Friday, September 16, 2011

Meet Molly!!

This week, I am featuring a story about Molly, a special needs equine. Yes, a shetland pony!! Molly survived Hurricane Katrina, to be rescued into a loving home with other farm animals and dogs. Sadly, one of the dogs attacked the ponies, and Molly took the brunt of the attack. Her leg was severed to the tendon, and her hoof fell off from the wound. Usually this is a death sentence for any horse, but not Molly!! Her owner and vet took a brave step, operated and fitted her with a prosthetic leg made by Bayou Orthotic and Prosthetic Center. Molly has learned to be still to have her leg put on and off, and she can balance her weight to allow this. Molly now visits homes for special needs children and nursing homes to help inspire others with her story of will and courage. Her owner does stress that this is not a cure all for horses with leg problems, and due to her smaller size, the operation was a success. Funding is also key for this type of operation and recovery. Molly has recently published her first childrens' book, Molly the Pony: A True Story” by Pam Kaster. To read more about this amazing horse, please note the link to this article, which has a You Tube video of Molly! http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/three-legs-a-big-heart-and-now-a-lot-of-fans/