March/April 2025 Issue

Page 58 March/April 2025 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Born with Limb Deformities, Chincoteague Colt Finds a Home for Life By Lois Szymanski May 9, 2024 was an unsea- sonably hot spring day on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. This is the day that 25-year-old mare, ShyAnne gave birth to a beautiful dark bay pinto colt by the stallion Ajax. The colt was a little premature and his legs were not quite right. Slowly, he scram- bled to his feet. Darcy Cole said she remem- bers being worried about him right from the start. She’d just left saltwater cowboys, Billy Reed and Ayden Hunter, who were treating a mare named Wa- terbaby. Darcy had called them after she realized the mare was colicking. “They saved her life that day,” Darcy said. In the distance, she saw ShyAnne had a newborn foal. After the cowboys arrived for Waterbaby she hiked toward the older mare. “I remember being worried about [the colt] from the start,” Darcy said. “Not only was it the most uncomfortable day of the entire year for heat, humidity and bugs, but the poor little guy had such a hard time standing up. My heart went out to him. We spent a lot of time watching to be sure he was okay.” It didn’t take long to realize the colt’s front legs were not straight. Even though his walk was stilted and a little awkward, he kept up with the others in his band, even running when necessary. The fire company who owns the wild Chincoteague Ponies was alerted and saltwater cowboy, Hunter Leonard found the mare and colt shortly after, checking on him to see if he was able to navigate with the rest of the band. “It’s not always easy to catch a wild foal,” said Tipson Myers of Hughesville, PA and owner of Stoney Creek Chincoteagues farm. She works with the firemen frequently to rehabilitate ponies on the mend. “We know that Hunter tried to catch him several times, but he was actually running away from him,” she said. It was foal season and best for all members of the herd to not stir things up. They decided to keep an eye on the colt but leave him out with his dam until the Pony Penning roundup in late July. “This is not the first time this has happened in the herd or even with domestic horses,” said Tipson. She and her friend and equine vet, Allison Dotzel frequently take island ponies to the farm for treatment and reha- bilitation. Allison agreed. “Yes, there can be limb deformities,” she said. “A lot of times they straighten out as the foal unfolds and begins to walk and move. Buddy did improve, but not a lot. When he came into the pen at the north roundup [veterinarian] Cara Rosenbaum was there and she saw that he was having some issues coming down the road, so they put him and [his dam] Shyanne in a trailer and brought them back to the carnival grounds.” Allison, who worked with the vet team at Pony Penning, said Dr. Rosenbaum did some splinting and IV treatments. and the fire company decided this foal would not go through the sale. Instead, pony committee chair- man, Mark Bowden approached Tipson to ask if she wanted to take him in. “I asked if they were ready to retire ShyAnne, too,” Tipson recalled. “She was older, and we thought it would be good for her to be with him.” So ShyAnne and the foal were loaded up in July and transported to Pennsylvania. The mare had produced many beautiful foals over the years and she deserved retirement. Tipson said being with his dam may have given him an advantage in healing. The foal was named Buddy. Soon after he arrived, there was corrective shoeing using glue-on extensions. “Our farrier helped with that,” Allison said. “After taking x-rays, I called up to Cornell and talked to their surgeon.” Cornell University veteri- narian Aimee Colbath suggested surgery. “She said she thought, to straighten his legs as much as possible and give him as close to a normal life as possible, we should do surgery and use what is called a transphyseal screw,” Allison said. “A screw was placed in both of his knees across the growth plate to stop the growth of one side of the knee while the other side caught up.” Placement of a transphyseal screw bridges the growth plate on the medial aspect of the limb and retards the rate of growth. This allows the outside of the radius to catch up and straighten the limb. (Continued on page 59) Buddy, born on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge with deformed legs, received surgery at Cornell that allows him to live a normal life. He will never be ridden or driven but has a home for life in Pennsylvania. Photo credit DSC Photography