CHAMP IS AN AMAZING, RESILIENT HORSE WHO WAS DONATED TO EQUIHEART IN 2023 AFTER BEING RETIRED DUE TO A LIFE THREATENING INJURY TO HIS LEFT REAR LEG IN 2015. SADLY, CHAMP WAS RE-INJURED LAST AUGUST, 2024, IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE. In 2015, his left hind leg was “de-gloved” (flesh and muscle ripped off to expose bone and tear tendons) and the area of skin is considered “non healing” since it is mostly scar tissue. 

From August, 2024 until January, 2025, a team of about 5 women worked tirelessly treating Champ mostly on our own with vet assistance. He required cold hosing on his leg, ointments applied, bandaging, and covering with a protective wrapping every other day. 

In early January, 2025, just as he was beginning to heal well, Champ tragically re-injured this leg again and it was determined that he needed to be treated and boarded at the vet clinic so they could do laser treatments and other treatments every other day. Champ is healthy in every other way, I had to give him this chance of staying alive and healing his wound. I knew it would be an enormous investment to pay for this type of treatment, but the alternative of euthanizing him was not something I could even think about. I had just lost my 30 yo heart horse, Sunny; I couldn’t bear another loss.

So, I decided to do what was best for Champ, but EquiHeart has absolutely no funding from any sources and Champ’s vet bill will be about $10,000 by the middle of May. This is an enormous expense for me and I now have to face the reality that I can’t bear this alone. My work has been extremely slow this year and there is barely any income coming into my practice. 

I AM HUMBLY ASKING FOR DONATIONS OF ANY AMOUNT TO HELP WITH THE COST OF CHAMP’S TREATMENT AND RECOVERY. I AM BEYOND GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO CAN HELP US GET CHAMP BACK TO THE LIFE HE LOVED AS A THERAPY HORSE IN EQUIHEART!