Horse Who Lost Half Her Skin Hailed a Fighter: 'Miracle She's Still Alive'
After extreme weather caused a mudslide in Belgium, a horse was swept into a nearby river where she was stuck for several hours, resulting in her losing half of her skin.
Despite trying to swim free and keep herself alive, the horse, appropriately named Legend, was unable to get out of the river until firefighters came to her rescue hours later, on August 2. When she was eventually freed, Legend was in a state of hypothermia and had to be stabilized by a local veterinarian before further treatment.
Equine surgeon Dr. Tom Mariën has been treating Legend at his clinic, Equitom, and he told Newsweek that "it is a miracle she's still alive." Unfortunately, Legend lost all the skin from her lower half, and Dr. Mariën admits that there's no telling exactly what happened.
He said: "This mare is a real fighter. She is the living proof that you should never give up. The actual cause remains unknown, but it could have been physical and vascular damage whereby the severe shock and hypothermia resulted in very poor vascularization and ischemia of the skin.
"With a horse being stuck in the cold and dirty water for such a long time, the mud and other debris rubbing persistently over the skin, the skin barrier became even more damaged and easily penetrated by bacteria."
Although Dr. Mariën, from Namur, Belgium, has seen other horses with burns due to fires, he has never seen burns caused by contact with water. He explained that Legend has a "clear horizontal demarcation line," and all the skin below that line was dead and falling off.
The unusual nature of Legend's burns makes this an even more remarkable case. The importance of a horse's skin can't be understated, and the Total Equine Veterinary Associates said that when a horse loses 50 percent or more of its skin to burns it is almost always fatal.
Severe burns may also lead to hypovolemic shock, which causes an increased heart rate, and requires more extensive treatment. A horse that suffers burns this severe may have scarring, which can affect their level of function even after making a recovery.
After spending a few weeks in Dr. Mariën's equine hospital, Legend still has a long road to recovery ahead of her. However, she is showing signs of improvement and the hospital has been documenting the "exceptional case" on social media (@equitom).
The video of Legend's condition has already been viewed over 11.8 million times, and the viral post has received more than 412,000 likes.
Dr Mariën told Newsweek: "At this moment, she has an improved level of comfort, is in a better mental and physical state and has a good appetite. She lost all the skin so is naked on half of her body.
"Legend's case is of interest to veterinarians and horse owners around the world. When people enter the clinic, they almost always stop at her stall to see her in real life. She will need to stay many more weeks in the hospital, but we hope one day she can go home and enjoy her life with her friends in the field."
The severity of Legend's condition has horrified many, but she has gathered supporters around the world who want to see her make a full recovery. Dr. Mariën couldn't have imagined that she would generate so much attention, however he added that with her strength, "she is already a legend."
The viral post, shared on August 18, has received over 4,600 comments already, as many people couldn't comprehend how a river could cause such an extreme reaction.
One comment reads: "Poor little thing, hope she gets better soon."
Another person wrote: "OMG that poor horse! Please keep us updated."
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Uncommon Knowledge
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