Following those surgeries, Katie’s goal for Maggie changed.
There were no plans to ask more from her.
Katie made it clear that Maggie will never be bred again.
She also said she will not be ridden.
The goal is simply to give Maggie the best chance at enjoying a comfortable life.
Katie and her team have been working hard to maintain the mare’s health and allow her to live happily in the pasture.
And until this latest setback, the progress had been encouraging.
Katie said Maggie had been gaining weight.
Her feet had also become considerably more stable after previous concerns that she was trying to founder. Maggie still has supportive shoes, but Katie described the situation as much less extreme than it had previously been.
Most importantly, Maggie had been happy.
She had settled into a consistent routine and appeared to be doing well.
That made the sudden return of a colon displacement especially difficult.
Then Maggie Colicked Again
Katie said Maggie’s colon became displaced once again.
There was no waiting around to see what might happen.
Maggie was taken to the veterinarian immediately.
The veterinary team began treating her with fluids and pain medication while monitoring her condition.
But Katie had already made an important decision about how far she was willing to go with treatment.
Only around five months had passed since Maggie’s previous two surgeries.
Katie had seen exactly how difficult those recoveries were.
She did not want to put Maggie through another major abdominal operation.
So while the team would aggressively pursue medical management, Katie told the veterinarians from the beginning that a third major surgery was not something she wanted for Maggie.
