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DUKE
Foaled Sometime before 1988
15.2 hh Dark Brown Appendix QH Gelding
This is Duke on July 6, 2008, two days after he came to TGC . The couple who sent him here had owned him only 2 months. They claim he was worse than this when they got him, but admitted they'd had trouble getting weight on him unless he was separated completely from their other horses.
He's thin but as he was not being fed properly, it's no surprise. I cannot emphasize enough that OLD HORSES NEED SPECIAL CARE! Although they gave him decent quality alfalfa, between his teeth and competition with the other horses, he was not getting enough.
Duke has badly worn upper teeth, indicating a cribbing habit in his past . Thus, we really cannot estimate his age. I felt I could detect a little of Galvayne's groove which might mean, if his upper teeth weren't so worn, that it wasn't yet completely gone. That would mean he's close to 20. The previous owners had an age of 32, but couldn't verify that. And when horses are as thin as this, they look sooooo old! He came in with a heavy winter coat still in place, and I worried that he might have Cushings. But after only 20 days of good feed, that he can eat in peace and assimilate, he's losing all that old hair. I hope to have very different photos to post of Duke in another month.
Duke's feet were not in good shape - my farrier opines that his right front foot (his 'good' leg) hadn't been trimmed in a year. And you can see he has Josh's knee-over problem on the left, so that foot was small and slabsided. Laurie Henkel came out and found several neck vertebrae out of alignment, as well as an occipital maladjustment which she termed 'text-book' - the most obvious case she'd seen. An adjustment has helped him move more easily, and as his confidence level increases, he is more relaxed in his stall. At first, he was worried the other horses weren't in their stalls yet, and found several ways to escape (mostly by dismantling his own stall!) He's finally come to understand that while we go into our stalls at night for dinner, we ALL get to come out each morning.
He loves Shawnee - with his looks, of COURSE I put him in Josh's recently vacated stall and Shawnee is his stall-mate. She is still detached and mourning, and now that she has someone drooling over her again, in typical Shawnee fashion she's "choosing" Beau one day, Navigator another day, and standing alone, rather than settling on Duke. But he's standing close all the time, and I think he may win her in the end.
A nameplate made for Duke by my Girl Scout girls...
Can you believe this poor old guy's skinny butt? His whole topline is visible as an anatomy lesson.
Although it doesn't show in these photos, Duke has the HART brand on his left shoulder. I've heard good and bad things about the Hart rescue .... this was apparently one of their less wonderful placements! The people that brought Duke to me had apparently 'rescued' him from a woman in Vista who was not feeding him. It is SO hard to find a good and caring forever home. Can you help me provide this poor old guy with one? He has a kind nature, and eagerly approaches people for help. On one occasion when he escaped from his stall at night, as I approached him in the paddock where he was trotting and calling frantically (not yet familiar with the area, and possibly suffering from night blindess as many older horses do), he whirled around at the sound of my voice and almost ran me down hurrying to me for help. As we approached his stall and Shawnee nickered for him, his relief was so strong he stopped, and head butted me with his thanks!
As time went by, I moved Duke over to be a buddy for Rocky, who arrived also very starved a month or two after Duke. Duke was his mentor, a steady influence for a flighty and frightened TB. They were inseparable for 6 months, and then Rocky fell in love with Surely, and left Duke to stand alone, bewildered. I moved him again, to be next to Mr. Happy Grump and Falcon - with Buck, a whole line of elderly men. He and Happy take care of each other intermittently, both too macho to cling to each other, but giving and taking companionship since each had lost the one they love (Duke lost Rocky, and Happy lost Star to Swing's Lew). Ahh ... as the stable turns...
Duke may not have a lot of time with us - between his starvation and his age. But let's try to make his final months or years good ones!
These two photos give you a better idea of how Duke is doing. They were taken in September 2008, about 2.5 months after he arrived. The pic above shows the Hart brand clearly, but really, ain't he looking grand?! He has a lot of heart. I hope he'll be with us for a while and am greatly encouraged at his progress.
I was thrilled to see Duke get a little love from a volunteer recently. His years and the discomfort of his 'knee-over' condition are taking their toll. He walks out each morning to lay down and sleep; we have to put him on the ground to trim his front feet as he is simply unable to hold his feet up. Duke may not have a long time more with us, but he is loved, and I believe he knows it.
Shela couldn't resist these teddy-ear ears!
Duke is SPONSORED by Shela Boynton! Thank you so much Shela, for taking this teddybear under your wing!
Please contact Casey if you would be interested in sponsoring any of the un-sponsored horses at The Golden Carrot.
This is Duke on July 6, 2008, two days after he came to TGC . The couple who sent him here had owned him only 2 months. They claim he was worse than this when they got him, but admitted they'd had trouble getting weight on him unless he was separated completely from their other horses. 
I was thrilled to see Duke get a little love from a volunteer recently. His years and the discomfort of his 'knee-over' condition are taking their toll. He walks out each morning to lay down and sleep; we have to put him on the ground to trim his front feet as he is simply unable to hold his feet up. Duke may not have a long time more with us, but he is loved, and I believe he knows it. 