Chance 
Chance
STATUS: Permanent Resident
BREED: Grade Quarter Horse
AGE: Born in 2005
GENDER: Gelding
TRAINING: Halter broke
If you would like to become a "Horse Angel" by sponsoring Chance, please click here for more details
October 2005: Chance was approximately 6 months old when he arrived at the rescue. He was purchased by a volunteer at the "meat" auction for 7 cents per pound and brought to the rescue. Chance is crippled and walks with a very obvious limp. He is very attached to Effie, a neglected Quarter Horse mare that arrived at the rescue at the same time as Chance. Effie was separated from her own foal at the auction, and Chance's trip to the auction was also his abrupt weaning so the two have bonded and adopted each other. Our vet examined Chance upon his arrival and feels that his injury occurred when he was very young. It appears that his hip and/or leg was broken but has completely healed, although crookedly. She doesn't feel he is in pain, since he bears weight on the leg and is not showing any signs of suffering, i.e. weight loss, depression, etc. However, she suggested we take him to Oklahoma State University for a more thorough examination. We took Chance to the vets at OSU and they also felt that Chance was not in any pain and that he may even be suitable for very light riding once he had grown. Chance also developed a severe case of ringworm and lost most of the hair on his face and large patches on his body. We had to extend his quarantine, bathe him with medicated shampoo and feed him a special powdered antibiotic. It took several weeks, but his skin has healed and his hair has grown out again. Chance is still shy, but is becoming more and more curious every day.
February 2006: After settling in, Chance became best buddies with Blue, another yearling colt here at the rescue and became much less dependent on Effie for security and comfort. We cross fenced the pasture and eventually, the youngsters were placed in a separate pasture away from the elderly horses to give our geriatric residents some peace and quiet away from the antics of the mischievous teenagers. Everyone adapted very quickly, however Blue has been adopted and now Chance has had to make some adjustments fitting in with the two year old geldings. Because of his crippled leg, Chance is very submissive but it took a little time for the other youngsters to allow him into the herd and not chase him away.
June 2006: Chance is doing well and growing up! He currently spends his days just playing and rough housing with Buster and Rebel in the "boys" pasture and just being a young horse. He is now halter broke, but we will be continuing his training to polish up his ground manners and to help him feel more secure being handled. He will be gelded this fall or sooner if adopted. Due to his injury, Chance is very passive with other horses and would make a wonderful companion for a lonely horse or person! Chance may not be physically perfect, but he has a sweet personality and willing attitude that more than make up for his disability.
October 2006: We had Chance gelded, unfortunately the vet is very concerned that he may herniate, which means his intestines may push through the incisions left by his surgery. If this happens, we will have to call the vet to do an emergency euthanization. The vet feels that the dislocation of some of Chance's internal organs may have been caused by the same injury that left him crippled, but we are monitoring Chance closely and praying that he will heal normally. Because of his condition, Chance has been separated from the rest of the herd and placed in a pasture with only Rugby for companionship. Chance is no longer available for adoption at this time. He will remain here at the rescue to avoid any potential problems that could arise from being transported or introduced into an unfamiliar herd situation until he has made a full recovery. Please consider sponsoring Chance during his recuperation.
November 2006: Chance is recovering well with no indication of a hernia. Due to the death of his pasture mate, Rugby, and his favorable recovery, Chance has been turned back out with the other geldings for socialization and companionship.
July 2007: Chance will be going to our new 64 acre facility this month. Chance will most likely remain a permanent resident here at the rescue because of his limited adoptability. He is a very sweet boy despite his limitations and he will always have a home here with us.
January 2008: Chance was examined by our vet again to ensure he is still comfortable and not experiencing any pain that would affect his quality of life. The vet's opinion is that Chance is still able to lead a relatively normal life, however he is developing arthritis in his healthy legs due to compensating for his crippled leg. We will continue to monitor Chance and have our vet out periodically to evaluate his condition.