It was a special day in May for a chestnut quarter horse named Mister Ed! He was the beloved horse of a local family who could no longer afford to keep him or address his health issues with heaves, a respiratory condition similar to asthma that makes it difficult to breathe. The family had reached out to many local sanctuaries in the hope of securing him a good home, only to find that they were already full. The Lily Pond received a call, but we had the issue of not enough space currently available in our barn. We have four stalls, but the last stall is unfinished and used for storage. We discussed the possibility of accepting Mister Ed once we hired contractors to build out the fourth stall.
In the meantime, a potential adopter who was looking for an additional horse for their riding program went out to meet Mister Ed. They were shocked to see white foam coming out of both of his nostrils, and reported to the family that the horse was too sick to be ridden and therefore not a candidate for their program. When this news reached sanctuary caregiver Brenda Izzo, she decided that immediate action was needed and agreed to foster Mister Ed at her home while we completed the renovation of the barn stall at The Lily Pond.
Brenda constructed an additional paddock in her yard and put out a call to action in the local community. Lynn Cross donated the use of her truck and trailer and Theresa Wasula agreed to drive it. Tracy Rostron and Morgan Izzo showed up to assist the transport and Susan Bandy made herself useful by bringing the adoption agreement for signature. It was a cold, rainy day when the team arrived to pick up Mister Ed. He must have sensed that good things were happening because he literally trotted over to the trailer and hopped in!
Peeking through the slats of the trailer 
The dream team who came together to help a horse in need: Morgan Izzo, Theresa Wasula, Brenda Izzo, and Tracy Rostron 
Mister Ed stepping off the trailer into his new life
We arrived safely at Ed’s new foster home and once again, this good-natured horse hopped off the trailer and strolled into his paddock without any issue. Brenda’s horses Pretty Girl and Silver were standing by to greet the new arrival. Pretty Girl extended a cordial welcome, but
Silver regarded this intrusion on his territory with distain and much protest. Mister Ed didn’t seem to mind Silver’s antics, as he was simply overjoyed to be back in the company of a herd. At his previous home, there had been two dogs that were his companions. After their passing, Mister Ed was terribly lonely standing in a paddock all by himself day after day. Ed helped himself to his hay and pranced around his new paddock, seeming very pleased.
Our first priority was to have this senior fellow vetted and to get him on a high-quality diet. We soak his hay to reduce the dust and he is currently on Prednisone to help his breathing. After consultation with our veterinarian, we started acupuncture treatments and decided to purchase a run-in shed rather than renovating the stall in the barn. Even a clean barn has a certain amount of dust and Mister Ed needs access to fresh air at all times.
Mister Ed is looking and feeling so much better under the loving care provided by his foster family. We are excited to welcome him home to The Lily Pond once the run-in shed is ready and would be so grateful for your support!
