Memories of William Ulla Balletta of Bedfordshire Lost Her Horse William to Acute Grass Sickness on April 30Th 2011, a Day Which Is Forever Etched on Her Mind
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EQUINE NEWS Equine Grass Sickness Fund Patron - HRH The Princess Royal Chairman – Mrs James Gammell Ambassador – Mark Johnston Spring / Summer 2012 Memories of William Ulla Balletta of Bedfordshire lost her horse William to acute grass sickness on April 30th 2011, a day which is forever etched on her mind. The shock of losing William to a disease she had never even heard of spurred Ulla to raise money, and also awareness of grass sickness, so that other owners might not feel so helpless, and know the simple steps they can take to help protect their horse. Here Ulla tells her story. I will never forget that day, it was heartbreaking. It all happened so quickly, one minute I had a happy healthy horse, 24 hours later he was gone without warning. His symptoms started on the 29th April, the day of Prince William’s wedding. When I brought him in from the paddock he was not himself, he seemed depressed and was not eating or drinking, which was not like him at all. When the vet arrived he diagnosed him with colic and said his only chance was surgery. I remember him saying how tough William was as, on the outside you could not tell by looking at him how ill he was, but his heart rate had gone up to 80 (by the time we got to hospital his heart rate was 100). When we arrived at hospital he was checked over by the vet, and that was when grass sickness was first mentioned. I was warned that William was very ill. I had never heard of it so when I got home that night I was on the internet straight away looking for answers. The more I read, the more scared I was, it was not looking good. a big enough hug and hoped that he knew how much I loved him. Early next morning the vet phoned to say they were going I felt for a long time and sometimes even now, nearly a year on, to operate but that if it was grass sickness William would that I let him down. I still picture his head over the stable door, and need to be put to sleep. That morning I waited for the every time I was out of sight he would neigh as if to say ‘where are phone to ring, dreading what I was going to hear. I kept you, please stay with me’. I miss him terribly and the memories telling myself that the longer I waited the better it looked, of that day are still very fresh in my mind. This was a devastating hoping and praying that I would get a phone call telling experience made worse by not knowing the facts about grass me it was all ok and he was coming home. At one point I sickness and this is what drove me to start my fundraising and to even thought that the fact he had the same name as Prince raise as much awareness as possible. William was a good omen, but it was not meant to be, grass sickness was confirmed and he was put to sleep. It is so important for horse owners to know about grass sickness and also what you can do to try and minimize the risks. If it ever I felt so helpless. Everything was taken out of my control. happens to your horse you need to be fully informed so that you I knew nothing about grass sickness, I did not even know know what questions to ask. It is important to know that if they are there were three forms of it or that horses could survive diagnosed with chronic grass sickness that they have a chance of the chronic form. For weeks it haunted me, what if he had survival, there are some wonderful stories of survivors who have had chronic grass sickness and I was not even given the gone on to lead normal lives. choice to try and nurse him through it. All I could think the I just wish William had had that chance. He was a great character next day was why did I not stay with him, did I give him and very sadly missed. 2 Spring / Summer 2012 Chairman’s message The end of the year brought the end came into the post of Administrator in of an era for the Fund with the retiral December. of two key members from the EGSF Professor Elspeth Milne has retired team. Joyce McIntosh, our nationally from the EGSF committee which she respected secretary decided to retire. joined many years ago. Her dedication She had served the Fund initially being and skill as a clinician led to major a fundraiser and then by running the steps forward in the care, treatment and office for many years. Owners relied survival rate of chronic grass sickness on her expertise and supportive counsel cases. Her research into the disease and when going through the very distressing its pathology is well publicised and her process of their horse suffering from sound judgement and support during grass sickness. She had comprehensive her time on the committee have all knowledge of everything to do with been influential in plotting the course the business of the Fund, supporters, of research financed by the Fund and fundraising and research. I would like the respect with which the Fund is held. Caption: Philippa (right) thanks Joyce for to record my thanks for the tremendous Professor Milne’s advice leaflets can be her superb contribution to the Fund support she gave me as Chairman for sourced on the website. the last twelve years. I know that all of I hope you all have a wonderful spring you will give your support to Joyce’s and summer with your horses and Philippa Gammell replacement, Mrs Kate Thomson who ponies. Chairman Elizabeth Brown Retires For almost 20 years Elizabeth Brown has organised a winter dressage series at Etal by kind permission of Lord and Lady Joicey. Over the years this series has raised in the region £20,000 for the Equine Grass Sickness Fund. We would like to thank Elizabeth Brown for this simply tremendous effort, and wish her a very long and happy retirement! Understanding Intestinal Microbiota in Equine Grass Sickness – a New 3 Year Research Project Funded by The Equine Grass Sickness Fund Congratulations to PhD student Joy Leng, collected, in addition to matched samples grass sickness. Gut bacteria are hard who has just started a three year research from healthy horses that have grazed on to study as they cannot be grown in a project exploring the role of gut bacteria the same pasture. From these samples it laboratory environment. Instead of this in equine grass sickness. This will be the will be possible to study the metabolic bacterial DNA from samples will be first study to characterise and quantify signatures of these horses and the sent to the University of Liverpool’s microbial populations in the intestine and bacterial communities contained within genetics department for sequencing, so faeces of horses with grass sickness using their gastrointestinal tracts. By looking that gut bacteria species present in the culture-independent methods. at the metabolic profiles (using NMR gut of horses with grass sickness can spectroscopy) it is hoped to find one or a be identified. This study is a first step This project will examine the influence group of metabolites (biomarkers) that are towards understanding how pro- or of the gut bacteria on equine grass only present in horses with the disease. pre-biotics may be used to modulate this sickness and aims to identify novel If such a biomarker is present then it intestinal bacterial population to reduce diagnostic markers in non-invasive may serve as a rapid and non-invasive the risk of grass sickness. samples to identify horses susceptible diagnostic tool. to grass sickness. This work will be performed by the University of Reading Although Clostridium botulinum in collaboration with the University of is believed to be implicated in the Happiness is. Liverpool and samples will be obtained development of equine grass sickness from the Leahurst Equine Hospital. the project hopes to establish whether a heap of pooh! Here faecal, urine and blood samples there is an absence or presence of any from horses with grass sickness will be other bacteria that is seen in horses with Spring / Summer 2012 3 Dot and Sheila’s Big Adventure Dot Still and Sheila Watson are hoping to represent Great Britain at the Le Trec World Championships in Mafra, Portugal in Sept this year. Le Trec is a fantastic sport which requires endurance, agility, obedience, trust and fitness for both horse and rider, and a skill for reading a map (rider only!!!). Dot and Sheila decided to raise funds of the money raised will go to the the summer, to give time for Dot’s for Le Trec by completing a challenge Equine Grass Sickness Fund, as both ankle to heal after an injury whilst involving at least three of the skills they of them have had the misfortune of training in Portugal. This of course require for their sport: fitness, agility dealing with this horrible disease first gives more time for fund raising! Please and map reading. They plan to walk a hand. The story of Dot’s horse Eddie support Dot and Sheila by donating on challenging circular route of 18km in Nine Lives and his struggle with grass their JustGiving Page www.justgiving. the Scottish Borders, anticipating a long sickness is on the EGSF website.