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Dixie is a very special member of our family who
constantly reminds us about the value of life. Whenever I feel
disappointment in my inability to address the hundreds of blind
people on my waiting list, I go out to the pasture to see Dixie and
Bluebell.
Dixie is one of the most severely deformed horses I have ever seen. Often as not, visitors to the farm don’t even recognize Dixie as being a horse and ask me “What kind of animal is that?”. Dixie is only 22 inches tall.
She is incapable of whinnying and galloping, but she has learned to make a grunting sound when she wants attention and she wobbles around quite well.
I didn’t know if she was serious. If she was serious, I was preparing to be offended that anyone would accuse me of breeding such a deformed animal.
Following a complete medical workup, the vets confirmed that her nostrils were impeding her breathing and they told me that Dixie would suffocate within a few months. The orthopedic surgeons also said that corrective surgery on her legs was impossible.
May 31, 2005 Today Dixie passed away unexpectedly at four years-old. We are all crying, and even though we always knew she would not have a full life, it is still a shock to see such a brave little pony die. We sent her remains
to the North Carolina Veterinary school for a necropsy, and I just
got a call from the Vet Hospital and the doctor said that she had a
very small liver, a result of her deformed circulatory system. Get the Book!
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