Week One

Well, we have come to a close on our first week with Lola! It has been a pretty busy week for us at the Kotz Hotel with many visitors for Lola. Dr. Beecher came by one day to give her the vaccinations that she needed, some friends and family helped to feed her through out the week, she had a photo shoot for the TH, was put into a chute to be weighed, and had some visitors just stop by to say 'Hello'.

(Pictured to the right: Jaime Nedved came out to visit Lola!)

TH Article
On Tuesday I received a call from the Photo Editor at the Telegraph Herald (a local newspaper in Dubuque) and they had heard about Lola from Jane McCall when she had put out a press release about the horse last week. The Editor told me that they were interested in interviewing me and taking photos of Lola that day! A journalist soon called me and asked some general questions about Lola and my thoughts about her....what is she being fed, how much is she being fed, what should she weigh, what did I think when I saw her, ect...Then around noon that day another young lady came out and took many pictures of Lola from her eating to her standing next to another one of our horses to show a comparison shot...wow, what a difference between the two animals! After everything was done they told me that the article was supposed to be published the next day! What a quick turn around! If you would like to read the article yourself go to: http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=258329

Weighing - In
Last week my boss, Dale Hefel, suggested that we use the company's digital scale to weigh Lola through out the process so that way we have exact weights and can accuratly monitor her recovery. What a great idea! Only one small problem...where to store it at the house? The scale as to be set back up on the trailer each time to that it doesn't ruin the weigh bars....thus the idea was formed that every two to three weeks we will take the scale to Lola and weigh her. At first we wanted to trailer Lola out to the store and leave the scale set up in the warehouse but I thought that would be too much stress on Lola at this point to be trailering her off the property that much. Well, on Tuesday of this week Willie Waters loaded up the scale with the truck and hauled the scale over to Siepple Road! When he got their I had Lola ready in her halter, the scale was set up and she loaded onto it like a dream! Now, take a guess at what she weighed....I know I couldn't believe it....Lola weighed 750 lbs! WOW, I didn't expect her to weigh that much! I suspect that our goal weight will be close to 1,000 lbs.

Feeding's
There have been a few volunteers that have helped with Lola over the last week...Many thanks to: Grandma Kotz, Danyn Maroney, and Lauren Kotz. We really appreciate you're help and I'm sure this won't be the last time you are thanked. I do have to laugh because when it was my grandma's turn to feed her she called me and said, "Well, I just pulled in to feed Lola and she is looking at me awfully expectantly!" Let me tell you, Lola is very used to being fed four time a day and she knows what time to expect us! When you come by her area she will knicker and whinny at you and then begin to paw at the ground like she was saying, "Hurry your butt up!!!"

(Pictured: Lauren feeding Lola)

Our feeding rates have also been slowly increasing over the week and we are currently up to 2 1/2 lbs of Equine Senior per day! Tomorrow, I plan on increasing her evening feeding by a half a pound, which will put us up to a 3 lb feeding rate. As you can imagine we are still a ways away from reaching our feeding goal! Our end feeding goal will be 10 lbs of Equine Senior per day. Eventually we will begin to switch Lola to Strategy but until we get her gut going again and she has added weight we will not make the switch. However, to help provide extra calories I plan on adding Purina Amplify into the diet at 2 lbs per day once we get her closer to our goal feeding rate of Equine Senior.

One thing I do have to add is that we ask that when you drive by Lola's home you don't stop and treat her with any food. I know it maybe tempting to give her a treat but we promise you that she is being well taken care of. Right now she is on a very strict feeding schedule and we encourage you to just admire her and watch her as she goes down the road of recovery.

See you next week!

Katie Kotz
Equine & Lifestyle Specialist
Three Rivers Town & Country