Let's restore Lucky's faith in humanity!

Lucky is a miniature pony who is between 15 - 18 years old. We found him in a terrible condition on a property that was unoccupied. It was clear that he had not received any general care for sometime as his coat was significantly overgrown, sweaty and matted as was his mane and tail. His feet were also overgrown, broken, damaged and painful and he was struggling to walk. His cheeks were packed with grass (possibly due to teeth issues). He was dull and lethargic in energy and stood with his head down, periodically transferring weight from one painful foot to another. I climbed over the fence and hugged him, assessing his condition as i did. He was so gentle and sweet and seemed to relish being touched and loved.

It felt urgent to me to get him safe and get him immediate help. I ran home and after confirming that the property owner was not returning to the property (at least not anytime soon) and was unable to be contacted we made the decision to get Lucky out of there. We had to slowly walk him up the road a bit to the safety of our home. Our little animal haven. He immediately brightened up upon seeing our goats (also rescues) and called excitedly to them. His overall demeanor improved dramatically as soon as we got him here.

Through the wonderful generosity of our local communities we were able to get donations of grooming gear, halters and leads and covers. As a family we went about trimming and grooming him for what felt like hours on end to remove mountains of dead, matted hair from his coat, mane and tail.

Our vet recommended we contact the SPCA and requested they give them permission to treat Lucky. I contacted the SPCA and lodged a job with them and was told they would be in touch within 24hrs.

Today has been a difficult day. The SPCA called back and notified me that due to the fact that we had removed Lucky from the property where he had been neglected they would not contribute to his care and that it is now entirely our responsibility to pay for any treatment he requires. After discovering this I immediately contacted the vet as I felt the delay Lucky had had waiting for the SPCA to respond had been far too long for him already!

The vets confirmed suspicions that myself and others already had that Lucky has underlying health issues complicated by neglect. He has acute laminitis underlying obviously neglected and damaged feet. This combined with his unusually overgrown coat are hugely significant symptoms of Cushings Disease. A condition that cannot be cured but can be successfully managed through medication, diet and routine maintenance. With all of this he can live a wonderful life. He has had blood tests, been wormed and given pain relief and we have been given recommendations for his care. They are going to advise us of his special dietary requirements as Cushings affects their ability to process carbohydrates due to the effect of insulin in their blood. Sadly his routine maintenance means more than regular care of his feet, coat, teeth and general health and well-being as Cushings also affects their immunity. Initially an experienced farrier will have to correct the damage to his feet and through many stages of treatment he will eventually be able to walk properly again. The inflammation in his feet due to the acute laminitis will be treated with medication as will the other effects and complications of the disease. He will have to be on this medication and diet for the rest of his life.

Lucky has been a long time suffering. He deserves so much more than what he has had. We can provide him with an incredibly loving home, a safe place in the world where he will be treated with love, respect and compassion. Our family have totally opened our hearts and home to him, unfortunately due to the complex and ongoing costs of his condition we really need your help. With your generous contributions we can meet all his medical and specific health needs and ensure that he never has to be in pain like this again.

Lucky is a very gentle little soul who has been badly let down. He needs us to rally together to show him that there are good people in the world, who care about him. So please help if you can.

Thank you.