Horses Vet Bills and Expenses Following I-90 Wreck

Hello friends and family,

I am reaching out for your assistance on behalf of my brother and sister-in-law, Kenny and Meghan Holt. On March 24th, their three horses were involved in an awful accident that left them with varying injuries and an urgent need for veterinary care.

As many of you know, Kenny and Meghan are expecting their first child in a couple months and this pregnancy has not been easy for them. In anticipation of their baby, Kenny and Meghan decided to send their horses to Nebraska with two of their dearest friends, Chris and Liz Olson. This move would ensure their horse's safe keeping, knowing that their friends would give them the greatest care thus alleviating a great amount of stress on the parents to be. After bringing the horses down to Billings on Saturday, March 23rd, the horses were on their way to Nebraska on Sunday, March 24th. This is where the good old Montana weather had other plans. Chris, Liz, and their 6 year old boy, left Billings heading southbound on I-90 heading towards Sheridan traveling slowly due to weather conditions. They hit a patch of ice that caused their horse trailer to jackknife and pull the pickup and horses into the median. The horse trailer tipped over on its side with Meghan and Kenny's three horses inside. The pickup started to tip over, but fell back to the upright position. Thankfully, Chris, Liz and their son did not sustain any bodily injuries through this terrible, traumatic experience. The third horse in the back of the trailer was able to get out fairly quickly, the other two were stuck inside for a while. Luckily, Chris had tools on hand and with the help of a truck driver, an off hours EMT, and a few people that stopped, they were able to free the other two horses. A mobile veterinarian happened to be driving by, who stopped and checked on the horses once they got out of the trailer. All three horses were stable at this point with what appeared to be minor cuts and trauma. The truck and trailer did not fare as well. Due to the horse trailer having to be cut apart, it was completely demolished. The truck and trailer both had to be towed back to Billings. Due to the location, time of day, and the weather, the tow alone cost $4,000 and the trailer was sent to scrap. As for the horses, there were varying degrees of injuries once they could be thoroughly examined at Montana Equine. Koa, the third horse in the trailer, fared the best with minor cuts on her legs and forehead. Doolittle, who was in the middle, suffered the most internal damage from being ping-ponged between the other two horses in the trailer. She received fluids immediately and appeared to be on the road to recovery. Yellow, the final horse, was all the way in the front of the trailer and suffered the most external damage. She had cuts to her forehead and legs with one laceration being severely close to compromising a joint. Thankfully, the veterinarian was able to rule out joint complications and stitched up the major cuts. Later that evening, Meghan received a call from the veterinarian that Doolittle had developed further complications. Her heart rate had doubled since arriving at the vet and developed an arrhythmia. The vet performed an ultrasound and found a buildup of fluid on her diaphragm indicating a possible hernia or hemorrhage. Surgery was offered, but the odds of Doolittle surviving the anesthesia or recovery was very low. She was left in God’s hands for the night with hopes of pulling through. The vet called the following morning to let them know that externally, Doolittle appeared to have recovered fairly well from the shock, but her heart rate had continued to rise. She is being treated with heart medication to help with the arrhythmia and anti-inflammatories. At this point, nothing more can be done until she is stable. Since the horses are in no shape to make the trek to Nebraska, Kenny and Meghan are still in Billings waiting to take all three horses back home to northern Montana. Once home, they will be monitored and on medication for the duration of their recovery. Chris and Liz were able to get their pickup into a shop Monday, the 25th, to get their tires and rims checked. After being given the all-clear, they headed home to Nebraska later that afternoon. We are hoping and praying for all horses and people to make a safe journey home and continue to improve.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to Chris and Liz for having such big hearts and everything you guys have done. Also, a special thank you to Montana Equine in Billings and everyone who stopped to help at the accident site, that is the true Montana way. Any and all help towards expenses for the horses and to help Chris and Liz would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to share and spread the word.