The Little Pony Who Could

Thanks to readers KC in California and SM in Texas, we have an inspiring story of courage and hope for our Friday post!

Meet Molly - a 15 year old Appaloosa pony who survived Hurricane Katrina but was abandoned by her owners. She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and given a home with Pony Paradise.

Unfortunately her trials were not over - while at Pony Paradise, she was attacked by a traumatized pit bull terrier who gnawed her right front leg. Molly's vet approached Louisiana State University vet services but they were overwhelmed and Molly nearly died from the infected injury.

But Molly wasn't your ordinary pony. When surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he saw that she was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic. Molly was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and she graciously allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg, shifting her weigh constantly but without overloading her good leg.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient - tough as nails, but sweet, and willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood she was in trouble. The other important factor, according to Moore, is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over Molly's lifetime.

Like the population of post-Katrina Louisiana, Molly went about rebuilding her existence. She gained weight and her mane felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg which has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports. "And she asks for it! She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too." Sometimes, Molly even gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse", she laughs.

And now Molly has a job. Kay, the owner of Pony Pariadise, started taking Molly to places where people needed hope - shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers. Wherever Molly goes, she inspires people with her pluck, and she appears to have a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life", Moore said, "She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others."

"She's not back to normal," Barca concluded, 'but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself."

This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The bottom photo shows the ground surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind!

This story appeared on Horsesinthesouth.com