Kody

Height: 15.2 hh (est)
Weight: 1,200 lbs (est)
DOB: 2002 (est)
​Sex: Gelding
Color: Sorrel
Breed:  Mustang (BLM)
DNA: 1st Hanoverian
2nd Galiceno
​3rd Missouri Fox Trotter
Adoption Fee:  $Adopted
Category: Riding Horses (light)

Kody's Story

Kody came to AAE with his buddy, Teddy, from a neglect situation. Their condition had been declining for too long, and they had been living in a paddock with deep, nasty mud and muck. Teddy had been living with terrible projectile watery diarrhea, and his hind end and tail were thickly coated and crusty. After a concerned neighbor's friend reached out to animal control with no apparent response, the neighbor contacted AAE and worked with their owner, who agreed to surrender the pair to AAE.

Kody and Teddy's basic care had been neglected. They had thick, dead coats hiding their very bony bodies. They were emaciated, they had long hooves, and their teeth were in dire need of care. Kody has a facial deformity (slight wry nose), and his teeth deviated, too. Needless to say, his teeth were in poor condition. The boys were started on a refeeding program consistent with the UC Davis protocol for refeeding emaciated horses. They were fed soaked alfalfa pellets in lieu of alfalfa (hay) because of their teeth concerns and their ability to process hay. They were both pretty good with hoof handling, so their hooves were trimmed and improved immensely.  Once their body conditions stabilized and they were healthy enough for sedation, they received much needed dental care, vaccines, and deworming, and they got microchips. Kody was diagnosed with equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH). His teeth were solid, and he didn't seem to have pain or difficulty eating, so no extractions, yet.

Kody's big body was hollow, and like Teddy, it took months for his body to fill in. As his body condition improved, so did his energy. When turned out, he'd run and run. He'd pester Teddy over and again. Ultimately, they had to be turned out separately because Kody was a bit too rambunctious and aggressive for Teddy. Kody enjoys a herd environment, but he tends to be dominant when new horses are introduced. He also likes his girls. For the most part, Kody is fairly easy to handle, but he is difficult for injections and doesn't load super well into the trailer. The trailer is a work in progress.  He halters and leads well.  He can be good with handling his hooves and the farrier, but he can be impatient and antsy. He eats hay, but he's primarily fed senior pellets. He was kept in a stall/paddock with turnout in the arena his first few months at AAE, then he was moved to a pasture environment. He lives well with mares and geldings, but is partial to mares and has dominant tendencies.  When kept in a paddock, he's connected to his neighbors (whoever they are).  He gets separation anxiety when a neighbor horse is taken out or moved away. He paces fencelines until his neighbor returns. He's fine when he's taken away from his paddock, as long as he's engaging with a handler or working. If put in another paddock or stall, he'll pace until he's engaged, taken out for activity, or returned to his space/neighbors.
Prior to coming to AAE (and the neglect), Kody was a trail horse. Since his health improved, he was explored under saddle and ridden a dozen times or so, and he seemed to be a steady Eddie most of the time.  He wasn't taken offsite. He's a bit rusty and not a polished riding horse, so he'll need some work to learn or relearn. That said, he's not a beginner horse.  He's looking for an experienced home that can guide him in the right direction. Considering his age, history of neglect, and very limited health history, he's probably best suited as a light-riding horse. As a mustang, he's probably got some good years to go, and with time and proper conditioning, he could be capable of more, but all things considered, a light riding home is the safest bet for him. He'll likely improve in an environment with fewer horses and less distractions.

Kody is current with hoof and dental care, vaccines, and deworming, and he has a microchip. Due to his EOTRH, he may need anterior teeth extracted. At this time, he eats well, he's holding weight and seems stable. That may change in the future.

In general, there is a lot of activity around AAE including vehicle and foot traffic in and out of paddock/pasture areas, mucking with wheelbarrows, grooming and care activities, tractor and trailering, weekly farrier visits.  There are resident dogs, cats, goats, cows, and mini horses, as well as various wildlife including frequent turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, deer, coyote, and bobcats in and around paddock/pasture areas.  A portion of AAE is situated along a highway with high speed vehicles, trucks, and sirens.  Tractors are used in and around pasture/paddock areas, trucks deliver feed, and a squeeze is occasionally used for unloading hay.  Horses at AAE are accustomed to a more active environment as opposed to a quiet/sterile environment. Some do well; others will do better in a more quiet environment.