Baron's Scar

After moving Bunny, Mayo, and Baron to a new boarding stable in the summer of 2000, things seemed to be going well, for a change.  My job at the vet clinic was going well, the new stable was taking great care of my horses, they were gaining weight and starting to look more like they should have.   Baron was small for his age, because of the bout with Salmonella and then the previous stable not feeding him properly, despite me providing the grain.

A few months after moving them, he really was starting to blossom and I was so happy, until I got a call that September Saturday morning.   Sue, the stable owner informed me that it looked like Baron had been kicked in the right knee.  His leg was swollen, but he wasn't too lame, so she didn't think anything was broken.   She offered to hose it a few times for me and give him some bute, until I could get a ride out to take a look at him for myself.

Everyone seemed busy that Saturday, but my Dad offered to come get me on Sunday afternoon, after church.   It was an agonizing wait to get out to see him, but Sue kept me informed and believed he was improving.   She had decided to keep him out, so that he would not get upset about being away from his friends and cause more damage, plus we thought moving around a little bit would help keep the swelling from getting worse.

I got out to the farm about 3 PM on Sunday afternoon and Sue and I went to get Baron, while my Dad waited back at the barn.   As Sue and I approached the gate, the horses came walking up and suddenly Sue called out in horror, "Baron, what did you do to your leg?"

I could feel the blood leaving my face as I asked what was wrong.   She said the leg was now opened up huge, a tear 3/4 of the way around, just below his right knee.  It was a slight slant, but not much, opened about 4 to 5 inches at it's widest gaping spot, at the front of his leg.  We quickly haltered him and got up him to the barn.   We called the vet and started working on him as we waited.   One of the blood vessels ruptured and we had to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. 

Sue and I cleaned the wound as best we could and put a wrap on him to keep it from getting more dirty and to keep the bleeding under control.

Once he was stable, Sue and another boarder went out into the field to see what he could have hit his leg on, but found nothing.  Found no evidence of blood on any of the fence rails, the water trough, no signs of what he could have done to open it up.

The vet finally arrived around dusk and I held Baorn in the barn aisle for her to inspect his leg.  After she took the wrap off and examined it, she informed me that she thought his knee had also been compromised.  She thought she saw a hole going near the center of his knee, which she said might open his joint up for infection.   The wound was so big there was no way to do stitches.   She gave a pretty grim prognosis and told me if he was her horse she would put him down right then.   She said she thought he only had a 10% chance of surviving.

I became a wreck at that point, crying uncontrollably.  SOmeone else had to come and hold Baron for me as I about collapsed on the ground.    Baron and I had gone through so much, his rough start as a newborn, the Salmonella poisoning that almost killed him, the starvation at the previous boarding barn, and just when things were starting to look better, he gets hurt so badly that he may have to be put down.   I just couldn't take it. 

I came very close to deciding to do it, I just didn't know how much more I could take, but Sue pulled me to the side, gave me a hug and told me to wait 24 hours.   She said she wanted another vet to see Baron, one who she knew had saved a severely injured horse, before.   So, she wanted me to have that vet see Baron and give her opinion.

I just couldn't let Baron suffer, but I agreed that 24 hours to wait for a second opinion would be okay and if there was a chance to save him, I'd do my best, even on a receptionist's income.

The next afternoon, I left my job a few hours early.   Thankfully working for a small animal vet, she understood the seriousness of the situation and that I needed to be there when the vet saw Baron.   She had also prepared me for the worst, when I described the extent of the injury to her.

When I got to the barn, Sue and the vet were waiting for me and we went to see Baron.   She said it was definitely a very severe leg wound, one that could cost him him life.   She said, however, that she'd give him for than a 10% chance of living, saying it was closer to a 50% chance.   So, going by that, I decided we'd fight and see if we could save him, knowing it may not work.

Sue was wonderful.   She knew that due to my eyesight, that I didn't drive and getting a ride out to her barn was difficult.   At best, I got out about once every other week.   So, she knew that Baron's care would fall upon her, as I just could not get out to do it properly.   She was willing to help me and Baron and for that I will always be grateful.

It started with bandage changes twice a day, to clean with a saline solution with a small amount of betadine.  After about a week, she could start just changing his bandage once a day and hose it gently, along with the solution.   Once healing looked like it was starting to take place and some proud flesh was developing, she put Preparation-H and a few other things around the edge of the wound.

Baron did develop some proud flesh, but it never got out of control or too much.   With Sue's excellent and diligent care, Baron made remarkable progress.

He was able to go out after a week or so and we turned him out with Bunny and Mayo, and their group, and Mayo seemed to know that her son needed her, as she began to protect her yearling son.   Bunny, I believe, also helped in this care, to keep the other mares away from Baron.

After awhile, he was allowed back out with the other geldings and younger colts.

It took months, but finally the wound completely closed up, leaving Baron with a huge scar under his right knee.   It starts and ends around the splint bone area on either side of his leg, going around the front of his leg.   I think he was super lucky that the wound did not open over his tendon.   Because there is no scar near the tendon, he is totally sound. 

It may not look very pretty, but over time, it has had hair grow back, that is actually chestnut and not white, so at a distance it is not really noticeable, unless you look right at it and catch the angle right, you might see it a little bit.

Because of all he went through, as he approached his 2nd Birthday, he only measured 14.1 hands.  I was very worried about him being stunted because of everything, but after he was gelded in April 2001, he finally started to grow a little bit. 

Through the years I've heard a lot about that scar on his leg, how people didn't want him because of it, how it was unsightly, would stick out too much in the show ring, make people worry about his soundness, and so much more, but if they only knew what he had been through, that he is a walking miracle horse to go through so much in his first 2 years of life, he is something special.

Thank God I found him a good home with someone who truly appreciates him like I do, loves him to no end, and realizes what a special boy he truly is.   I am so thankful for his new owner and she is helping prove all those nay-sayers wrong, as she is using him as an Eventer.   He flies over the jumps, hates to touch them in the jumper round, has a blast at cross country, and is improving more and more at dressage, to the point that they have moved up a level, already.   He always brings home a ribbon!