News

Vega's Secret and Horse Play Need Your Help

Horse Play is urgently seeking funds for vet bills in the treatment on permanent resident, Vega's Secret.

Secret has been at Horse Play for 4 years - he's a 14-yr-old thoroughbred stallion. A grandson of Secretariat, he raced successfully until he was seven. An injury to his left front fetlock - resulting in the joint fusing - ended his racing days and he was put out to stud.

His former owner was suffering health issues so Secret came to Horse Play. Secret had been living at a foster farm in Connecticut, enjoying a quiet retirement with occasional light riding. We were in the process of moving him home to Rhode Island (the foster farm was also changing direction) when in May of 2007 Secret was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and Cellulitis.

A long round of antibiotics seemed to do the trick and we brought Secret to Horse Play the beginning of July. His illness had caused a substantial weight loss and compromised his immune system. On July 12, he appeared to be suffering from a mild colic - however this was not the case. The vet came out and he was diagnosed with a relapse of Cellulitis as well as pneumonia and a secondary systemic bacterial infection (stress induced).He became very ill - labored breathing, anorexia, etc.

He has been receiving ongoing vet care as well as tons of loving support and appears to be making some progress although he has again lost more weight. Horse Play is asking for donations to help with the cost of his vet care (in excess of $2000). All of our support comes from donations and fundraising events and one of our main sources of support has ended due to economic shut down (loss of job/income).

Secret is an incredible horse - extremely good-natured, very gentle and sweet. He worked hard for humans for more than half his life - making them a lot of money. He almost slipped through the cracks into a slaughter situation but has found a loving and caring permanent home here at Horse Play - we don't adopt out stallions or breed them. Please consider helping him. He's an incredible horse with an even more incredible heart!

You can donate funds for help in caring for Secret here, or contact us at phone number (401) 294-3565 or email horseplayri@msn.com.

(Special thanks to Dennis Tabella and Defenders of Animals for helping us get the word out.)