FLECHA
R.I.P. 11th August 2022
Hi, I'm Flecha. I am 18 years old and have epilepsy. I came to live here in October 2019. When I arrived I really didn't like Levi or Bonnie. I stayed in a paddock next to them, but even though they seemed very friendly, I didn't want to say hello. I spent my time eating hay, going for walks in the mountains and avoiding them as much as possible. It was a long time before I was happy enough to be in the same paddock. I met Bonnie first. She is now my best friend, we are always together and I don't like it if she goes too far away from me. I am still not very keen on other horses but I am learning that they can be okay. In the first few months of being here, I had a few accidents. I kept getting my eye full of mud making it sore, I hurt my knee and bit chunks out of my lips and had to have them stitched back together. My new mum couldn't work out what was happening. Then, one morning I had a seizure whilst my mum was picking up poo. I couldn't stop spinning around in circles and then I fell into the water trough, lost conciousness and almost drowned. I didn't know where I was and was very frightened, it was lucky she was there! All of my new family came running, pulled me out of the water and sat with me until the vet came. He thought that maybe I had a virus called rhino and gave me lots of medication. Everyone was so worried because it was then that they also found out that I was pregnant and the virus could have harmed my baby. It wasn't the virus though luckily, although that meant that the medication didn't work, so I now have to keep trying different ones until we can find one that helps.
My seizures are not all of the time but they are quite regular. About every 4-5 weeks. But that's good because we can plan around them and for the rest of the time I can be a normal horse. It means that I can't go for rides anymore though and that's a shame because I really used to enjoy them. Mum says that it is just not safe until we can find something that cures my seizures. Fingers crossed.
I had my beautiful baby girl in the early hours on the 8th of September 2020. She was the most precious little thing. Unfortunately, I couldn't produce any milk for her so my human family helped me by feeding her special milk in baby bottles every 1-2 hours. She was so very small and couldn't stand up on her own, her legs didn't work very well and were a little crooked. I was happy to let my humans help her and stood with my chin on their heads whilst they gave her milk. They tried their best but in the end she didn't make it, and died next to me in my mums arms at 3 o clock the following morning, just under 1 day old. We were all so sad and felt lost without her even though she had only been with us a short time. Even the other horses. We are strong though. We still miss her every day but I know that she had so much love in those few hours. Wasn't she gorgeous. The prettiest thing I have ever seen.
If you would like to read more about Marcy you can take a look at her page.
After one whole year seizure free, my humans thought that they had found the answer. The new medication seemed to be working well and I was so happy, enjoying my life with all of my friends.
On the 9th of August 2022 they came back.
This time was different, they kept coming. The kind vet man came to see me and gave me lots of medication to make me sleepy until they stopped. But they still wouldn't go away. Mum stayed with me the whole time and we had so many cuddles. The seizures were making my head hurt and I was so very tired. I was finding it difficult to remember how to eat and drink.
Mum told me it was all okay, and that I could go and be with my baby girl Marcy. That she was calling me and that we could run together through big open fields. The lady came and helped me to go to sleep.
I went to find my Marcy at 5p.m on Thursday 11th August 2022. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was surrounded by the hoomans I love.
