Nina
Nina was rescued in October 2025 to save her from further neglect and abuse. She was emaciated and lame with pus coming from abscesses at the area of her withers.
We knew Nina would be an end of life horse, and the veterinary exam provided many horrifying specifics as to why.
Her evaluation included the following:
Nina is a thin 2/9 BCS (body condition score) with poor haircoat, rain rot on her dorsal thorax, and mucopurulent pus emitting from the skin of the withers bilaterally, about 2″ from the highest dorsal processes (T5-7).
Buccal palpation provides evidence of advanced age and several missing and severely eroded teeth, indicating age over 30. Nina can only eat senior feed and gobbles great mouthfuls when it is offered. There are visual deficits when walking light-to-dark contrast on the ground, and moderate lenticular sclerosis.
X-rays confirmed the bilateral wither discharge is a draining tract from broken distal tips T5, T6 and T7 dorsal vertebral processes, known as fistulous withers. This occurs from blunt force trauma, such as flipping backwards out of a trailer or pulling back when tied and hitting their back forcefully when a rope breaks. With the chronicity of this injury (not fresh), it is very difficult to treat, even with aggressive surgical removal of fractured pieces acting as foreign bodies.
Nina was humanely euthanized to end a life full of suffering and pain. We cannot imagine what happened to this poor old mare and can only hope at some point in her life, she knew kindness and proper care.
More About Nina
- In Assessment
- Dark Bay
- Mare
- 1993
- TB Cross
- Colorado