[canis,]

We recently got an urgent call from the local authorities. It seems that they were called in after a recent sighting of a very skinny, odd-looking horse left out in the freezing cold. Upon arriving at the scene, they discovered a huge Kleeare stable to be abandoned. The Kleeare were simply left, some in the pasture, some trapped in their stalls. And all extremely emaciated. We responded quickly, arriving at the stable and assessing the condition of each Kleeare. The sight shocked us, but we did not fret. We brought each one of the Kleeare back to our place, where they were evaluated by our veterinarian. Some cases were more extreme than others, but all of them had the chance to be saved. That's where you step in...

This girl has had it hard. She appears to be blind, most likely from an infection. She is also extremely skittish and fearful.

Username; canis,
Name; Calypso
Gender; Mare
Coat Colour; Dapple Mulberry Grey Pintaloosa
Genotype; EE/aa/Gg/dpdp/nT/nO/Lplp/PATN2patn2/Frfr/DsDs

[canis,]

1: First Meeting

12/16/15
They brought the mare to us at around 10:00 pm. We couldn't turn her down, no matter how late.
She was hard to get out of the trailer and into a pen. The poor girl was terrified.
We tried to talk her down, but it didn't help much. She shied away from any sort
of contact. Eventually we left her alone and watched her for the rest of the night.

#2: Welcome Home

12/19/15
This mare is definitely going to be a challenge. She doesn't seem to be getting any better
behaviorally, though we are aware that will take time. We did, however, manage to get a
lead on her and remove her from the pasture. She appears to understand that we mean her
no harm, though I guess not being able to see those handling you must be quite frightening.
We led her into her stall after a few stubborn attempts to halt from the mare. Her stall is
situated next to one of our quieter mares, Selene. Her stall is at the far end of our stables,
on the right side. Its front consists of a dark colored wood, topped with black bars and accented
with black stripes. The inside of the stall is softly bedded, along with a food and water trough.
There is a small window on the back wall to let in natural light, though the poor girl may not be
able to enjoy this feature as much as the others. We've also made a few special accommodations
for her. We've padded the interior walls at the height of her shoulders and chest. We hope that
these will help prevent any injury, should she become agitated at any point and decide to lash out.
When she first entered the stall, the poor girl just stood there, trying to get a feel of her surroundings.
The Kleeare's long whiskers help her once she started moving. She seemed content with her stall
and appeared to settle down a bit. That is, until her neighbor decided to poke her nose through the
bars separating them to investigate, at which point the blind mare retreated to the opposite side of
her stall. We do hope that she will get used to the stall, and that it can be a safe environment for her.

based on this stable

#3: A Spoonful of Sugar

12/25/15
I cannot begin to tell you of the troubles that come with administering medicine to a blind equine. They
are careful about everything they do, so the tiniest difference in food or a treat does not go unnoticed.
We've been giving her the same rounds of medicines since the day we got her into her stall, yet she still
refuses to cooperate even the slightest bit. We try hiding the pills in oats, treats, anything you can think
of. Today is her final round of meds, and of course, the hardest by far. She rejected the usual routine that
has worked for the past week. So, we had to get a bit creative. We tried crushing the pills and mixing it
in with a special oat mixture. She rejected it. Of course. So we decided to sweeten the deal with some crushed
sugar cubes, mixing the powder in among the medicine and oats. That almost seemed to do the trick. She
sniffed at it a bit longer, and even took a taste. But she threw her head back after her first bite, rejecting
it once more. We didn't know what exactly was wrong. She had never rejected a sweet oat mix. we let her
run in the pasture for a bit, hoping that some exercise would make her hungry enough to eat the mixture.
We watched her run about for quite some time. She was a beautiful mare, and talented at getting around
despite her blindness. Yet she was also one of the most stubborn creatures that we had experienced. Once she
seemed tired, we took her back in and offered up the mixture once more. She sniffed at it as she had done
before. We all held our breaths, praying that she would take to it this time. Surely enough, our little plan had
worked. She was hungry enough to finish the oats, along with her last round of medicine.

#4: Making Friends

1/1/16
With her medications finished, we figured that it was time Calypso met some of our other Kleeare.
The logical first choice was Selene, since she was our calmer mare and Calypso's stall neighbor.
Calypso was unsure of Selene at first, but she appeared to become comfortable with the mare
after a while, following her around the pasture.

#5: Exercise Routine

1/20/16
Calypso's condition is rapidly improving. She appears to be coming out of her shell and greeting our
stable hands when then walk by. She has taken a liking to sugar cubes and apples, though we have to
watch how much we give her. We want her to gain healthy weight. So has been eating a special mixture
of oats, and she enjoys her outings in the pasture each day. However, we noticed that she is beginning
to gain a large amount of energy as her health improves. The outings in the pasture help to curb her
energy, but she still seems restless in her stall. We've decided to consult our veterinarian about a proper
exercise routine for her. We don't want to do too much until she is at an ideal weight. Of course, we also
had to account for her disability. We decided on a light exercise program that would expel her energy in
a fun way. One of our stable hands rides atop Selene, who Calypso seems to be most comfortable with.
Calypso has a light lead on, mostly to give her another source of guidance besides scent. The pace starts
slow at a walk. Calypso appears to be fine with the pace, so we pick it up a notch to a trot. She resists a
bit, but after bumping her nose on Selene's side a few times, she seems to calm and work into the gait.
We pick it up to a canter, and Calypso slams on the brakes. Selene and the stable hand slow, not wanting
to force Calypso. They start back at a walk, repeating the process until Calypso participates in the canter.
The routine seems to work in getting rid of Calypso's pent up energy. Though she appears to like the apple
slices that she gets at the end more than she does the actual exercise.

#6: Final Evaluation

1/31/16
The morning of Calypso's final evaluation was as fine as it could have been. The stable hands reported
that she seemed content today, and they had given her a bit of apple slices (which she of course enjoyed).
We held little concern over the evaluation. Calypso was in great condition. She was back to a healthy weight,
and she appeared to be learning how to cope with her blindness in our stable. She had made a friend in Selene,
and our dominant stallion, Ezra, seems to have taken her under his wing. He watches that the others don't
get too rough when they are all together in the pasture. As afternoon rolls around, we hear the tires of the
truck come up the drive. Calypso is brought from the stables to be evaluated. The man looks kind enough.
He was the manager of the rescue team that originally responded to the case. He witnessed all of the emaciated,
injured, and sick Kleeare. As he looks at Calypso, he smiles. Calypso greets him as she does the rest of us: a
snort and a bump from her nose. He runs his hands over her legs, shoulders, and hips, checking her muscle mass.
He also looks at her teeth, which of course Calypso opposes at first. Satisfied with her physical condition, we
return to the house while Calypso is led back to the stables by a stable hand. The man asks us about how she is
coping with her blindness, her exercise program, and her relations with the other Kleeare. He seems pleased with
our responses. The man takes a moment to scribble down notes on his clipboard and paper. We give him small
bits of information, such as her weight. With a final scribble, he looks up. "It looks like you've done well with her.
Congratulations," he says. We shake hands, both of us happy that Calypso is once again happy and healthy.