As of August 23, 2019, we have moved Maisie to our sanctuary program.
We would consider adopting her to a very special person who understands that her time here is limited by how long she remains comfortable and pain-free. She loves children and could be a fantastic therapy pony for the next few years. Email us if you are interested in being her long-term foster.
On August 19, we had the vet do a thorough lameness evaluation on Maisie. She had been showing some off and on soreness since just before her last farrier appointment, but became consistently uncomfortable late the week of August 12. Maisie’s joints and bones look normal on x-ray. It is her tendons in her left front and left hind that look abnormal; swollen enough that the swelling shows on radiographic imaging. With the combination of her symptoms and being a Paso-cross, the vet suspects early stages of DSLD. Furthermore, she does show some changes in her eyes that indicate early formation of cataracts, which is likely hereditary.
DSLD is a progressive disease that has limited treatments and there is no cure. Maisie will eventually be too uncomfortable to be a pasture pet, let alone be ridden.
At the age of 6-7, we are not ready to make that ultimate call. Instead, Maisie will move to a sanctuary foster where her comfort can be monitored, medicated when needed, and she will receive lots of daily love and attention.
This is a devastating blow to those of us who have worked with her and invested time and training into her and who could see her promise as an all-around family horse.
We welcome sponsorships to assist with Maisie’s monthly care. She doesn’t need much feed beyond pasture and good hay in the wintertime, she receives Previcoxx when needed for her comfort, and she is maintained on a regular farrier schedule every 5-6 weeks. We anticipate annual ultrasounds as part of her future care, to monitor the physical progression of her condition.