Twiggy
Twiggy was found abandoned at the side of a main road in Surrey in April 2007 and Jo, Redwings’ Field Officer for the south of England, was called to attend. Jo found a beautiful, 13.2hh piebald cob in desperate need of help.
Twiggy was emaciated (condition score 1) and clearly had a serious deformity to her pelvis. An equine vet was called to examine Twiggy at the roadside and she was transported to the veterinary practice for further examination, treatment and much needed TLC.
Following tests, x-rays and plenty of good, wholesome food to help her gain weight, Twiggy was able to make the journey to Redwings' nearest equine centre: the Ada Cole Rescue Centre at Harlow. She was driven by one of Redwings' veterinary surgeons who wanted to ensure that he was with her all the way in case she showed any sign of discomfort, which thankfully she didn't. They drove incredibly slowly to ensure there was no added pressure on her hip joints. Apologies to anyone who got stuck behind them on the road! Safely in Redwings' care, Twiggy soon settled in and continued to make good progress.
At the beginning of June Twiggy came up to Redwings' Horse Hospital in Norfolk. She had shown no signs of the pain or immobility that our vets were concerned could prevent her from enjoying a good quality of life and that could have meant she needed to be put to sleep.
At the hospital our vet team scanned her pelvis to gather more information. They found that one of the main parts of one of her hip joints had come apart, either by being pulled out or broken in an accident. Although this is a severe injury, thankfully the main supporting structure of Twiggy's pelvis is still functioning. However, her left leg is held in place and moved by ligaments and muscles instead of the hip joint. The accident must have happened some time before she was found and the fact that she has adjusted to her injury and is able to move around comfortably indicates that her body has managed to heal itself enough for Twiggy to cope with the long term effects of her accident, at least for the time being.
It is likely that she will develop arthritis in her pelvis at quite an early age, meaning that she will not live as long as a pony would usually do. We will monitor her carefully at Redwings to make sure that she gets all the support and care she needs to enjoy life for as long as possible.
If Redwings had not offered Twiggy a home, she would simply have been euthanased at the roadside. Seeing this beautiful young pony living a happy, comfortable life here at the Sanctuary reminds us yet again exactly why we are here, and makes us very thankful that we are!
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