Martha the dwarf horse wasn’t getting much love.
In fact, she was put up for sale on Craiglist listed as a Christmas present.
But thanks to the loving owners of R&R Ranch in Wildwood, Missouri, Martha, who is no bigger than her new owner’s golden retriever, can now enjoy the country life that she deserves. Her original owner was clueless about the horse’s dwarfism but Stacy Rolfe, the owner of R&R ranch, spotted the difference and Martha was soon rescued.
Watch the amazing joy that Martha is showing here:
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Video credit: Rumble
The deformity in the horse’s legs was caused by skeletal atavism. It’s a grim diagnosis because most horses with that DNA are simply put down.
But Stacy and her family refused to give up on Martha and opted to have her undergo surgery instead and this involved trimming her hooves.
Martha’s recovery was nothing short of astounding and she could be seen excitedly prancing around and playing with her rescuer Stacy.
Stacy, 57, said: ”There are many complications of dwarfism. With Martha, hers are her deformed legs.
”Other dwarves have very round, barrel-like stomachs, issues with their organs, teeth and mouth issues are very common, bulging eyes are prevalent too. Dwarves need special care and are difficult to care for.
”They require a significant investment of both time and financial resources.
“Martha loves life regardless. This is one of the things that makes Martha so marvelous.
”Martha does not let her leg deformities define her. She is a happy girl who lives with imperfection and does not let it define her.
“Many people think that owning a little horse like Martha would be fun. All they see is her running around, playing and acting silly.”
”To this, I say, there is so much work and effort that goes into Martha’s health. She has come a long way from the lice-ridden foal she was when we first brought her home.
“Her feet are cared for by an expert farrier, at first, weekly, then every two weeks, three weeks and now every four weeks.
”Just trimming Martha’s feet, alone, is not only expensive but, very time-consuming. Dwarves are always going to need special care.
“Martha is unique. Her personality is so over the top, making people gravitate towards her, but, they need to know, this is by far not the case with dwarves. Martha is simply marvelous and her own unique self.”
Replaced!