It’s with great sadness that we have to report that Soda Pop died on January 9th. She broke her leg and had to be euthanized. There was no sign of external injury to her leg and we think it just broke. Early on the vets suspected she might have bone cancer, and that may have been the cause. She was standing in her stall when I got to the barn to feed the horses. She took a few unsteady steps and then laid down. We took turns petting her and comforting her, and she remained calm and peaceful until the end.

We are brokenhearted that we lost her. She had improved greatly and was actually able to be in the barn at night and out in the pasture with the other horses for the last few weeks of her life.

We sincerely appreciate the support we received along the way on this journey. It definitely did not turn out as we had hoped. We are trying to find comfort in the fact that she had a chance to live a “normal” life in the pasture with the other horses, if only for a few weeks. She was a sweet and gentle patient. We will miss her.

Soda Pop’s story – “An Unwanted Horse, until now.”

When a horse comes to Sky Ranch Sanctuary, to live out her (or his) days, we are committed to making that happen in the most humane way possible, with dignity and compassion for their individual needs.

In late June, Soda Pop joined us at Sky Ranch. She had just made the long trip from Texas in a horse hauler. Long story short, the person who had purchased her online didn’t get the horse he was expecting: she was older and lame. The owner of the horse facility where Soda Pop was delivered thought it was best for her to retire to a safe, humane place, like Sky Ranch. The man who had purchased her agreed.

Unfortunately, the day after she arrived at the sanctuary, Soda Pop was diagnosed with strangles. This nasty bacterial infection results in abscesses in the throat and neck area, which can travel to other parts of the body. Strangles is very contagious to other horses, and Soda Pop lived in our sheltered arena, away from the other horses, from the day she arrived, until a few weeks before her death. It was in this sheltered place that she received our best care.

Within twenty-four hours of her arrival at Sky Ranch, Soda Pop began receiving ongoing care to rid her of the disease and bring her back to good health. In the early weeks, her treatment involved opening and flushing out the abscesses in her neck and head area, followed by more than several months of receiving antibiotics both by injection and oral syringe. There were many vet visits, including visits by an internist specialist, recommended by our vet to make sure the disease had not spread to other parts of Soda Pop’s body.

The most pronounced symptoms of strangles disappeared, and we focused on trying to manage the apparent pain that Soda Pop was experiencing in her legs and feet. It was difficult for her to move. She had been through a rough time and was a senior horse. We did everything we could to facilitate her full recovery with the help and support from our vet, Dr. Troy Osborne.

As you may imagine, this care for Soda Pop was very expensive.  We welcome any support you can offer.  There are so many worthwhile causes, and we believe caring for horses like Soda Pop is one of them.  Knowing she got to live out her last few weeks in the pasture, peacefully – the way a horse should, gives us some comfort.  Please consider helping us with the expenses of her care.

Your generous donations will make an impact on all our horses, who live out their years in a place where they are wanted and cared for.