08/29/2026
Please accept my apologies for the lack of barn updates this week. Farrier week is always a busy time for us, and to make matters more challenging, we also faced the sudden illness of one of our horses, whom we were unfortunately unable to save. The loss was unexpected and has deeply affected our team. This marks the ninth horse we've had to say goodbye to this year, and the emotional toll is significant.
Acapella began showing unusual behavior on Tuesday evening. She had separated herself from her herd—a significant cause for concern—and was wandering aimlessly. We immediately brought her into the barn and checked her vital signs, which were all within the normal range. Although she was drinking, eating, and passing manure, her ears were twitching continuously. We monitored her closely overnight, but by Wednesday morning the twitching had increased, and she was persistently restless. Following our veterinarian’s advice, we started her on steroids, suspecting possible head trauma.
By Thursday morning, Acapella began exhibiting signs of blindness and started having seizures. We increased her medications and had our veterinarian evaluate her in person. While we needed further diagnostic testing, we were concerned about transporting her and decided to continue treatment at home while awaiting bloodwork results. Unfortunately, by lunchtime her seizures worsened, and she was bumping into objects, unable to see. Given the escalation, we made the difficult decision to transport her to the emergency clinic. Thankfully, she trusted us and loaded onto the trailer without hesitation. At the clinic, after a comprehensive evaluation by several veterinarians, her prognosis was determined to be extremely poor. She was both blind and deaf, and her seizures were becoming more frequent and severe, affecting her entire body. Each seizure raised concerns about the possibility of a grand mal episode.
Given her rapid decline and the grave prognosis, we made the compassionate decision to euthanize her. While we would have preferred further testing to determine the exact cause, the veterinarians were confident additional diagnostics would not change the outcome. We did not want her to endure further suffering with such a low chance of recovery. We believe the cause was likely neurological—a tumor or lesions in the brain. Acapella was up to date on all her vaccines and had been on a consistent schedule since arriving with us last year.
Acapella overcame significant neglect and blossomed into a beautiful, gentle mare who formed strong bonds with our team—particularly with one of our high school volunteers. This volunteer worked with her under saddle and in liberty work, and together they became an exceptional team.
I am grateful that Acapella enjoyed a wonderful year with us. She had her herd, received plenty of grooming and baths—often, as she was always finding ways to get dirty—had her person, and truly lived her best life.
Rest in peace, sweet Acapella.
