| Located at 854 Two Tail Rd, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805 208-267-8693 or 208-610-3616 cell e-mail: laurie@wonderhorseranch.com |
| Wonderhorse Ranch, LLC Horse & Livestock Supplements in Northern Idaho |
| Recovery from Burns November fires in Southern California Horses burned during the November fires recover At the 1800 acre W.D. Sence Ranch in Somis, CA, Jake and Kathy DeVan were not initially concerned about the Simi Valley fire reaching them. They could easily watch its progress from the top of the hill behind the ranch and the threat looked days away. Between family and hired hands, fifteen people live on their spread. They have 150 horses, a number of which are used for rider training. Another 25 to 30 evacuated horses and 30 - 40 head of cattle had recently been added from areas under immediate burn threat. At 1:00 AM, after making a last check on the fire from the hilltop, they retired for the night secure that things were OK for the time being. At 3:00 AM a friend who is a Sheriff’s Deputy called and warned them that the wind had changed direction and the fire was heading towards them fast! There was no time to evacuate. By 4:00 AM the fire had reached them and was sweeping past the house. Help from the fire department was impossible since their resources had long ago been called away and friends who tried to reach them were blocked by the flames. Quickly gathering most of the animals into a 20 acre brush free sandy area where the barns, roping arena and house stood, they worked to wet down and save the main house and other buildings. Gus Parker, a boarder, was able to save the tack building while another, PJ, watered down one of the hired men’s homes. During this time, the animals remained calm despite the hay barn and manure piles burning. In half an hour the fire had passed through. During the race to round up the horses and cattle not all had been found, so at daylight Kathy DeVan jumped on the four wheeler and went searching for 6 missing horses. She was not able to locate them but by this time Darrel and Jeralyn Koupal, the horses’ owners, had arrived and began searching the areas they knew where the animals would hide in their 100 acre pasture. Around 6:30 AM they found them standing all together. The horses faces were swollen and skin crinkled but the depth and severity of the burns were not visible at this point. Dr. Kent Sullivan (a Boarded Surgical Specialist) and Dr. Deborah Kemper (an Internal Medicine Specialist) a husband and wife team and owners of West Coast Equine in Somis, CA, had been up all night evacuating horses to Somis away from the Simi Valley and Moorpark fires. Then at 4:00 AM the call came that the wind had changed and now Somis was on fire! The road into the gated community where they had stabled many of the animals was blocked by what remained of the fire department. It was a hot fire and though many plastic fences melted and vegetation disappeared, dirt roads stopped the flames from actually getting through to the barns on many of the ranchettes in the area. At 8:00 AM, Dr. Sullivan responded to the call from the W.D. Sence Ranch and went to see the six horses that had been burned. He was able to slowly walk them 600 yards to the barn area though it was quite painful for the animals to move. At this time their bodies were very swollen but it was not yet known how extensive their injuries were, for the only obvious burn damage was singed tails, eyelashes and muzzles. The horses were definitely in need of supportive care so it was decided to move them 3 miles away to Joe and Sharon Goodman’s horse rescue ranch. The animals were started on intravenous fluids, steroids and pain relievers. After four days it became apparent that they also had 2nd and 3rd degree thermal injuries as skin died and began to slough off. In 10 days the skin had in varying degrees, fallen off their faces, legs, chests, girth, groin and under their tails down to muscle. There was also damage to coronary bands and heel bulbs. Fortunately they did not have smoke inhalation injuries! Dr. Sullivan and volunteers change Cheyenne’s dressings These burns were severe enough -especially on hard to heal legs and the swollen flesh surrounding- that they did not lend themselves to skin grafting and suturing. At this time ACell, Inc., a Columbia, Maryland veterinary and medical company donated a new product that aids in wound healing. It is about the size of a yellow sticky note and has regenerative properties. This patch is applied to the raw wound after being soaked in a saline solution where it acts as a “scaffold” over the muscle for cells to stick to and grow upon. About 40 –50 of these patches were placed on the wounds