The Egypt Horse Project was hosting a medical clinic near the bottom of the pyramids treating sick working animals when a young boy brought over 3 horses for assessment. At the time the TEHP team didn’t have a vet on board so were limited to treating surface wounds and trimming hooves and worming the working animals. The boy came with 2 white horses and a chestnut.
They were all very thin and tired looking but the chestnut pony was by far the worst faring. He stood with his head drooped, a thin piece of rope was tied around his neck as a make shift head collar.
The workers of TEHP treated the external wounds found on the ponies and took the phone number of the boy so that he could contact the team should there be any more problems with any of his ponies. It was later in the evening the team had returned to the same area in response to another call about sick ponies when they again saw the little boy and his 3 working ponies. The team was extremely distressed to see that the pony was fully saddled up and that the boy was expecting the sick ponies to be able to work for him.
The chestnut pony now had a head collar on, it was made from chain and had a dirty cloth wrapped around it to form some sort of protection on his nose. The head collar was too large and hung heavily on the end of his nose. The pony kept his head down and his eyes semi closed. The team again spoke to the boy who promised that he would call if he had any issues with his ponies. The team went and saw to the person who had called about the sick ponies and went to get dinner afterwards. They again decided to call past the boy’s area to see the ponies. They found the chestnut pony had collapsed and the boy was unable to get him up again.
The pony had many injuries but the worst problem he faced was the extreme emaciation. The rescue team helped to get the pony to his feet and pleaded with the boy to allow the pony to return to the The Egypt Horse Project stables so he could rest and have a good feed. The boy agreed. The chestnut pony walked slowly back to the stables and when he arrived, collapsed again in the sandy paddock.
It was a long night sitting up with the pony and giving him life saving fluids to help him regain hydration and strength. The pony ate his first decent feed in a long time and by morning was feeling much better. He was helped to his feet again and allowed to walk around the sandy paddock. He quickly stole the hearts of the rescue team and his cheeky personality shone through.
It was a long and difficult road ahead for the pony. The next day the owner requested the pony back so he could go to work. The workers of The Egypt Horse Project had no choice but to take the pony back. The founder of TEHP was obviously distraught at the idea that pony would be forced to work when he was so obviously starved and sick. She pledged a sum to purchase the pony and gave instructions for the grooms to tell the boy that she would like to purchase the little chestnut pony.
Over an hour later the grooms returned and they had the little pony with them. The little pony was now never to leave the care of TEHP and would be able to regain health without being forced to work! The pony was bedded down in a stable that was to become his safe area and he was given another feed. It was his lucky day for sure.
The pony spent the first few days in the safety of his stable but at the end of the first week he was allowed to go into the sandy paddock again and meet some of the other rescues of TEHP. He had freedom for the first time in his life. He was given a new name for his new life: Mish Mish. It means apricot in arabic.
The road was to be a long one for the little pony. The hot weather came and brought with it ticks. With the ticks came Equine Babesiosis, a disease which can be fatal to weakened ponies and donkeys alike. The hot weather also caused sweet itch/mange to form on Mish Mish’s back and wither area. It was uncomfortable, weeping and itchy for Mish Mish. He was up and down. The team didn’t think he would make it, he was so emaciated and he often collapsed from weakness and was unable to get up again with out help.
Mish Mish although he struggled for so long, was a very strong pony. He was seen to by a dentist who came all the way from the UK and was aged as only 3 1/2 years old. He had suffered so much in his short life. He wasn’t ready to give up either.
The visit from the dentist was a life saver. Mish Mish could now chew his food properly and he finally gave us the signs he was going to be a successful recovery. He began to gain weight steadily and his energy levels improved and he grew close to another pony called Danny who was in the same condition as he was.
Not long after Danny arrived Mish Mish became inseparable from him. They even slept right next to each other at night. Neither of them had the strength in the morning to get up by themselves so they waited patiently for workers to help them each up in turn. Danny was a huge help in boosting Mish Mish’s morale and between the well timed dentist visit, the arrival of winter and the arrival of Danny, Mish Mish became a new horse.
By the time spring arrived Mish Mish was in much better shape and so was Danny. They had their journey together all through the dark days and into the happy times. Mish Mish had more energy now, he could run for half an hour in the menage playing with Danny and misbehaving without being tired.
Mish Mish has now almost regained full health. He is also realizing that he is now a big strong stallion and no longer an emaciated sick little colt. He has to have his play time monitored with Danny because the two friends push each others boundaries at play time and cause alot of trouble when they pair up.
Mish Mish’s story is a great story of success, but it didn’t happen over night. There was days when the team thought it would be best to have Mish Mish put to sleep. He was slow to improve even though he was on a brilliant diet and had all the medicine he needed. The hot weather in Egypt really plays havoc with the sick animals and Mish Mish was no different.
Although we can look back at Mish Mish’s story and congratulate ourselves on such a brilliant success, the team always reminds themselves of those dark days and weeks.
Although not everyone believes animals feel the same feelings as humans the team strongly believes that Mish Mish suffered a severe depression that us as humans alone could not break him out of. He might have had all the love in the world from us but he had suffered so much abuse previously it just wasn’t enough for us to apologize to him on behalf of his old owners for the cruelty. It took the arrival of Danny and the friendship that blossomed to change the sad pony that was Mish Mish. And although Mish Mish is bossy and mean to Danny now at times, without Danny we would not have saved Mish Mish from the depression he had sunken into.
So Thank You Danny for helping to save Mish Mish and thank you to the grooms of TEHP who spent months upon months of working to save Mish Mish’s life. The team will now raise funds to have both Danny and Mish Mish gelded so that they can return to being in the herd situation without jumping on everyone and escaping like the naughty teenagers they are!
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