MyHackathon helps Bas back on the road
After a serious infection, Bas needed an incentive to help get his strength back.
Angie Jones-Moore (right) is from Chippenham, Wiltshire. Three years ago, her horse Bas became so unwell she thought she might lose him.
Bas was diagnosed with lymphangitis, a serious infection which can cause permanent damage to a horse’s limbs. He could barely walk due to the swelling on his leg and his dressing had to be changed twice a day. Angie stayed by his side every day for the first two weeks of treatment, until the fluids in his leg had reduced. She said: “I cried buckets, terrified of losing him.”
What followed was a long period of rehabilitation. Bas had to be walked twice a day and he remained on a strict course of antibiotics because of the damage to his coronary band. This damage was reflected in his hoof, which took nearly a year to heal.
With Bas finally on the mend, Angie and her family began taking him out after school and at the weekends. She said: “We became Team Bas, because it took all of us together to make him better.”
My Hackathon is a brilliant incentive each year, to know we are helping equines in need and getting fit is a win-win!
When Angie heard about Brooke’s MyHackathon, she knew it would be a great incentive for Bas to get his strength up again whilst helping to improve the lives of less fortunate working horses, donkeys and mules.
Now in their second year of taking part, the pair recently completed their 100 miles in 40 days. Angie said: “My Hackathon is a brilliant incentive each year, to know we are helping equines in need and getting fit is a win-win!”
She called me and asked me to take one of the poor donkeys to give it a better life.
Angie also takes part in MyHackathon after making a promise to her 98-year-old grandmother, who wanted to help after seeing Brooke’s TV advert. Angie said: “She called me and asked me to take one of the poor donkeys to give it a better life. I explained I couldn’t take one from the advert, they were abroad. However, I promised to raise as much as I could to send over to help them.”
Reflecting on the emotional impact of Bas’s recovery, Angie said: “Three years on, our bond is unbreakable. The whole experience was exhausting, worth every second of worry to get him well again.”