March/April 2025 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN March/April 2025 Page 59 Surgery to place the screws took place at Cornell in early September with Dr. Colbath. Since the left leg was more severely out of line than the right leg, Allison said he had his right screw removed first. Two or three weeks later the left leg screw was removed, giving that leg a chance to catch up. “He has never been in any kind of pain, even after surgery,” Tipson noted, “and he was only on limited pain meds for a few days after surgery.” “As time goes on, the better he moves and the happier he seems,” Allison said. “The goal was to make his legs as straight as possible, and while his legs aren’t perfect, we were aware they would not be perfect when we were going into the sur- gery.” Prior to surgery, Buddy’s surgeon had said, while no one has a crystal ball to know the future, the fact that he is smaller and lighter and not putting a lot of weight on his legs might play in his favor, and it did. Today, Buddy runs in the field with his friend, 2024 Chincoteague Pony foal, Edgar. Tipson said one day he even jumped a square bale in the aisle! “We don’t really know his future prognosis,” Allison shared. “His legs aren’t nor- mal, but the positive thing is that he is sound and happy at this point, and we hope that continues. His knees aren’t perfectly straight, but his carpal joints [ankles] are not perfectly straight either. This makes his legs as straight as possible, and his legs are as functional as possible.” Allison said Cornell Uni- versity surgeon, Aimee Colbath was great. A few other surgeons were pessimistic about trying the surgery because he would never be completely normal. She was on the same page as Tipson and Allison. “We just wanted to make it so that he could have a functional life,” Allison said. Tipson nodded in agreement. “A lot of Chincoteague Ponies are just pets. They are never ridden. That is how it will be for Buddy.” “We know Buddy will not be rideable, and we would never have him be ridden or pull a cart after all he has been through,” Allison said. “But he will be happy here on the farm.” Tipson agrees that Buddy has a forever home with her. His care now is no different than any other foal, but he is more agile and no longer has restricted activity. “He goes outside now,” she said. “We do try to keep him on level ground, so he is not going up and down hills,” Tipson said, “but he will always have a home with me as a pet. We feel honored that the firemen him entrusted to us and allowed us to take ShyAnne. And she is doing great, too!” Healing a Colt Named Buddy (Continued from page 58)