KOTA Territory News

Horse gets second chance at life with artificial leg

By Jared Andersen
Posted: Sep 8, 2008 05:04 PM MDT

Best Friends animal sanctuary is doing everything possible to save horses that suffer a leg fracture or break. They're now turning to a KOTA Territory equine hospital to perform the prosthetic surgery.

Riley the horse is lucky to be here today. She came to Best Friends with an awful knee injury. Surgeons tried to realign the leg but her body rejected the metal plates and screws. There was fear she would be put down.

Best friends contacted the Sheridan Equine Center because it's one of only three hospitals that offers the leg, amputation and replacement, surgery. Ted Vlahos, D.V.M.,M.S., performed the surgery on Riley and says, "it's just like wearing a ski boot, it would be like you're walking in a ski boot, you would be stiff walking, but you're not in any pain when you're walking."

Vlahos says he's hoping in the future more horses will get the second chance at life Riley's enjoying.

Riley is heading to a Best Friends horse sanctuary in southern Utah.

http://www.kotatv.com/Global/story.asp?s=8973462