Highway
Highway has an incredible story- He truly is a miracle horse!
LIKE Highways Facebook page for daily updates!
CLICK HERE- Highway The I-75 Miracle on Facebook!
- 11/30/2004 Quarter horse Gelding
- Rescued November 2019
- Height- 15hh
- Weight- 1000lbs
Monthly Sponsorship- DCHR Sponsorship Program Form (every month)
Farrier Sponsorship-DCHR Farrier Sponsorship (every 6 weeks)
here is his full story!
November 30th, 2018
5:00am Highway is on his way to a known “slaughter house” where “a random guy” is taking him for the profit he will receive. On Interstate 75 at a speed of 60 mph Highway falls out of an unsecured trailer then hits and drags onto pavement. His first escape from inevitable death.
8:00am Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) receives calls from concerned motorists reporting a wounded horse on the side of I75
9:00am ACSO picks up Highway – view picture – covered in road rash; bleeding wounds and a badly damaged leg
10:00am ACSO posts incident on Facebook looking for owner
10:15am Loran Wheatley, DreamCatcher Horse Rescue(DCHR), sees story on Facebook and immediately places call to ACSO to tell them she will take him and offers to help in any way she can
10:18am Loran receives a call from the deputy from ACSO indicating that the county needs money for expensive urgent surgery (infection) or will have to put horse down. In cooperation with deputy Jones Loran tells him that DCHR will figure out way to pay for surgery, because county does not have funds budgeted for this.
2:30pm Highway is at Emergency Medical Center of Ocala (EMCO) Surgical Center for his surgery. Spring hill Veterinary clinic posts “go fund me” and Loran reaches out to the DCHR community
4:00pm Surgery begins on Highway’s open joint wound. The problem is that there is asphalt inside of the open knee joint wound. Surgery entails a complicated insertion of a large needle inside the knee wound to flush out asphalt between the joints.
8:30pm Highway is out of surgery and in recovery. His second escape from death
December 1st, 2018 Previous owner who gave Highway to “a random guy” to put him down was found by ACSO, the driver is identified and only receives a class 3 misdemeanor. Previous owner does not want Highway back, so no charges were filed, and she signs him over to ACSO. Highway is now only listed as Property Evidence.
December 3rd, 2018 Highway is now transported back to Spring Hill Veterinary clinic for further daily intensive treatments and recovery
December 21st, 2018 Spring hill veterinary clinic releases Highway and signs authorization to have him moved to DCHR for continued treatment, care and eventually rehabilitation.
December 21st thru December 26th, 2018 Highway settles nicely into his new home, receiving daily Vet care by Dr. Jones of Florida Equine Veterinary Service (FEVS). He begins starting to trust humans again because of the daily love and attention he receives from DCHR.
December 26th 2018 Loran, who treats him three times a day with supervision from Dr. Jones, notices unusual heat coming from surgical site and notices Highway is having an increased reaction to pain. She immediately has Dr. Jones come out and it is determined he should go to Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala immediately. Loran loads Highway in the horse trailer she drives him to Ocala.
Dr. Lynch gives DCHR his recommendations and shows them x-ray and ultra-sound. The asphalt was detected inside of the extensor tendon sheath and had not flushed out during the first surgery. This caused the growth of a deadly sepsis infection. Options were to put him down or to put him on aggressive antibiotics to see if it would respond overnight. DCHR never hesitated and determined he must be saved, and they would do whatever they had to pay for Highways treatment.
December 28th, 2018 At 8:00am Loran receives a phone call from the vet explaining that Highway is in excruciating pain and he needed surgery ASAP to save his life. Loran does not hesitate the decision is to save him, then she rushes to Peterson Smith with family. As Dr. Lynch prepares for this life saving surgery, he prepares family by telling them to say “goodbye” because highway only has a 5% chance of survival on table. If Dr. Lynch, during surgery, determines it is too damaged to repair he will euthanize Highway on the table. Loran and Allie, Co-founders of DCHR stayed and watched the entire surgery they can only hope and pray Dr. Lynch continues operating. They both know if he stops, he will prepare to euthanize Highway. Prayers are coming from everyone associated with DCHR and following Highway’s story. Prayers have paid off and Highway survives the intense surgery and is moved to surgical recovery stall. His third escape from death.
This a truly a miracle because this intense surgery is rarely performed and is even rarely successful. Surgery involves the same knee joint damaged in the fall from the trailer. Dr. Lynch makes a large12” incision in the right leg over the knee and removes 5” of damaged tendon. Then he flushes and removes gravel and infection hidden deep inside the tendon sheath in the right leg. He then stitches his leg back together with a drain inside where it can be flushed daily with antibiotics.
December 29th, 2018 thru January 6th, 2019
While Highway recovers at Peterson Smith, Loran and family members make daily trips to Ocala to visit him and assure him that we are still there and will not abandon him. He nickers as we approach his stall and puts his head up against Loran’s chest as if to say “we can do this and thank you for saving me”
January 7th, 2019 Dr. Lynch clears us take Highway home to DCHR. They can only give him a 20% chance of survival at this time.
Loran begins his treatments with supervision from Dr Jones. This care is round the clock every 4-6 hours and the alarm is set for time intervals during the long nights for Loran to go to his stall and administer his IV anti-biotics and pain meds. She spends time to make sure he is comforted and he nickers softly to her. During the day time she changes all the bandages on his legs and administers healing medication to his road rash some of which is quite deep. He stands quietly and seems to understand that we are there to save him, as a result he leans his head in full trust into his caretakers.
January 13th, 2019 Loran reported to Dr. Jones that during Highways dressing change earlier in the day she noticed a possible sign of infection.
Dr. Jones came to DCHR to take x-rays and a culture. Dr. Jones removed the stitches from the 12” incision to relieve the pressure of the infection. Then an Ultra-sound was also done to confirm that the infection was not too deep.
Culture proved to be a minor infection so anti-biotics and pain medication were changed.
January 21st, 2019 Highway no longer needed IV meds so IV catheter was removed. He was then placed on daily anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS). Therapeutic ultrasound and E-Stim is done by certified equine physical therapist and will continue 3 times a week to help promote healing of Highways knee.
Highways survival percentage has been increased to 60%. Highway’s recovery will last for a full year, but he fights so hard every day – one day at a time.
Highways prognosis is now 100% as he is showing incredible healing every day!
Our mission at DreamCatcher horse rescue is to rescue, rehabilitate and educate. We strive to rehabilitate each equine with their own individually required vet care, farrier care and nutritional needs. We provide a safe shelter, personal attention and unconditional love so that we can heal their traumatic past. We invite our community to our facility for educational equine programs. We want to share the rewarding love and joy our equines give back to us. Our goals are to create awareness and to educate the community on preventing cruelty, rescue and rehabilitation. Our commitment to these equines is to be their voice and give them the chance they deserve. 