Emergency Expenses for Eddie the Therapy Horse

Edward the Great (a.k.a. Eddie), a 24-year-old Percheron cross, started his new career at Equi-librium in December 2021. At Equi-librium, Eddie has an important job: helping children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities, as well as social and emotional needs. His sweet and friendly disposition makes him the perfect man for the job, and he's already well-loved by staff, volunteers, and participants.

 

Eddie's background is an impressive one! Prior to arriving at Equi-librium, Eddie was a member of a theatrical jousting troupe for many years, traveling the Renfaire circuit from Kentucky to Michigan and competing at the New York Renaissance Faire.

 

Early this month, this sweet boy experienced a series of choking episodes that were able to be treated on the farm. Unfortunately on February 13th, he experienced a more severe choke and was transported for emergency care at the Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center. The team at Mid-Atlantic quickly stabilized him and made him comfortable, but also sought to determine the cause of his choking. On an ultrasound, they found a mass on his esophagus that is believed to be a chronic abscess. This has caused his esophagus to narrow and become extremely irritated, making solid food an impossibility.

 

The team at Mid-Atlantic is working hard to treat the infection and preserve Eddie's quality of life, but it will be a long process. He is not yet able to swallow mash without choking, and is on a largely liquid diet until the size of the abscess decreases considerably. Due to Eddie's age and the placement of the abscess, removing the mass is not a viable option.

 

At Equi-librium, our horses are loved beyond measure and are at the core of all we do. We are also a non-profit organization that relies heavily on community support, especially in times of unforeseen expenses. Eddie's treatment at Mid-Atlantic was originally quoted between $3,000-4,000, not including the medicinal needs he will come home with. We have now learned that he will likely stay at Mid-Atlantic longer than anticipated, which will drive this cost up further. Additional expenses include the emergency call charge for the first vet who triaged Eddie's choke on the farm, as well as a special diet that we will likely need to maintain for the foreseeable future.

 

Any donation towards Eddie's care and medical bills is appreciated so that we can focus on getting our sweet boy healthy and bring him back home to Equi-librium! For more information about Equi-librium, please visit www.equi-librium.org.

 

Thank you!

 

With Gratitude,

Jessie Shappell

Executive Director, Equi-librium