after surgery. On September seventh Rafeena underwent a second major surgery, this time to plate the cannon bone. One plate was used and Rafeena was now to be supported in a sling. With her leg in a full cast, she was to remain in the sling at the clinic throughout the healing process.

It is amazing what Rafeena had to be put through to get to surgery each time. The mare was anesthetized and intubated, then lifted by her three good legs, upside down with cables attached to the ceiling, placed gently on a surgery table and pushed and pulled into the proper position. This was repeated again after surgery only this time placed upside down on a big gurney and rolled back to her stall for recovery.

After the second surgery, she was fitted with a sling and harness while still asleep. As she began to awaken, she was lifted in the sling to an up-right position while supported by several assistants. As she regained her senses, she was not frightened by her new contraption and rested quietly in the sling.

Rafeena was checked and amazingly she was still in foal and all seemed fine until Rafeena became ill. She was diagnosed with Salmonella. On September tenth the mare was given plasma abdominally one time. Remarkably Rafeena recovered and was still in foal.

Rafeena remained at the hospital, in the sling with her leg in a full cast. She had adapted well to her environment with all the strange sounds and smells including, clinks, clanks loud equipment an even an elephant at one point that was at the hospital for eye surgery. Rafeena had lost some weight but was still eating and driking well for the next few weeks.

Michelle had spent many hours with Rafeena Traveling back and forth between her home in Temecula and the equine hospital. Twice a day She made the trip to attend Rafeena by giving her deep muscle message on her good front leg to prevent anything from going wrong. This message helped to prevent cramping as well as laminitis and gave Rafeena great comfort. Michelle also managed to get the kind night person to come in and give some message to Rafeena. This care continued throughout her entire stay at San Louis Rey Hospital.

September twenty sixth it was time to change the cast. Rafeena was again anesthetized and the leg was cleaned and re-casted in a half cast. All seemed fine and as she was coming out of the anesthetic she was once again placed in the sling.

Over the next week or so Rafeena was doing well except that her leg become terribly painful and she would not put any weight on it. On October fourth she was once again anesthesized and the cast was removed to find that the bone had come through the skin. At this point, Michelle was given the choice of putting Rafeena down or to amputate the leg. Michelle said to me that the decision was already made in her mind early on. She would have the leg amputated and have Rafeena fitted with a prosthesus. She was already so involved that this was an easy decision.

The amputation was a long surgery and the leg was removed just below the knee. After the amputation Rafeena's stump was casted and a large drainpipe was casted to the cast for support. She was put back into the sling and back in her stall during recovery. Rafeena was able to bear her weight on the temporary leg and seemed comfortable. Just a day or so after the amputation, Rafeena was allowed to go out and see the sun and eat some grass for the first time since she had broken her leg. She enjoyed this very much.

October tenth Rafeena was anesthetized again for a cast change and leg fitting. Michelle's father, Fred Swank and her Fiancee, Jim Kelly who happens to be a farrier were building a new, temporty prosthesus for Rafeena. This took place in Rafeenas stall so she did not have to go through being lifted again by her legs.

On October eighteenth Rafeena was fitted with her new temporary prosthesus and this time without anesthetic. Rafeena was great as they set the prosthesus in place and took it off several times to make adjustments. To everyones amazement Rafeena was not bothered by the fact that the prosthesus was just pulled off and put on for adjustment. With the security of the sling, she seemed to know that she only had three legs and would simply hold herself up. She was not relying on the sling for total support. The video shows that Rafeena seems to know what everyone is trying to accomplish.

The two men, Jim and Fred, are working on a better and more permanent leg with a hoof. They have enlisted the help of a company that makes prosthetics for humans called "Ferrier Coupler inc.". This company made the foot for the prosthesus and the Farrier, Brian Yneggy will modify it to fit the mare.

Rafeena went home on October twenty first with her new, temporary prosthesus and is doing very well. Michelle said that getting her home was no easy task. They have a four horse slant that they rigged a support system in, with five inch padding at her sides and heavily padded chains both front and back. Rafeena rode home in comfort and Michelle rode home in the trailer with her. As well as making changes to the trailer, the barn had to be prepared for Rafeenas homecoming. She would need a safe stall and small paddock so that Rafeena can move around in safety.

November eighth, Rafeena retured to the clinic for a cast change and exam of her stump and of course her pregnancy. The Vet says that the stump is healing very well and Rafeena is able to use her prosethus in comfort. Rafeena does have some bed sores from the sling that need cleaning and care. They are painful and of all the things the mare has put up with, she does not like them touched. They are taking some time to heal but they are coming along.

Rafeena was checked rectally and was still in foal. The vet says that the foal has a good heart beat, is very active but a little small. Michelle says that she thinks it's a boy and plans to name him "Tenatious Prestige".

Rafeena is kept in a stall at night and has a small secure paddock that she can go out in during the daytime. When Rafeena gets her new leg, she will be able to go out into a larger area and will even be able to play again.

This is not something that all of us could or would do. Michelle is a special person as the care of a horse with a prosthesus is ongoing for the rest of the horses life. When Rafeena is completely healed and fitted with with her new leg and foot, she will still require a great deal of care. This means changing the prosthesus and cleaning of the stump every other day or more. Making sure that her environment is safe and that footing is good.

Rafeena is expecting her foal in the first part of February 2002. Although we are still concerned for the foals survival, we look forward to meeting this tenatious kid. Michelle says that Rafeena is regaining her weight and seems happy to be home. Rafeena is truly a "Wonder Mare".

This story will continue........