Midge (formerly Minnie) is one of several adorable mini horses left to fend for themselves by Ashley DiFelice at the former Twist of Fate property. (The other mini horses will have their stories shared soon). 

I don't really know anything about Midge's origin story, her first rescue, or her time at Twist of Fate. What I do know is that Midge was neglected. She is an elderly special needs mini horse with a form of dwarfism and windswept legs (which is a combination of bowed legs and knock knees). Upon her rescue in July of 2022, Midge was so tiny that after a few days she was just barely spotted in a field of overgrown weeds on the TOF property. Her head hung low and she had a hopeless look on her face. She was estimated to be about 27 years old and could barely walk her hooves were so overgrown and curled upwards (you can somewhat see this in the photo above, taken on the day she was rescued), and she was also overweight and loaded with parasites - conditions that are especially dangerous for mini horses as they are prone to colic. 

Lesley of Bluemont Sanctuary (@bluemontequinesanctuary) loaded her up in her car's backseat to become a permanent resident at her sanctuary. When she arrived at her new home Midge was given much needed farrier care with a hoof trim, a bath, haircut, vet visit with bloodwork and an ultrasound, and had her teeth floated. (Floating a horse's teeth means to file or rasp the teeth to reduce the sharp edges and make the surface smoother. This is basic care for any equine). She began to thrive at Bluemont and eventually made a friend in Cinder, another mini horse, but was also deeply bonded to Jovie, another horse who was rescued from Twist of Fate (her story will be shared soon). Jovie is blind and Midge acts as her eyes, which is a role that she is happy to take on. 

An adapted quote from Lesley at Bluemont: "Midge was defeated when she first arrived. She had lost her voice and her dignity. Slowly this senior mini mare found her spice and is willing to set boundaries for herself and express her likes and dislikes. This has been incredible to watch. Midge’s fire is beautiful and will always be cherished."

We are so grateful that Midge gets to live her senior years in a sanctuary, loved, cared for, and finally getting everything that she was denied for years by Ashley DiFelice. 

Unfortunately - a few days ago Midge had to be rushed to the hospital. She was eating and behaving normally and then suddenly had an episode of explosive diarrhea. The vet was called and arrived within 20 minutes and thought the issue to be colitis. Midge did not have a fever and her heart rate was normal but her lactate was very high. However, since Midge is in her 30s and very fragile she was transported to the hospital for further observation and testing. To prepare her for the hour-long journey, she was given an antispasmodic, pain relivers, and a stomach tube with light sedation.   

After she arrived at the hospital the vets still suspected that she had colitis after her tests which can be fatal if not caught early and managed properly, especially for mini horses. 

The next morning Midge was much brighter, had passed formed manure, was eating her senior mash and was even "making eyes" at the gelding in the stall across from hers (what a flirt!). As of the publication of this update, Midge is still on IV fluids and is being tubed daily to flush her GI tract since she was a ball of undigested hay in her stomach that isn't passing. Hopefully they can get this to move on its own, otherwise they will need to explore other options. It has been determined that a lot of Midge's current issues are age-related and that she may need to be switched to a new diet once she returns home. She is definitely doing better, but she's not out of the woods yet. 

Bluemont Sanctuary is currently fundraising for Midge's hospital visit and emergency care. If you'd like to make a donation, please do so on their Instagram profile page here, or on their website here. You can also support Bluemont by donating through their Amazon Wishlist  or purchasing some of their adorable merch! You can also sponsor an animal here, or join their Patreon to send them a monthly donation for as little as $3/month, though you can also donate in any increment above that.  

We are so grateful to Bluemont that Midge was given a soft landing to live out her senior years and we hope that she makes a speedy recovery from her current ailments. Please give @bluemontequinesanctuary a follow on Instagram to see Midge's glow-up, and please leave Midge and/or Lesley some comments, hellos, and well wishes below. 

This post will be updated with any new information about Midge, so please follow them on Instagram for the latest news, or please check back here. 

UPDATE! September 6th: Midge is home! She spent an entire week in the hospital and will need to switch to a special diet since she's a senior who is having problems digesting hay and dealing with other stomach issues. The hospital re-scoped Midge and took another radiograph of her colon, and everything has cleared and she is as good as new! Please go to @bluemontequinesanctuary's post about Midge's return home to leave her some love. Thank you! 

Thank you for being here.   

Also, please continue to share the petition - Ashley DiFelice's next court date is September 14th, and since the court is aware of the petition we'd like to get as many signatures and comments on it as possible before then. Thank you!