Winter 2024/2025 Issue

Page 24 Winter 2024/2025 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Secret Feather and her late born foal. Four late foals, including Secret Feather’s bay colt by Riptide, will be auctioned at a two-day online auction beginning on November 18. Photo credit: Lois Szymanski Big Crowd Turns Up for Chincoteague Fall Roundup him the whole week, so I was optimistic, but he tends to stay in a difficult spot for the cowboys to get into - a peninsula near the end of the north side. The woods there are really dense and hard to get through.” Avid Chincoteague Pony fol- lowers were not surprised when Twist did not come in. But they were pleasantly surprised to see the mare’s Suede and Moon on the carnival grounds. These two mares had gone to Pennsylvania for treatment at Stoney Creek Chincoteagues pony farm after Pony Penning. Farm owner, Tipson Myers, shared that Suede had received an eye injury while in the corral at Pony Penning. “She had a medical evalua- tion on Tuesday before the swim and was not injured at that time. It was discovered on Wednesday morning before the swim, so it had to have happened in the pens overnight,” Tipson said. “Veter- inarian, George Marble started treatment at Pony Penning and we agreed to continue treatment.” Tipson and her veterinarian, Allison Dotzel frequently pitch in to help with healthcare for the Chincoteague Pony herds. “Initially, I was treating it with meds through a catheter inserted through the eyelid, so the meds could wash over the eye,” Allison said. “She tolerated that for a while, but then it got to a point where she was not letting us treat it without a fight. I was also monitoring the eye during treat- ment, and it was looking worse. She either had glaucoma or uve- itis. The eye was no longer visual and was swelling so I knew there was pressure in the globe. That is so uncomfortable. We consult- ed with the ophthalmologist at Cornell, and veterinarian George Marble as well as Hunter and Bil- ly Reed. At that point, we knew the best option was to remove the eye. This was our best chance at making sure she was comfortable again.” After surgery and a few weeks with stitches, Suede was back to herself again. Over the months, she’d already adapted to not having vision in that eye. “They learn to turn their head, and they learn other ways to sense what is on the other side,” Allison said. “I think she is good now and she will do just fine. They have had one-eyed ponies on the refuge in the past.” Tipson agreed. “Suede is a strong and true survivor,” she said of the beauti- ful palomino mare. “She was pre- viously treated for swamp cancer, which shows she is tough. That’s the thing you have to appreciate about these ponies. They live through so much. They’re beyond tough.” (Continued from page 7) The second mare returned a t Fall Roundup was a Misty d escendent named Winter Moon. T he bay pinto was treated for d ermatitis. “We don’t see dermatitis that o ften and hers wasn’t awful, but s he had also lost some weight,” H unter shared. “Since she had a f oal with her, we had Tipson take b oth just to be sure. That extra c are can make a difference.” Tipson said Moon was easy to t reat because she was born domes- tic, then later donated to the island. “We used ointment and spray on her until we cleared it up,” she said. “We are appreciative that the saltwater cowboys allow us to help. We want to make a differ- ence wherever we can.” As bands of ponies streamed into the pens, a huge fall roundup crowd gathered around the fence to watch. “We had an awful big crowd,” Hunter said. “I came trotting into the pens [on horse- back] behind [the mare] Grand- ma’s Dream and I thought… What in the world! What a crowd!” Most observers zeroed in on the foals. Four more have been born since Pony Penning. The mare Gracey has a solid black filly by either Beach Boy, Legacy, Riptide or Prince. Secret Feather has a bay colt by Riptide with white socks, a big blaze, with one blue eye. The mare known as ET has a chestnut pinto filly with two blue eyes by Maverick, and Dove has a chestnut pinto filly with wide blaze by Riptide. Those interested in bidding on one of these four foals may do so in an online auction at Sporthorseauctions.com, with bidding to run from November 18 to 20. BLACK’S LIVESTOCK -The Next Pasture - Where the grass is always green, lush & stirrup high Individual Horse & Pet Cremation Standard Mortality Emergency Service Available John E. Black: 610.220.5262 Matthew Hoffman: 610.656.3258 Office: 610.584.4482 Fax: 610.584.9111 BLACK’S LIVESTOCK P.O. Box 662 Skippack, PA 19472 www.nextpasture.com J ubilation, Grandmas Dream, her foal, and Suede, who had an eye removed after an injury, graze at the c arnival grounds after the fall roundup. Photo credit: Lois Szymanski