You could see the pure joy in each of the three horses as they raced across the field…
Their tails flapping in the wind… their hooves pounding… the neighing and neighbors filling the air… these horses were experiencing the kind of happiness that only comes after pain and fear. On this day, after months of separation, surgery, and a long road to recovery, a brother and 2 sisters were reunited. Today a family was reunited thanks to the work of Gentle Barn.
See, about a year before this happy reunion, one of the galloping horses could barely walk. Worthy, the youngest, had been born with a common deformity in horses called Windswept Angular Limb Deformity. He gave her a knock knee.
Corrective surgery is usually done soon after birth. However, Worthy did not receive this care. Consequently, she suffered from the deformity for a year, limping painfully and losing weight dramatically.
A fighting spirit made all the difference in this horse rescue
Her condition was so bad that the surgeon The Gentle Barn consulted with about her problem recommended putting her down. But after meeting Worthy, Gentle Barn founder Ellie Laks felt that Worthy had a strong fighting spirit in her. She decided that Worthy should be given every opportunity she had to fight for a life of freedom and movement.
Leaving behind their brother, Chris, Worthy and her sister, Indie, were taken to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Kentucky. Thanks to the team of highly skilled surgeons, Worthy got this second chance. After removing a wedge from her leg bone, Worthy’s leg straightened.
To make sure his recovery from surgery went as smoothly as possible, the folks at The Gentle Barn have made sure Worthy gets lots of love. And thanks to donations of liquid and powdered chlorella and pet nutritional supplements, she is getting the best nutrition of her life.
Chlorella chlorophyll and Chlorella growth factor (CGF) are perfect for helping Worthy’s leg grow strong and healthy after surgery. In the 1940s and 1950s, chlorophyll was a favorite of surgeons to help wounds heal properly. Chlorella has more concentrated chlorophyll than any other plant on earth. CGF has the amazing ability to help tissues rebuild quickly and strongly.
All this special care has paid off. Because now, just a few months after his surgery, Worthy can gallop to greet his brother and welcome him to his pasture in Kentucky, where he will stay until his leg is strong enough to travel to The Gentle Barn in California.
Time and time again in my work, I am amazed at how strong the will to live is. Worthy’s recovery and other horse rescue stories like hers underscore how simply by giving an animal a chance and a little more love, we can make this will to live come true.
Ellie saw a fighting spirit within this handicapped horse. May we all join her in respecting her life and supporting her where we can.
