Luna – Farewell on April 23, 2019
Gender: Mare
Breed: Arabian Quarter Horse Cross
Approximate Date of Birth: 1/1/1995
Sponsor:Animal Services rescued a stray mare in San Diego’s North County in September 2015. The mare waited for weeks in the shelter for her owners to come forward and claim her. Even though she was underweight and needed hoof care, unlike other “stray” horses, Luna did not appear to have been neglected or abused. In fact, she looked as though she had once had a loving home. However, no one ever came forward to claim her so she was put up for adoption. During her time at the shelter, Animal Services gave this beautiful mare an equally beautiful name, Luna. Unfortunately, lameness in her right front leg significantly reduced her odds of being adopted.
X-rays showed that this lameness was caused by advanced-stage ringbone, a common type of arthritis. Fortunately for her, the joint was close to fusing, which would reduce her discomfort. This diagnoses, however, also meant an end to her riding career, making it extremely unlikely that she would be adopted.
Horses of Tir Na Nog was happy to welcome Luna into our herd in November 2015. She receives pain medication daily for her arthritis, similar to humans who take daily medication for achy joints. In spite of her arthritis, Luna loves flirting with her neighbors and seems to enjoy flaunting her beauty. She is, after all, a strikingly attractive horse. As an older gray, her coat is now pure white. She is beautifully built and has a commanding presence. Luna is the perfect name for this mare who reminds us of a full moon on a clear, starry night.
Farewell – April 23, 2019
Yesterday a little piece of our hearts left us when we said good bye to our beautiful Luna. We believe she was about 24 years of age.
Luna came to us after Animal Services rescued her as a stray in September 2015. She had been diagnosed with significant ringbone in her front right leg. Over the last two years though we struggled with issues with her thin soles. We tried a variety of hoof wear, from
boots to clogs, and several different types of shoe. At the beginning of 2019, x-rays gave us hope that her sole depth was increasing. Persistent pain though led us to x-ray her feet again and Dr. Harlan's concerns were confirmed. What we thought was an increase in sole depth was a false sole that offered her foot no support and had already begun to deteriorate.
We wish we had been able to understand why Luna didn't grow sole at a normal rate. She has been receiving Biotin for the last couple of years. But between her severe pastern arthritis and chronically thin soles we were not able to control her discomfort and provide her with the quality of life she deserved, so we made the difficult decision to say good bye.
We cannot thank Dr. Oman and Dr. Harlan of East County Large Animal Practice ECLAP enough for all of the effort they put into Luna’s care. Thanks to their efforts we know we tried all of the available options for this beautiful girl. Danny and Joey, along with Dennis all worked hard as farriers to provide the best support possible for her feet.
Fintan definitely misses his girl. He called to her after she left us and again this morning. They theorize that sound goes on forever, that it never dies. We have no doubt that Luna hears Fintan’s calls as it carries across the Rainbow Bridge. So we make sure that each of his whinnies are accompanied by “We love you, Luna.”