Texas Equine Veterinary Association

Page 14 | The Remuda | SPRING 2024 EDITION Several cowboys from the area came and rounded up livestock and one other horse from other pastures in their area, but did not see the filly. Three nights after the tornado, Feather came limping out of the brush, badly injured, and Ben was able to pen her the next morning. "She was cut up, banged up; she was in bad shape," Ben said. "So I called the Four Sixes, called Dr. Canaday and Dr. Arnold and got her down there." Vet Involvement Both Ben and Tim had worked with the veterinarians at the 6666 Ranch before the storm. When the tornado blew through, word spread to the ranch—45 minutes from Matador—about the damage. The staff and cowboys jumped in to action. "We have a lot of guys that know cowboys at the Matador Ranch, so they were bee-lining out there to go help," Dr. Nathan Canaday, 6666 Ranch horse division manager, said. "The report on the ground was that most of the livestock in and around the area were already dead or being euthanized on the spot. It was a pretty bad report, and it was just sheer devastation." When Peaches was found, his injuries were so severe that he was brought to the 6666 Ranches to be treated by the veterinarians there, because the ranch has top-notch medical staff and facilities. Dr. Canaday said the horse's body was covered in many deep cuts, and he had corneal ulcers in both eyes. "From day one, we had on our mind, that we weren't going to give them a bill," Dr. Canaday said. "They lost everything." Meanwhile, Feather was found a few days later, and brought to the ranch. The filly wasn't yet halter-broke, but they were able to load her up and take her. The Four Sixess veterinary crew provided much-needed care to Peaches after he was caught in the storm. Photo courtesy of Dr. Nathan Canaday Left Feather had extremely deep wounds requiring intensive veterinary care. Right: Flying debris caused severe wounds on the surviving animals. Photos courtesy of Dr. Nathan Canaday

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