Thanksgiving at the farm included our newest resident, Topnotch. It’s been a week since we relocated Topnotch to the farm, and he is settling in well and getting to know us and our routine. We’re taking it very slow with him; our main goals right now are to make him feel secure and comfortable in his new home and to make sure he’s eating a healthy diet. (If you missed that news of Topnotch’s removal from the wild, you can get the details on our Facebook page.)
Topnotch gets multiple small meals throughout the day that include hay pellets, hay cubes, beet pulp, and chopped hay, all soaked in water so that it’s easily palatable and provides him with the calories and nutrition that he needs. In addition to his hay soup, he also gets a feed formulated for senior horses three times a day, along with electrolytes and a fatty acid supplement. The great news is, he is a proud member of the clean plate club - he is not a picky eater! For the first time in a while we are thrilled that Topnotch is willing to eat anything that’s put in front of him. He's already gained a bit of weight, and once he’s more comfortable being handled our vet will do a thorough exam of his mouth to see if there’s anything we can do to help him chew more efficiently.
We’re asking that you consider making a donation toward Topnotch’s ongoing care and feed. As he gets acclimated to his new diet he will eventually be consuming about 20lbs of food a day, which costs approximately $400 per month. Every bit makes a big impact - a bag of chopped hay is just $30 and will feed Topnotch for several days. Your support will also help us cover the cost of veterinary bills and other things like dewormer, vaccinations, and winter blankets for him. You can sponsor Topnotch (sponsorships make great gifts too!) or make a one-time donation towards his care by visiting our website!