during each dressing change by Drs. Sullivan & Kemper. Healing this amount of damaged skin is tremendously hard for the animals and they began to lose weight rapidly. As Dr. Kemper pointed out, “Nutrition is very important because of the metabolic demands on the body.” Two to three weeks into treatment the horses had “hit rock bottom”. On November 12th SweetPro Feeds of Walhalla, ND., after seeing the horses plight on Fox News, donated their new breakthrough horse nutritional and digestive aide supplement, EquiPride. This product is a fermented feed that comes in a meal form (topdress) and works by allowing a horse to fully digest its forage. It also delivers all the vitamins and trace minerals needed by the animal while adding yeast, biotin, omega 3 oils and a proprietary blend of flax, oats, barley malt and wheat called “Pro-Biotein”. Dr. Kemper said, “EquiPride came at the perfect time to meet their nutritional needs.” “I think it has helped these horses a lot.” After this the horses began to turn the corner quickly, their burns have healed rapidly, manes and tails have grown out and they are looking and feeling much better! Cheyenne on November 15 2003 – at “rock bottom” Cheyenne with Drs. Kemper and Sullivan on December 7 2003 Thirty-five days after the fire, four of the six horses returned to the WD Sence ranch. When let loose, they bucked, reared and ran around the corral for the sheer joy of being home! The two remaining horses are being kept longer at the Goodman’s horse “MASH” unit because of possible laminitis in one due to the severity of his burns. The other is to receive further treatment and also keep him company. Doctors Sullivan and Kemper give a lot of credit to those team members who worked hard alongside them as they treated the horses: The Koupals drove two hours each way every day from their Redondo Beach home to help and comfort their horses. The stable owners, Joe and Sharon Goodman, went out of their way to assist the efforts. Ann Freauf organized the volunteer schedules, alerted media outlets, fielded inquiries and handled donations. Of course, there were also star volunteers who ”stood in the trenches” - Gusie Woodfill, Diane Dunford, Sharann Chotenousky, Jane Rees and Rita Dubnewych. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the four horses that have returned to WD Sence are supplementing their hay with SweetPro Feeds EquiLix free choice lick block (a non-molasses pre-digested blend of distillers grains with SweetPro’s Pro-Biotein). Still checked on every day, they have made an amazing recovery and are very happy! The DeVans have since gathered up all the cattle not located before the fire and have had to euthanise five due to burns. They were, however, able to save their 4-H replacement heifers. Several of them had burned udders but as good mothers they allowed their calves to feed despite the pain. The DeVans, along with their daughter Danielle, her boyfriend Joe Yanez, sons Mike and Chris, and hired men Juan Lopez and Manuel De Jesus are working hard to rebuild what was lost. (A friend who had come to the ranch to relax asked when that was going to be possible after being set to work.) They are now looking for the Santa Ana winds to stop and a good rain to bring green back to the fields, beginning a restoration of the land to accompany the healing of horses. West Coast Equine Kent Sullivan, VMD (Boarded Surgeon) Deborah Kemper, DVM (Internal Medicine) |
| TESTIMONIALS |
| Debbie Shevlin's Story June 20, 2005 I am writing to tell you about the amazing difference that we have witnessed in our horse after introducing Equipride to his diet. Joe is a 23 yr. Old Appaloosa/Quarter horse cross. We have owned him for 10 yrs. He was always a healthy strong horse until one year ago. We moved to Florida from Connecticut in November of 2003. At first he seemed okay. As we entered the spring and summer of 2004, Joe started to have many problems. He was beginning to lose weight. His coat was becoming dull. He was developing severe dandruff on his mane. At this time he also began to develop open sores on his neck and abdomen. He was continually biting at his sheath. He was also having severe eye allergies. His eyelids were extremely swollen and clear tears poured out of his eyes. There was so much tearing from his eyes that his knees would be wet! The vet came out several times. She felt he was allergic to something in Florida -- possibly flies. We tried several different fly sprays; I would put swat topically on his sheath every day to keep the flies off. We added garlic to his food and he began getting cortisone injections monthly. He would wear a fly mask every day. At one point in the fall of 2004, I went out to the