Glebedale Amelia's Story

May 2006

After a very successful season under saddle at the Popsters Stud, we discovered that Amelia had a bad back, so we decided to bring her home and put her in foal.

When returning from the stallion we turned her out, where all the drama began, your worst nightmare!!!!!

After a night of thunder and lightning my father walked around the stock to check everything was ok, when returning home he said that there was a dapple grey mare in the field (there are many) that was foaming at the mouth and didn't look well.  My immediate thought was Amelia.

Mum and I rushed out to see and yes I was right it was Amelia, she had been struck by lightning (something you never want to see).

She was just stood completely lifeless, dribbling with her head hanging down.  We realised the extent of her injuries when we tried to move her, she was blind and deaf on her off side.  We managed to walk her home, where we were met by the vet, who said he had never seen a pony survive something like this and he was amazed she was still alive.

We injected her with quaterzone twice a day for a month to stop all bleeding (which meant she had also lost her foal), she then spent the next 2 months unable to lie down and only walk around in circles, eventually after 4 months she could balance enough to walk but still with her head on one side and her lip still droopy.

Now the decision of what to do with her, thinking what she could do with was going to a rehabilitation centre.  After talking with Heidi Bennett (her jockey) she suggested that we take her to The Stepping Stones rehab unit, where Heidi herself works with the help of horses to rehabilitate people with many problems.

12 months later (June 07) Amelia is almost back to normal, still deaf and blind in one side but managing a normal life (galloping and bucking like an idiot), and she is still at Stepping Stones working with very distressed people, helping them come to terms with their problems as she is with hers.

We will keep you updated on Amelia's progress, who knows one day maybe a foal and even the RWAS????