My story 💕

Anna joined our family in early 2022 along with her daughter, Elsa from Starry Skies sanctuary. They were quite shy at first since they were not used to being handled softly and petted. Anna and Elsa came from a life of hard labor in the fields.

Their teeth had been significantly damaged as a result of excessive bit handling, and they were both extremely underweight with several ulcers. We worked very hard to help them in regaining their health and weight. Because of their damaged teeth, these two are unable to eat hay normally. It took us a year of a specialized soaked diet, exercise, and physical therapy to get them back up to weight. However, after the year, we noticed neither of them had rebuilt all of their muscles as they should have. Come to find out, Anna and Elsa both have PPID. PPID causes the pituitary gland to work overtime, which can lead to a variety of issues for horses, including:

• Difficulty to shed a long, curly hair coat 

• Loss of muscle mass, especially on the top of their backs and butt

• Poor immune systems

• Laminitis

• Drinking and urinating more than normal

We're grateful that our horses' weight gain diet plans don't include a lot of sugar and starch, since typical weight gain diets would result in long-term damage for horses with PPID. Anna and Elsa are receiving treatment, and we are monitoring them closely to make sure their PPID stays under control. We are hopeful that their muscles and fur coats will improve by next spring!

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Anna is the mom of the horses. She has a sweet demeanor like a mother, but also has the authority to take charge when needed. When you ride her, you can tell you're on a big mom who likes hugs and especially loves her daughter, Elsa, who will always be on the ride with you. I always imagine Anna to be like that mom that will drive miles to your home to give you homecooked soup when you have a cold. 

If you find yourself on Anna for your ride, you're in good motherly hands!