Teddy

Teddy was born with his nose wrapped around his foreleg. His nose was terribly twisted, his front teeth out of alignment and his tongue was hanging out of his mouth. The breeder called us to see if we might want to take him to raise with another ailing foal we had adopted.

Before Teddy's Surgery.

When we saw Teddy, we couldn't say no.  His personality was bright, he was resourceful and full of energy. Acupuncture and massage helped "wake up" his nose and mouth so he was able to nurse and function more normally. He learned how to pull grass (and flowers) by maneuvering them with his lips so he could cut them with his back teeth, which were perfectly lined up. We found a wonderful surgeon, Ted Broome at Surgicare in Brandon, Florida and he and his team went to work on a plan to help Teddy. When Teddy reached two months, Dr. Broome., Dr. Kuebelbeck and the rest of the staff were ready with a plan in place that would help correct Teddy's nose and bite. They performed surgery, putting a modified steel leg brace on the nose.

Teddy's Surgery.

Our job was to turn the distracter on the brace just a quarter of a millimeter every six hours for the next three months. There was a pronounced difference after surgery, but as time went on, Teddy's face continued to improve and the moveable brace did its job. Although the brace was cumbersome and we had to secure and limit his environment so he wouldn't be hung up on anything, Teddy lived normally and was fun and playful despite his challenges.

Adjusting the brace.

Teddy's brace was finally removed and we took some time to see how things settled. He looked fantastic and our only concern was his bite alignment. A few months later, Teddy had another surgery to put braces on his lower teeth to slow them down a bit so the top teeth could catch up. A few more months later he was looking good and ready to go.

Removal of the brace.
  

As Teddy continued to grow, his face continued to improve. He now has a bump on his nose, and makes a little noise when he is winded but he is fit and healthy at a whopping 16.3 hands. He returned from 90 days with the trainer this spring and was a prize pupil, smoothly gaited with a great attitude. His only downfall...he is terrified of cows!

Teddy continues to inspire us with his courage and perpetually positive attitude.

Teddy today with friend Java.
  

Teddy today with friend Tobaco.
  

Teddy today enjoying a ride.