The Inflammatory Bowel Disease that Chance suffered from was taking more and more steroids and they were not working. He was losing a lot of weight. The IBS caused his colon to not absorb the water content Chance needed to be healthy.

At 19 years old, this lovely character's suffering was ended and he was helped across the Rainbow Bridge.

Happy Trails my friend. You were a gift and introduced me to American Saddlebreds. You made everyone who met you smile!

I would like to thank everyone for their prayers/healing thoughts for Chance. They seem to be working! After many tests, different combinations of antibiotics and observation by the vet, it appears that Chance is on the upswing!

The battle for returned good health will be continuing though. While antibiotics help by killing harmful bacteria, the medicine often kills good bacteria, also. Antibiotics are not selective in what bacteria that is killed.

There seems to be a pocket of bad or antibiotic resistant bacteria somewhere in Chance's body. He would get better for a period of time and then the diarrhea, weight loss, etc. would start again. Right now he is doing quite well and only time will tell if all the bad bacteria has been eliminated. The vet has recommended that Chance be put on Azium

He was his gregarious self, smiling, pulling at my sleeve and extending an invitation to play. I hope he continues to recover and beats this thing. He has always been quite special to me and I hope I get to meet up with him again some day. Thank you all for your well wishes. I truely believe they have helped this clown of a horse!

The picture below was the one his original owner used in their Sale ad before they sent him to auction. He was 3 yrs. old in this picture:

Chance was the second horse rescued from the feedlots in 1998 before TIER was officially a non-profit equine rescue. A 4 yr. old registered American Saddlebred named Kerry On Kenyatta out of Winter Sultan.

His owner had sold him via a horse auction to an unknown party. Sometime later he ended up at the feedlot where he would have been sent to slaughter had we not purchased him. He recovered from his ordeal and blossomed into a wonderfully kind and playful horse with a fantastic sense of humor and tons of character!

I was recently informed that Chance has been having trouble with a bacterial infection that is causing him to have constant diarrhea. He was under treatment and would get better for a bit, but the diarrhea returned. Eventually, he was brought from his home over 150 miles away to TIER's vet for further diagnostics and treatment for what is thought to be Salmonella.

I had the opportunity to visit Chance at the vet's. I had not seen him in years and was delighted to see that he still has his playful personality. When I asked him to smile (a trick he was taught years ago), he did so with a comical look in his eye that I so fondly remembered.

Although he is thin from not being well over time, he has matured into a lovely horse with the huge personality!

We are asking for Prayers/Healing Thoughts for Chance's full recovery.

Hi there, Hey there, Ho there! We are as happy as can be! One year ago today, (July 4, 1998) we rescued a skeletal, scarred black horse from one of the Southern California feedlots. It turned out that this 4 yr. old was a registered American Saddlebred named Kerry On Kenyatta out of Winter Sultan. We named him 2nd Chance, or Chance for short.

This magnificent character of a horse is now sleek, fat, shiney, no trace of the scars that were all over his back, and he is a clown! He is my husband's horse and it is an emotional experience to watch these two together. They are learning together and teaching each other. And to think this wonderful horse was going to slaughter.

Chance was our second rescue. Our first rescue was Libbey. She was rescued from the same feedlot a week earlier. It was the presence of these two wonderful equines in our lives that inspired us to see if we could help some of the other horses we saw at these feedlots.  Thus, the idea of True Innocents Equine Rescue was born. For that we are grateful. But the idea could never work if not for people like you who go the extra mile to help the horses in need. We thank you from the depths of our hearts.

Although TIER itself has but a few horses, most of which need retraining before they can be adopted out, we, as individuals, have been very fortunate to be able to have been a part of over 80 horses being ransomed from the feedlots and finding safe, healthy, responsible homes. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this.

Also, (gosh, will she ever quit typing???) we are proud to announce that True Innocents Equine Rescue, T.I.E.R. is now a bonafide 501(c)(3)! A State and Federally approved non-profit equine rescue! Yup, your donations are TAX DECUCTIBLE! HA!

Thanks for your encouragement, faith, shoulders to cry on, experience, strength and hope. Without you, there would be no TIER. I cannot do this alone, but, WE CAN do it together.

And.....(Sheesh, isn't she through yet?)

Take a gander at the new pics of Chance in celebration of his birthday!

Photos of Chance at the feedlot -