field to bring him in and found he was bleeding from his penis. He had bitten himself. The vet came out and had to surgically remove some of the tissue and suture him up. We then decided he would have to wear a muzzle to protect him from biting himself. I would also now have to apply panalog cream topically to his sheath and penis every day. This was in addition to instilling eye ointments twice a day. Joe was becoming high maintenance!! Of course, he is a pet, so you do whatever you need to do to keep him comfortable. However, he continued to drop weight and become almost lethargic. He had no energy and was literally dragging his feet as he slowly walked around. He had now lost his entire mane due to the itching and dandruff. We then put him on senior feed. About a week into the senior feed, I came home from work and found him lying down and totally soaked with perspiration. It was colic! This was the first time since we had owned him that this had happened. We were able to revive him with IV banamine. I was beside myself. I was sure his days were numbered. I did not know what else to do for him. This was our pet, our friend, with whom my husband, my son and myself had so many wonderful moments. This was a horse that just one year ago was competing in hunter paces! Now he could barely walk across the field. He was no longer the dominant horse. Our young gelding and our mare were pushing him all over the place. Joe's future was bleak. It was at this time, that we had stumbled across an Equipride vendor at the Equine Affair in Jacksonville. I told him about Joe. He promised me that we would see a difference in about two weeks. At this point we had nothing to lose. We started Joe on Equipride in the fall of 2004. The vendor was right! Within two weeks we noticed his energy was coming back. He was starting to pick up his feet when he walked and his eyes were becoming clearer. After approximately 6 weeks of the supplement he was trotting up to us at feeding time. Joe showed improvement each week. He was once again playing with the other horses. We were amazed when we looked out to see him rearing up and sparring with our young gelding. I had forgotten that they used to play like that. He was cantering and galloping. My neighbors were commenting on his improvement. They could not believe that this was the same horse. His coat began to shine. His mane is growing back and is now about 3 inches long. There are no open areas on his neck or his abdomen. Although, he still has some tearing from his eyes, it is mild in comparison to what it was. It is about 90% improved. He still wears a fly mask to keep down the amount of pollen he gets in his eyes. We are no longer using eye ointments on a daily basis. I do still apply a thin coat of swat to his sheath daily to protect him from bug bites. He no longer needs to wear the muzzle. He is no longer getting monthly cortisone injections. Joe has put back all the weight he lost. I would estimate about 150-200 lbs. He looks great! We are once again riding him! He has the pep back in his step! Thank you Equipride for making such a wonderful product. Joe will be on it for the rest of his life! It has truly given him back quality in his life. Debbie Shevlin Citra, Florida |
| Cindy Urlie's Story The seven rescue ponies at the Forslin farm are now doing well! They were very malnourished and their feet were twisted. Dale and his daughter Cori are doing a wonderful job with these animals. These pictures I sent are of one of the ponies, “George” before and then less than two months later on EquiPride! And now those front feet are really getting straight. We were told no way could they straighten out and one vet didn’t think these ponies would ever be anything but lawn ornaments (and were worth nothing). But thanks to EquiPride and EquiLix, all their feet look normal now and everybody walks just fine. Cindi Urlie Oak Valley Livestock Equipment Cambridge, MN Update Feb 27, 2006: One got adopted out last week to a little girl who just fall in love with “Teddy Bear”. The farrier last week could not believe George's feet now, when he looks inside his front feet, they look like a foot with a frog and all. He says the product is excellent and really has done a nice job on these guys. And to think we were told that George could never have a normal feet again. Boy did we show that vet! |
