Carla Angel

[Laurie Taylor]

When the Horses in Need Photography Project first made it's debut, I was very fortunate to meet the volunteers who make the Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue (SCTR), possible.

I have been so impressed with the work that these individuals do, that I have featured this wonderful organization and some of the horses that come into their program each year, since.

Many of the horses in SCTR's program that have been featured in the past were rescued from shipping out of state for slaughter for human consumption. However, that is not SCTR's only focus.

Here is the story of Carla Angel, who entered the care of the rescue in 2013.

[Laurie Taylor]

In early 2013 Carla Angel, along with another horse, was seized by Riverside County Animal Services authorities after they were first noticed in a Craigslist ad, in what appeared to be a very thin and severely neglected condition.

Within days after her seizure, this sweet mare colicked.

Two weeks later, she was transferred to SCTR for rehabilitation. This photo was taken by SCTR volunteers upon her arrival.

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[Laurie Taylor]

Examination by a veterinarian at intake revealed that in addition to being extremely malnourished, she also had at least 20-30 pounds of sand accumulated in her digestive tract. Carla had numerous large sores on her body, mostly due to the lack of flesh and contact with the ground when she lay down. Some of these were so severe that they were infected. When she arrived, she also had what appeared to be oil paint in her tail, and on her legs and on other parts of her body.

I first met Carla about 10 days into her rehab, and roughly 3 weeks after her seizure. She had already begun gaining weight by this time.

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[Laurie Taylor]

Her neglect and lack of nutrition also showed in her hooves.

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[Laurie Taylor]

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[Laurie Taylor]

Careful reintroduction to food initially included soaked hay pellets, supplements and more, plus treatment to remove the sand in her digestive system, utilizing psyllium. Multiple times a day her wounds were cleaned and treated as well and a course of strong antibiotics were necessary to treat the infections and fever.

Carla's teeth and hooves were attended to. As time passed, the sand was eliminated from her digestive tract, her wounds started to heal, and she began to gain weight in earnest.

By October of 2013, Carla Angel hardly resembled the poor creature that arrived in February.

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[Laurie Taylor]

This gorgeous mare, now healthy, is clearly enjoying life and has entered the re-training portion of the Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue's program to further prepare her for her future adoptive, forever home.

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[Laurie Taylor]

For more information about Carla Angel, to follow her progress and learn about many other fortunate horses who have found SCTR, check out the rescue's web site at http://www.sctbrescue.org - and follow their Facebook page or Twitter feeds for frequent updates.

Readers may also wish to investigate the Riverside County Horse Coalition's website and Facebook pages. The Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue is a Coalition member, and received an intake grant from the Coalition, to assist with Carla's initial costs.

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