by Danika Fears for Animal Tracks on Today
“Graphic in it’s portrayal but heart warming in it’s conclusion this story of a kind horse owner doing the right thing for her 30 year old equine companion is the perfect treat for “Feel Good Sunday”. No unwanted horses, here!” ~ R.T.
Owner says that Danny, the horse, has taught her to never give up on hurt animals.
photo by Rinebeck Equine
Tommasina Ashley was visiting New York City for her sister’s bridal shower last Thursday when she received an unsettling text message. Her 30-year-old horse, Danny, had been found in his stall with a 9-inch piece of wood wedged into his skull. Ashley was hours away from Danny’s home at Amelia Acres, a Hudson Valley farm.
“I was in shock,” the 42-year-old customer service representative told TODAY.com. “I was thinking, oh my god, he’s had a stroke. It was a mess.”
Miraculously, the wooden stake lodged in Danny’s forehead missed his left eye and brain by a few centimeters, rendering the caramel-colored thoroughbred in a foggy state of shock but still breathing.
Doctors had to remove several bits of bone, leaving Danny with a hole in his head that will take at least a couple of months to heal. But the retired show jumper remained docile and calm throughout the whole ordeal, even as he was forced to stand in place (with help from a sedative) throughout the surgery, Dr. Murray said.
“He’s a brave boy and was very good,” she added. “I almost think he knew we were intending to help him.”
This isn’t Danny’s first brush with death — and he does know a thing or two about hospitals. Only a year and a half ago, he had emergency colic surgery after a 4-pound tumor amassed around his intestines. It took months of rehabilitation before Danny was jumping through hoops for his favorite treat, powdered donuts, again, Ashley said.
photo by Tommasina Ashley
Just how Danny managed to become temporarily transformed into a unicorn still remains a mystery. Dr. Murray speculated that stomach trouble or even a loud noise could have caused Danny to jump up too quickly and injure himself on the post. Danny’s owner simply feels relief that such a gruesome accident didn’t cut their 20-year relationship short.
“If there’s any way to drive a stake through your head, this is the way to do it,” Ashley marveled.
Over the last few days, Ashley has traveled to Rhinebeck from her home in Montvale, New Jersey several times, walking and feeding her injured horse. At first, Danny’s condition was discouraging — he couldn’t eat or relieve himself, and Ashley noticed how he’d grimace when stooping for a blade of grass. Though still in the first week of recovery, Danny now seems significantly better and has returned to what Ashley calls “his normal, bossy self.”
She says that Danny has taught her to never give up on hurt animals, no matter how daunting the injury may appear. “I want people to know that if this happens it’s not the end of the world,” Ashley said. “You can fix catastrophic illnesses.”
Visit Danny’s Facebook page (entitled ‘Danny, the Miracle Unicorn Horse’) for more information and, just a warning, some graphic before-and-after photos.
Tommasina Ashley and Danny ~ photo by T. Ashley
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Categories: Horse Health, Horse News
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
A true miracle…. Danny’s owner truly cares about him. Nice to hear of a positive ending for this story.
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Ms. Ashley, it is so nice to see someone who gives their horse the ultimate care when something like this happens. I’m praying that Danny makes a full remarkable recovery from such a bad experience. May God’s arms protect him from any further trama of any kind and may all your future years be full of love and enjoyment together. And R.T. thank you for such a beautiful story of the love of a horse by their owner. It is too bad we don’t see this with every horse. What a different world it would be for our beloved equines. God Bless all who fight each day to protect our horses from the killer buyers and the BLM.
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Wow! I hope I end up having the strong constitution and health this 30-YEAR-OLD horse Danny has when I get up there in years! A major colic surgery a year and a half ago, (so at least 27 or 28 years old!) and now this? Dang, this is like the Jack LaLane of horses! Incredible! And to hear about an owner like Ashley who truly loves her old horse enough to spend the money to save him (and it is something I did with my first horse Star, but I haven’t heard of a lot of “regular” people–you know, people that don’t have a lot of money– that spend many thousands for things like major colic surgeries for horses in their 20’s)—-and not once, but twice in the past few years?—……very refreshing indeed! This is a great “feel good Sunday” story to feature R.T., Thanks! 🙂
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This story was posted on Jerry Finch’s HABITAT FOR HORSES
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107521/Nicole-Graham-Astro-Mother-stayed-horses-3-hours-getting-trapped.html
Race against the tide: Bravery of young mother who stayed by her horse’s side for THREE HOURS after getting trapped in mud ‘like quicksand’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107521/Nicole-Graham-Astro-Mother-stayed-horses-3-hours-getting-trapped.html#ixzz203JzwpKl
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I love people who care enough to provide care when care is needed. What a wonderful miracle for Danny. This does graphically show how inadequate captive bolts are in rendering a horse unconscious doesn’t it? This board that went into Danny’s head was 9 inches long and this beautiful horse was alive and well after the penetration. Lucky for Danny this was an accident and he was loved, but imagine our equines who suffer from a purposefully placed bolt in the same place. Not so lucky and certainly horrific from the beginning of the abuse until they die.
Thank you R.T for this beautiful story. I hope we will be able to add Freckles story the success of providing care for a horrific injury. He severed the tendon on his hock and has now been the Anderson sling for over a month. We are seeing improvements, but only because he has such heart and has not given up. I hope he will continue to fight. As long as he does, we are right there with him, but his leg….. It is not looking good for Freckles, I hate to say.
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wow! What a lucky old man that ol gelding is 🙂 I’m glad he’s ok. could have been way worse. Danny is a smart horse and a true trooper to boot. I think he knew. and for that reason kept still so they could alleviate the issue. Regardless It was gods will that this horse is still kickin. 🙂 means he’s still got a purpose in her life. ^-^ and a horse is mans greatest companion.. *cough* besides the canine of course~
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Wow! What an amazing, wonderful story! Not the part about stabbing himself with the wood, but his spirit & miraculous survival & recovery!
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Thoroughbreds are pretty tough. love that peanut~butter coloring. sweet pair they are !
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A similar thing happened to a rescue horse we had. OSU( Ohio State UNIVERSITY) thought he had been kicked and that broke his skull. They did surgery to remove the broken piece of skull and it took a while but the hole closed up. He will sound a bit like a whale because he will breathe through the hole. I was told to keep a fly mask on him at all times to keep the hole covered. They were as usual great at OSU and Raven did very well.
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What a miracle horse Danny is and quite a miracle owner too! Horse’s can get into the darndest situations. Glad he will be ok and cudos to the owner, Danny’s friends and the vet’s that saved him! I still believe in miracles … and unicorns although I hope my horses don’t try that trick!
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Wow. Amazing story. Theresa at Beauty’s Haven in FL had a horse last summer/fall with a big hole in the side of her head. They also removed parts of really diseased bone. nuff said.
In the process Baby Girl was sent to KESMARC for 10 treatments of hyperbaric treatments. The difference was STUNNING.
And when I was at Expo I met a lady who works at UCDavis in hyperbaric labs.
I don’t know if this would help but it wouldn’t hurt to pass this along.
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Lucky horse – mostly due to his owner – and if thats a recent picture of them, hes in really great
shape for 30!!! Which probably helped him when he had the colic surgery AND the head injury.
Its really nice to hear of something positive for a change – right?
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