| Catherine Harris' Story In September of 2005, our twenty-three year old Arab horse, Reall, was 3- legged lame. For the last couple of years Reall was moving a lot slower and had been showing some amount of pain. I was thinking about putting him down – but now, since feeding EquiPride, he is moving around beautifully. What ever is in that stuff is working for him. I have tried the leading joint supplements, buteless, no bute, msn, glucosamine and each of these have worked for a short while and all seem to mask the problem as bute would. I started giving him two scoops of EquiPride (since December 11, 2005) the day we came home from the Denver show and he is now able to be in a pasture with other horses and not by himself. I still wouldn’t do too many sharp turns with him but he is 100% better. We even entered him in a local show this January where he placed 3rd in his class! He is my 10 year old daughter’s horse and recently she said, “Reall is growing younger”. Needless to say – I am recommending it my friends and have started my other five horses on EquiPride. Catherine Harris Laramie, WY Catherine updates her EquiPride testimony regarding another of her horses, Lexi. Our horse Lexi was playing in the pasture with friends and did something that caused him to pull a ligament in his right front leg. He wouldn’t put any weight on it – so into the vet we go. They took X-rays and sure enough, it wasn’t a tear but a bad pull. The vet said that it would be 2 months of stall rest. Well that worked for him the first week and then he started getting better – fast. He wanted out – so I would let him out for limited amounts of time on dry days. Pretty soon I noticed that he looked 100% - but I still listened to the vet and kept him in. We went for a checkup after three weeks and the vet was amazed that he healed that quickly! I didn’t ride him for 5 weeks and then started walking him, working up to a trot and then canter. What they said would take eight weeks of stall rest was basically condensed into 4-5 weeks. I think because of EquiPride he healed from the inside out. |
| Crystal Lyons' Story In the fall of 2003 we purchased a weanling Quarter horse colt. Within about 3 to 4 months, we began noticing that he wasn't traveling right. His hind quarters just didn't move right. Within a short time, he worsened considerably to the point we even debated putting him down. We got a couple of veterinarian's diagnosis and were dismayed to find it was wobbles. Wobbles effects the horse's ability to control his hindquarters. He couldn't back up. If he tried, he fell over back wards. When he laid down it was getting harder and taking longer to get back up. Often, he would work to get on his feet until exhausting himself and would have to lay there and rest awhile before trying again. We knew the day was coming when he wouldn't be able to get up at all and we would have to put him down. It has been believed for a long time that there is no cure for wobbles. During this time, we came across EquiPride and bought it to give to another young horse we had. We at first made the decision to only feed the one colt and not "waste it" on "Speedbump", but just nonchalantly started feeding it to him anyway. We never expected it to improve him in any way---we just "did" it, feeling like it was a waste of money to put these good minerals into a horse that we would probably have to put down within the year. I am SO THANKFUL that we did! Within a couple months, we began to notice an improvement in the way Speedbump was moving, but we were so sure that he couldn't be helped by anything other than a miracle from God, that we actually thought it was just our imagination! Well, really in a way it IS a miracle from God. A miracle that we found this awesome product in time to save this horse's life and to save the investment we had made in this fine colt. Soon, it began to be so obvious that EquiPride literally did a reversal of the damage in his neck and spine to where I decided to get on him and begin his training. You have to understand what this meant. If he tried to take one step backwards, he instantly flipped over! He was now able to move off his hindquarters, back up, back out of a trailer, lope....I even let our 12 year old son begin to ride him! He's doing awesome. This fall we will send him to a reining horse trainer and Lord willing, by the spring of 2006, I will be taking him to horse fairs and rodeos to perform on for concerts and cowboy church services. If you see me on a big, muscular gray at some western event---come talk to me and meet "Speedbump". We now feed EquiPride to every horse on the place. We also feed the tub (EquiLix) to our mares in the pasture. Since getting it, their coats are slick and shiny and nobody chews on the bark of trees or board fences anymore. We thank God for EquiPride because it literally gave Speedbump back his life! Crystal Lyons Cowboy Stuff Ministries P.O. Box 1560 Mason Texas, 76856 325-347-0242 cowboystuff@ctesc.net www.crystallyons.com |
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