Tara
Tara was rescued in July 2025 from entering the slaughter pipeline. This lovely mare who was clearly full of cancerous melanomas was dumped at some low-end auction where life could only get worse for her.
Sadly it was clear that Tara would be an end of life rescue case, but she would receive care, kindness and a quiet, dignified and humane end.
Tara’s veterinary exam provided the following information (we have not included a photo of the numerous (clusters) of melanomas beneath her tail and causing some blockages to normal waste excretions).
“Tara has massive, proliferative, multifocal to coalescing firm SQ lesions throughout her body, the most sizeable of which are located at the lateral tricep/girth region” and blocking the genital areas.There are more common placements at the commissures of the mouth, poll, crest, and tail head and under the tail — paired with an advanced age and grey coloring, this is presumptive, advanced stage melanoma.
Due to the occlusive nature of the perineal lesions, a rectal was not performed, but it is presumed that these lesions also may penetrate the intramural portions of all luminal internal structures as well.
Also noted is that “Tara’s forefeet are severely neglected with under-run weight-bearing heels of the hoof wall and dorsal hoof walls that jut out dorsally/cranially excessively.”
A final note: “Most melanoma is global, found throughout the body, and may contribute to malabsorptive or malpropagatory motility disorders of the gut. The lesion on the left lateral thorax in this mare is the largest discrete melanoma this clinician has seen in her lifetime.”
More About Tara
- In Assessment
- Grey
- Mare
- 2000
- QH Cross
- Colorado