Chance was found in July 2023 in dire circumstances. Alone in a small stall with minimal food, he was severely emaciated, and had a heart murmur and a nail in one hoof. Chance spent a few days at a veterinary clinic to ensure his condition was stable. Chance was also a stallion, judged to be about 7 years old, so his early rehabilitation took place at a nearby riding stables that has the experience to handle stallions. During the sensitive period when he was recovering from starvation, Chance received nutrition guided by UC Davis protocol, as well as supplemental selenium and other nutrients that he was deficient in.
Chance did well during recovery, as his friendly, mellow personality emerged as he gained weight and energy. Early the following spring, Chance was well enough to undergo gelding surgery. A happy circumstance of this was the discovery that his heart murmur had completely resolved on the pre-surgical echocardiogram. He recovered well from the surgery and now lives with the Sunrise herd on Tubbs Lane. Chance has a hereditary condition called DSLD, which causes connective tissue to weaken, and as a result of that his fetlocks are slightly dropped.
