A Lesson in Growth: A Mare's Final Journey

A Lesson in Growth: A Mare's Final Journey
Posted on December 14, 2016
by Shantel Perreal

Every dissection offers an opportunity for growth—an opportunity to reaffirm previous beliefs, challenge hypotheses, or gain new insights. Sometimes, the lessons are far deeper than we expect.

We had a mare, somewhere between 23-27 years old, who had been a valuable part of our teaching team for the last eight years. She had been instrumental in helping many children and youth learn how to ride, but beyond that, we didn’t know much about her past. All we knew was that she had a history of gymkhana and barrel racing.

On December 28th, the mare presented with moderate colic symptoms in the early afternoon. As experienced Equine Remedial Therapists, we have a variety of tools at our disposal, and we are often successful in alleviating mild to moderate episodes of colic with manual manipulations, homeopathics, and acupuncture. But this mare’s case was different.

The Case:

When our veterinarian arrived, she immediately tubed the mare and started draining fluid from her stomach. In total, we removed around 16 liters of fluid—primarily bile from the liver, which is produced when the stomach is stretched due to colic.

To assess the severity of the situation, we performed a blood lactate test to check for signs of sepsis. This test, which is gaining attention in the field of equine medicine, helps determine how far along a horse is in the sepsis process. In simple terms, it shows whether treatment on the farm will be effective, if surgery is needed, or if euthanasia is the only option. Unfortunately, our mare’s test showed a mid-high lactate level, which indicated that she was in serious distress, but at her age, surgery wasn’t an option.

We made the decision to try and relieve the pressure on her stomach with homeopathic treatments and Banamine to manage her colic overnight. While Banamine alone didn’t provide enough relief, the homeopathics helped lower her heart rate and allowed her to rest. We monitored her throughout the night and she seemed stable, but by 7:30 am the next morning, her heart rate spiked to over 90 beats per minute (normal range is 28-44 BPM). A follow-up lactate test confirmed that her condition had worsened, reaching a point where euthanasia was recommended. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to a beloved member of our team.

The Autopsy:

To better understand what had caused this sudden decline, our HER team and second-year students conducted an autopsy. What we discovered was a shock—fluid was found in places it shouldn’t have been, and the intestinal tract showed signs of a strangulation caused by a pedunculated lipoma, a fatty tumor that grows between the mucosal lining and becomes heavy, forming a stalk. This lipoma had twisted around part of her intestines, cutting off the flow of anything through her system.

Upon further examination, we made additional findings:

• The first lobe of her liver was completely congested.
• The left kidney had abnormalities, including an extra ureter and irregularities between the cortex and medulla.
• Fatty tumors were found along the cecum and large intestines.
• Multiple tumors were present on the ventral medial borders of her lungs.
• The spleen was the normal size, which is rare in cases of euthanasia, where toxins usually cause it to enlarge. This raised questions about how the drugs had affected her.
• Her stomach was massively distended with fluid and bile, about four times the normal size.
• What we initially thought to be a “wind puff” on her front right carpal joint turned out to be another tumor with its own blood supply.

While we now knew the cause of death, the discovery raised many more questions:

• What caused the abnormalities in her kidney?
• What led to the congestion in her liver?
• Was there a connection between the two?
• What was her diet like before coming to us?
• What could we have detected with blood or hormone tests?
• Why are lipomas growing in horses like this? Does diet play a role?
• What are we exposing our horses to, and why are veterinarians seeing so many similar cases in surgery?
• And most importantly, how can we prevent these occurrences?

And so, the journey of discovery continued. This is how studies evolve—by asking questions, testing theories, and finding answers. We look forward to a year of hypothesizing, exploring, and laying myths to rest.

A Farewell:

We are deeply grateful to this mare for her years of service, her role in helping young riders, and the joy she brought to our instructors with her playful antics. While the mystery of her death was solved, we are left with a greater appreciation for the lessons she taught us—even in her final moments.

Thank you, Mare, for everything. You will always be remembered and never replaced. Run free, little mare. Your spirit will live on in the lessons you’ve left behind.