A Shining Star

Before & After 

Star was one of a dozen horses either surrendered by - or seized from - his former owner who had a herd too large to properly care for. The horses had been kept in very poor living conditions and weren’t being fed properly. As a result, many of them were sick and severely underweight when they arrived at the shelter. Star was just a young colt, barely a yearling, and he was the sickest of the group.

In addition to suffering from a bad case of worms, he was very thin and lethargic. Our shelter veterinarian diagnosed him with a severe bacterial infection of his upper respiratory tract.  This condition can interfere with a horse’s ability to breathe and can be life-threatening. Additionally, Star’s feet were in very bad shape, and he had likely never received veterinary or hoof care.

Star was sent to the UW Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital where he was given antibiotics and had his sinuses flushed to help relieve his congestion. DCHS staff continued his antibiotic treatments at the shelter and worked to get him accustomed to hoof handling. He was soon comfortable enough to allow his hooves to be trimmed. He was also treated for thrush – a bacterial infection of the hoof due to previously being kept in wet, filthy conditions. 

Star’s physical condition improved rapidly with proper medical care, but he was still shy. Our staff continued to handle and socialize him and, over time, he grew to love being brushed and showered with attention.

Star spent three months at the shelter recovering his health and gaining some much needed weight. He then spent another month in foster care. Star’s new adoptive family met him while he was in foster care, and they fell in love with him right away. Star has been renamed Texi, and his new mom says:

“He’s adjusting well to his new life on the farm. He’s eating well and gaining weight, and he’s making friends with our dogs. Our next step is to get him out there running with our other horses. But he’s still so small that we will integrate him slowly so he doesn’t get hurt. He’ll probably never be big enough to be a riding horse because he was starved as a foal and that stunted his growth. But I wasn’t looking for another riding horse. I just wanted to give him a home where he could be part of the herd and have a nice life.”