Horse lovers know that when it comes to our animals, we will do anything and everything to give them the best life we can. This was definitely the case for a Prince George, BC horse named Milton, who was born 10 days premature and had leg deformities as a result. Yet despite these challenges and with a little help from a dedicated and loving owner, the horse overcame all odds to live a happy life.
His unique story has inspired a new children’s book, Miracle Milton and his Magic Legs by local author Dustie Hall, with illustrations by JE. Corbett.
Milton’s wonky legs. (NAK Horses photos)
Owned by Quarter Horse breeder and trainer Nicole Klassen, who operates NAK Horses, Milton’s initial prognosis wasn’t good. Indeed, more than one vet suggested to Klassen that she put the foal down. While his leg issues were the result of premature birth and not genetic defect, it still made him wobbly on all fours, and parts of his knees were not developing as they should. Even surgery proved not an option after Klassen had saved up for it. But she knew Milton was special.
“I’ve seen a lot of foals who have had issues and they go to first try to stand up and they give up and you have to encourage them to keep trying and Milton was never like that,” Klassen tells the Prince George Citizen. “It was like ‘I am super crooked but I am going to get up and nurse and nothing is stopping me’ – so he was just a real card right from the start. He just always had this incredible zest for whatever you were going to throw at him. He didn’t act like a disabled horse – he was into everything, so curious, he just wanted to do everything you wanted him to do – he was always playing with the water hose, always playing with a string, ‘oh, I’ll go play with this ball’ and he just wouldn’t give up.”
It was this zest for life that Milton embodied that gave Klassen hope and she spent the next few years using a mix of therapies including light, herbs, and KT tape to get the horse healthy enough that he could enjoy quality of life. Detailed posts of the transformation of Milton’s legs during his first year of life are on Klassen’s website and the change is remarkable.
She had no plans to ever ride Milton, but that also changed with the horse seeming to want the extra attention. Klassen explained to the news outlet that as he grew older, he began to appear depressed when he saw her ride other horses. So she decided to give riding Milton a try. “We took a six-hour trail ride and he didn’t miss a beat and we got back to the trailer and he was ready to do it all over again,” Klassen told the paper.
Milton’s special story touched Dustie Hall, who is a friend, fellow horsewoman and client of Klassen’s, and she had watched the horse’s progress up close. “Through the first days, weeks and months of Milton’s life Klassen posted his progress and ‘problems’ but what inspired me the most was his attitude,” says Hall. “He was, and still is playful and goofy and always is having so much fun!! It didn’t matter to him that he had crooked legs and had such a positive outlook for everything life had to offer and just did it anyway.”
It was that positive outlook that the young foal displayed that made Hall think she could capture the spirit in her book and inspire children to not let barriers define what they can do. The book is beautifully illustrated by BC artist JE. Corbett.
Miracle Milton and His Magic Legs is available for sale from various sellers including Amazon and Indigo Books.
