Final update. Sadly Jet had to be put down on May 12, 2009 due to colic. There just wasn't much we could do for her short of going to surgery. With a 30 year old horse, not only is that hard on them, but I couldn't afford to spend thousands on a surgery that might not even work. So, we had to let her go. We also put down Mindy, her pasture mate of the last few years. She had issues of her own at 26 years old. Her and Jet were so bonded, we figure the stress of being seperated might have hurt her worse.

So goodbye old girls, you had a good last several years together.

September 26, 2004 - Here's what Jet looks like now. Not changed much from the last picture really.

See below for Jet's story and how I came to have her.

June 9, 2003. Jet has a new friend. I brought Mindy home from the stables (Shon's grandpa's old mare), and got to put Jet up at their house with Mindy. I thought it might be good for Mindy to have a friend, and Jet is the perfect candidate. Mindy has been at Black Raven for years. She was a lesson horse for a long time, but since the trainers moved away she hasn't done anything. I rode her and brushed her now and then, but other than that she just was there. The girls get a long really well, I had hoped they would! It's good for both of them.

Tuesday, April 29, 2003. I decided to put this picture at the top, so you can see what Jet looks like now. Compare to the picture below this one, of the day we brought her home just 2 and 1/2 months ago. She is healthy, happy and carries her head high again like an Arabian horse should. Now just if that tail would grow back.....
Saturday, February 15, 2003 Sheryl and I went to pick up her filly from Kay's house. We got there and found the filly with the herd, then found Jet, her mother, off by herself eating some straw looking hay. We were horrified at the condition Jet was in, very thin, ribs and hip bones sticking out terribly. Sheryl bargained with Kay, told her we wanted to take Jet with us, since she obviously couldn't take care of her properly. So the battle began with trying to get a halter on the filly to load them in the trailer. Below is the picture I took just a couple hours after we got the horses home. Jet, day 1. I started her on oats and rice bran mash several times a day along with GOOD grass hay.

Well, not much improvement in one week. She's getting lots of hay and is starting to get more grain now after being weaned from the filly.

This picture taken March 3, 2003. Two weeks after I brought Jet home, I am starting to see improvement in her appearance, and she is getting more energy now. She gets oats, senior pellet grain, and dry rice bran all mixed together, along with all the hay she can eat. I opened up my back field for her this past weekend, she actually left 1/2 of her grain and didn't touch her hay to go eat real grass. Where she was the sheep pretty much took care of any grass that did grow. Her coat is starting to look a little better, the rain rot is starting to heal up and her hair is coming out. As soon as the fungus is all gone, she will start growing a new coat. For now of course she wears a waterproof blanket to keep her warm and dry.

March 9, Jet is losing the hair on her face and neck, as well has her back from the rain rot. It is going away, now we just wait until her new haircoat starts to grow in. I might take her to the barn soon and give her a good bath, have to wait for a litttle warmer weather though.


March 14, The hair is almost gone from her withers to shoulders, only a little bit still there. She seems to be picking up weight though. I found lice on her the other day, might be part of the reason she's losing her hair. The bugs are gone, but I am sure there is still fungus on her skin.


March 24. Still hairless, but still gaining weight. She is getting much better, actually starting to play a little bit when I go out to feed her. Before she would just follow me to whereever I put her food, now she trots and tosses her head a bit! Making progress.

April 6, 2003. I finally got a break in the dreary rain to take her blanket off and get another picture. As you can see, she is starting to look like a horse again, instead of a skeleton. Her hair is coming back in and is very shiny, I can hardly see her ribs anymore! When I brush her sides they are harder to feel now, there is actually filling in between them! Jet is getting spunkier every day and seems a lot happier now.