Horse with Artificial Limb
Midnite takes a few tentative steps and then breaks into a joyous gallop, weaving among the other once-neglected creatures at Ranch Hand Rescue, a nonprofit sanctuary started by Williams for special-needs animals.
ProsthetiCare of Fort Worth, Texas, designed and donated the $14,000 artificial limb.
Midnite’s first stop on his road to recovery was at the Humane Society of North Texas after a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy seized the horse from a family who said they could not afford to care for him, said Sandy Grambort, the agency’s equine and livestock coordinator. The owners said the horse had injured his leg, but veterinarians think he was probably born with a deformity, she said. “He was miserable and extremely depressed. He was standing all the time because he had such a hard time getting up when he laid down,” said Grambort, so she called Williams.
Soft-Ride Equine Comfort Boots, a small San Antonio company, helped by donating one of its padded horse orthotics normally used when hauling an animal, Grambort said.
Williams said he took the idea to the next step after he saw a TV show about fitting a baby with an artificial limb.
He called ProsthetiCare. Lane Farr initially thought it was a crank call.
But then he became intrigued.
“It was a huge challenge. A human patient can give you feedback, but with a horse, you’ve got to get it right. I think God had a little hand in it,” said Farr, director of operations for the company, which was founded in 1992 by owner Tim Goldberg, who lost a leg in a rock-climbing accident.
Farr, a former University of Oklahoma football player whose father was an amputee, studied videos on horse mechanics and came up with a two-piece clamshell device with gel cushioning that fastens together with Velcro straps. It has a rolled rubber “hoof” so Midnite can keep his gait, Farr said.
At the second fitting of the prosthesis March 22, Midnite accepted it like a horse that was born to run.
“We just planned on him being able to walk, and he took off as soon as he realized it was there. It was almost like he was thanking us,” he said.
“I had no idea it would blow up the way it did. I had a friend in Manchester, England, and he saw it on the BBC. We were just donating to a great cause. We didn’t do it for publicity.”
But the horse world has taken notice.
“I’ve gotten five calls from horse lovers with injured animals. Usually when a horse goes lame, they have to put it down, and this might help save some of them,” Farr said
Ranch Hand Rescue specializes in abused, abandoned and neglected animals, and the sanctuary houses about 70 animals that include four other miniature horses, potbellied pigs, chickens, ducks, turtles, sheep and goats.
Most were seized by law enforcement agencies from neglectful owners.
Midnite’s “miracle” will surely help the cause, Schroetke said.
“It’s like he knows he has a mission,” she said.
“He’s going to be a great ambassador.”
Wonderful! It is so inspiring to know that there are people who will go to great lengths to help animals. Thank you for posting it.
Midnite is such a beautiful reminder of what compassion and a little ingenuity can do. Animals never cease to amaze us!
How wonderful to see him be able to run and play and have a good life now! And I agree, it is such a blessing to know that people can put their ingenuity and skills to use to help people and animals this way. Definitely a day brightener!
It’s amazing what a little ingenuity, compassion, and teamwork can do. Midnite didn’t just learn to walk again, he found his way back to running and playing. That’s a win worth celebrating!
I was happy to watch the video and see how the people help those poor animals, it’s a great success. I want to thank them and wish them best in their work!
It’s amazing what compassion, creativity, and a little determination can do. Midnite’s story is a beautiful reminder that animals can surprise us with just how resilient they are. We’re so grateful to everyone who gives these animals a second chance!
This is a wonderful story.
It tells about the love some people dedicate to animals that strongly deserve the best.
I can´t think that there are persons who don´t like them and even mistreat them.
They are the best buddies we can have.
With a little compassion, creativity, and a whole lot of love, animals can surprise us with what they’re capable of. They really are some of the best buddies we could ask for!
Thank you for posting this wonderful feel good story. I only wish they would really punish those who mistreat animals and enforce the laws we do have to the full extent. Why is mistreating an animal any different than mistreating a person? It should never be tolerated and when some laws are enforced or pass laws that have teeth in them maybe it would help decrease awfull abuse so many endure.Animals are sentient beings like all of us just a different container!They deserve equal rights and protections.
Animals feel, suffer, and experience joy, so they absolutely deserve our compassion and protection. Stories like Midnite’s remind us what’s possible when people choose kindness and step up for animals in need.
What a fantastic story, and it just goes to show that animals just like we humans can do and master anything obsticals in life, further more the love of the owner was something along with the horse’s magnificent recovery that touched my heart, this owner goes straight to my heart too for the love and faith in showed and believed in with his animal. God Bless him.,
Midnite’s story really shows what can happen with a little determination, a lot of love, and the right people in his corner. Animals have an incredible ability to adapt and keep going. What an inspiring horse!
Billie again – sorry got carried away typing the above with the grammer, so excuse misused words, but again well done Horse and Man.
We love your enthusiasm, and we couldn’t agree more. What an incredible story of compassion, teamwork, and giving an animal a second chance. Well done, Horse and Man!
that is sssooo cool now they can helpn horse’s that need it but i am sure it is not chep
It really is amazing what’s possible now. The $14,000 prosthetic was donated, so thankfully this sweet horse got a second chance without that cost falling on his caretakers.
I admire people that can take a can’t and turn it into can. with all my mini horses(27) I always fear leg injuries worse of all. so glad to see this approach has worked. Good Job.
Leg injuries can be incredibly challenging, but Midnite showed us that sometimes a little creativity can go a very long way. With 27 mini horses, you certainly know the importance of happy, healthy legs!