Let's go get you in.
Don't be scared.
No, you gotta stay. - (animal sound)
It'll be okay.
I'll be right up front.
- This is a really important vet appointment
for Pumpkin today.
She is going to have braces molded.
Because of the way Pumpkin was bred,
she ended up being a dwarf pony.
They can have issues.
The family didn't have the resources
to fix her leg.
So they surrendered Pumpkin
and her mother to us.
- Hey! I know, it's scary.
Come on, little girl.
- When I saw her and realized that it was
all four legs that were affected,
I wasn't sure if we were gonna be able to help her.
She was so young, that motherly instinct in me
just wants to take care of her.
We always give them that fighting chance.
No matter how many people tell us,
"You can't fix that," we always try.
I'm the founder of
Twist of Fate Farm and Sanctuary.
We help the animals that nobody else wants.
We show them love.
Give them a place to live out the rest of their lives.
When Pumpkin first arrived here,
I was nervous.
She just seemed so fragile.
- Welcome home.
- But after a day or two,
I came to realize that in Pumpkin's mind,
she's no different than any other baby.
- Feel good?
- Just like this giant ball of fire
in this tiny little body.
It didn't take long for Deacon and I
to fall in love with her.
Deacon is my three-year-old son.
He and Pumpkin have become really good friends.
Deacon loves to brush Pumpkin.
He likes to sit with her.
They just kind of hang out.
- They're both so sweet and innocent,
and I think they just kinda get each other.
And Thea, at first she was like,
"What is this little human
doing to my baby?"
As a mother, I get it.
But now she just kinda watches them.
Deacon wants Pumpkin to go outside and run with him.
To him, there's nothing wrong with Pumpkin.
Deacon believes that she's like
a magical little unicorn.
We keep Pumpkin and her Mom
in a stall.
But our vets thought it would be
the safest thing for her.
I feel like the bad-- like the mean Mom,
and I'm like, "No, you have to stay inside."
She doesn't get to explore. She doesn't get to graze.
It definitely hurts my heart a little bit.
But my hope is that these braces
will help strengthen her legs
to where she can spend more time outside
and enjoy life. And her and Deacon
can actually run around together.
As long as I see Pumpkin having that will to live,
I want to keep fighting for her.
- We're here, Pumpkin. There we go. Okay.
Look.
- How we doing?
- Hey, guys. - Hi.
- How's it going? I'm Derek.
You must be Ashley.
- Hi, Derek. Nice to meet you.
- Hey, and this is the famous Pumpkin.
So, right off the bat,
we're just gonna stabilize all the joints that need it.
- Well, she may need splints on all four.
- Do you think that the braces are gonna help Pumpkin
to become more mobile?
- All four legs on any animal
is very tough.
It's gonna really be about her and her spirit,
and her will to want to move.
And a lot of this is unknown.
So. Take it one day at a time, one step at a time.
- If we can get the right stabilizer,
hopefully Pumpkin will do well.
- Let's start casting, buddy.
Our biggest concern is Pumpkin getting too big
before we can help her.
We want Pumpkin to have a good life.
You know, sometimes that's not possible.
I was nervous that someone might say,
"You know what? This isn't gonna work for her."
That--that didn't happen.
If we can help Pumpkin
be comfortable
to where she can live a long, happy life,
that's huge.
Thea is gonna be so excited to see her again.
This is the first time they've ever been apart.
- There's your Mommy.
Thea is very, very protective of Pumpkin.
She doesn't ever let her out of her sight.
She is a great Mom.
- Told you she'd be back.
We have another miniature pony, Lucy.
Rescued from a neglect case.
So our hope is that once Pumpkin is better,
we can introduce the three of them,
and they can be this little family.
I hope that these braces work
to the point where Pumpkin
can live a somewhat normal life.
I'm hand-sculpting one of Pumpkin's legs.
I can make things that fit really well,
but I can't guarantee they'll accept them.
Pumpkin seems determined to walk.
Actually, she wants to gallop.
So we want to get her to that point.
Derek is coming to put Pumpkin's braces on for the first time.
- Hi, Derek!
- I got all the legs here. - Wow.
- And hopefully Pumpkin takes to 'em.
- I will go get her, then.
She'll be right back.
Might be the last time we have to carry you.
Here she is.
I'm a little bit nervous.
If these braces don't work,
then we have to make another decision.
- Here we go. - You good? -[Whinny]
That would be Pumpkin's Mom, wondering where Pumpkin is.
- I do think Pumpkin realizes that we're trying to help her.
Since day one, we've been working with her legs.
- I never know what they're gonna do.
And this is the first time fitting a dwarf pony
with four leg braces.
So, no one knows what's gonna happen.
Moment of truth.
[Whinny]
- They're a little bit better in the front.
- It's okay.
Come on.
She's close.
There are things that I really have to do back in the shop.
I wish that wasn't the case.
Don't get discouraged.
She seems determined.
She seems like she wants to walk.
So it's on me now, to just kind of redesign these.
- I'm hopeful that Derek can adjust the braces
to make them work better for Pumpkin.
[Crow]
We're gonna refit Pumpkin today.
- Here he is. - Hey, buddy. [Laughter]
These are Pumpkin's legs.
You ready to give this another try?
There are some differences, you know.
- It's almost impossible to collapse with them now.
- Okay. They're going to help her walk.
- I want 'em to. - Let's hope.
- You never know if they're gonna accept 'em or not.
So it's always that unknown feeling
of anxiety that I get.
- She'll miss her, but it's just for a few minutes.
- Come here.
Thanks, buddy. This is great.
I made 'em Pumpkin color.
- Moment of truth, Pumpkin. - Yes.
There you go. You ready?
Okay, here we go.
I got her. There you go.
Let's see if you're up enough on those backs yet.
That's a lot better. All right, buddy.
- Come on, Pumpkin.
Yeah, there we go.
That's what I was hoping. [Laughter] Not easy.
- I don't think she's ever moved that fast before.
- Oh yeah? Okay, good!
I did not expect that at all. - [Laughter] Look at her.
She looks happy.
[Laughter]
- Whoa!
These are the moments I kinda live for.
- Come on, Pumpkin!
- Not bad, buddy. Whoa!
[Laughter]
Wow. It's like the other animals know.
- Everybody's excited today!
♫
- You can see when animals have that will
to want to live, and move.
And she had that. And--
that can make all the difference.
- You can just see how happy she is.
It was like she knew, her legs just felt better.
This was exactly what we hoped for.
- I think she kind of feels free,
and able to be herself, and walk without pain.
I'm just so happy.
- He wants you to make him shoes.
- You want me to make-- I can make you shoes.
Pumpkin's doing really well with braces.
And Pumpkin knows once the braces go on,
she's going outside.
She's gonna have a good time.
Today, we're going to introduce Lucy
to Thea and Pumpkin
to see if they can get along.
- Come meet Lucy!
♫
Pumpkin is very curious.
The introduction actually went really well.
If it continues to go well,
they'll move in together permanently.
And they can become their own little herd.
Since day one, Deacon wants Pumpkin
to run with hem so badly.
And now she actually can.
She's a lot faster, and she explores more.
She's still the same Pumpkin,
but she's happier, and you can tell.
This journey has been a very long one,
but to know that we have made a difference for her,
it's 100 percent worth it.
It's literally why we do what we do,
take these animals that nobody really feels have a chance,
and give them that chance at a good life.
♫