The mare needed to gain only about 100 pounds, not much for a horse at a rescue.  Her fate could have been much worse.  She has a few old injuries: a swollen knee, some old proud flesh on her fetlocks and rear cannons, a crack with tissue growing out of her rear hoof.  Taking all this into account, the name she has chosen for herself (we let the horses choose their new names for their new lives here at the sanctuary) is very appropriate:  Cinder- substance that is burned but not destroyed or totally consumed by fire.

Shortly after arriving at the sanctuary, our "Cinderella" horse slipped in some wet manure in her stall and popped open the old proud flesh on her rear fetlock.  Dr Jonathan Featherstone from South Ridge came out on one of the coldest days of the season to clean and stitch her wound.  The wind chill was so cold that day that even the blood froze as he lavaged the wound.  The procedure took over two hours and 30 staples.  Dr. Featherstone visited and checked her wound three more times.  We cleaned and re-bandaged it 3 times a week for several weeks, and it healed wonderfully. 

Cinder has fully recovered from starvation and is ready for a new home.  She can be placed only as a pasture pal because of old knee and fetlock injuries.  She is currently companion to Firelight and the minis at the sanctuary,  and she would be an excellent companion horse to either another mare or a gelding.