Kate is Making it
Over the weekend, Dr. Erica Tolar, an equine ophthalmologist, came to Willow Hope Farm to assess Kate‘s vision. She let us know that Kate is blind in both eyes. Her right eye is worse due to long-standing inflammation, while her left (considered her “better eye”) is affected by a cataract and a partially dislocated lens, leaving her vision virtually nonexistent in that eye as well.
We are trying a medication in the left eye, hoping to see some improvement, but the prognosis for the return of vision is very low. Dr. Tolar will return in June for a recheck and to advise whether any additional treatments should be considered.
The more we think about Kate surviving alone on that mountaintop in the condition she was in, it’s nothing short of incredible.She didn’t just endure. She fought to survive. If anyone can Make It, it’s Kate! And we’re going to be here for her every step of the way.
Make it Kate Update
Thanks to everyone who has followed Kate’s story. Our Equine Care Specialist, Jackie, said it best. “It’s a pretty cool feeling seeing how many people love Kate, and we’re the lucky ones to actually know her.”
Kate had a good weekend and her eyes seem to look less sad. However, her vision is still a major concern to us. Based on the initial veterinarian’s diagnosis, we believe she will eventually be blind. Though she doesn’t seem to be in any pain, we decided to go ahead and book an appointment with an equine ophthalmologist in order to come up with a plan.
We also have Kate on a special diet. Her body score is a 1 out of 9, the lowest it can possibly be. Initially, we had to restrict her hay consumption to make sure her body could handle it due to her severe emaciation. As of today, our veterinarian has approved her to transition to unlimited hay access and we are slowly introducing soaked equine senior feed with a balancer supplement. Of course, she also has all the salt she wants.
While her rotten hair is coming out in chunks, we are pleased to see hair growth beneath, which gives us hope for her future coat.
We’ll continue sharing updates on Kate on our page, but in the meantime, please donate in her honor to support lifesaving equine rescues like hers at https://www.kyhumane.org/equine/give/. Paul and Wendy Kubitskey are so moved by her story that they are matching gifts up to $10,000. Meaning, every gift will double to help horses like Kate. Thank you for caring and cheering on Kate to “Make It.”
Make It Kate’s Heartbreaking Fate
It’s heartbreaking to discover a horse who once raced at the track, later abandoned and emaciated on an old mine site. Sadly, that’s what happened to Make It Kate.
Last week, our Equine C.A.R.E. team was conducting a welfare check in Eastern Kentucky and found an extraordinarily emaciated mare who was clearly struggling. We knew getting her back to Willow Hope Farm was her best chance at survival.
Once she arrived at our farm, we learned her name and more of her story.
Make It Kate, or “Kate,” as we’re calling her now, is a registered 17-year-old Standardbred mare who earned over $100,000 in harness racing over the span of 8 years. Her grandfather, Matt’s Scooter, retired as the world’s fastest Standardbred. Kate raced more than 200 races and came in first, second or third over 80 times.
Kate’s last registered owner passed away several years ago, so there’s no way to know who last cared for her. Kate may have changed ownership many times before being abandoned on a mountaintop without the care and dignity she deserved.
When we found Kate, signs of recent abandonment were impossible to miss. There was a visible indentation on her nose where a halter once was, and she had two horseshoes on, one of which had partially come off and was causing her to walk unevenly. Kate deserved far better. Our team gently lifted her leg and pulled the loose shoe free before loading her into our trailer, one of the first small mercies we could offer her.
Her body is covered in rain rot, a bacterial skin infection caused by prolonged exposure to wet, humid conditions. She also has significant impairments to her vision with a partially detached lens in her left eye, corneal disease in her right eye, and cataracts in both. It breaks our heart to watch her struggle to see what’s right in front of her. Thankfully, her sense of smell helps her find every meal. She is lethargic, but she is eating, and she absolutely loves attention!
Somewhere beneath all of this is a horse who remembers kindness and is ready to receive it again.
It will likely take months for Kate to recover from the severe emaciation and neglect she has endured. But our team at Willow Hope Farm is committed to giving her every chance. She gave everything she had for humans. Now it’s our turn to show up for her.
We’re all rooting for Kate to “Make It.” We believe she will and hope you do too!
You can follow our Equine C.A.R.E. team’s Facebook page for updates, and please consider donating in her honor to support lifesaving equine rescues like hers. Paul and Wendy Kubitskey were so moved by her story, they are offering to match gifts up to $10,000. Meaning, every gift will double to help ensure that horses like Kate never have to face abandonment alone. Thank you for caring.
