On March 1, 2015, Carina Nistico welcomed “Prince” into the world. From the moment the Thoroughbred colt was born, Carina knew he was going to be a special horse. “He had such a silly, curious attitude about him and loved any kind of attention,” she says.

Prince had a bit of a rough start, however. At just two weeks old, he was kicked by another mare while out in a field. X-rays revealed a fracture near his stifle, and Carina was faced with the decision of either humane euthanasia or taking him for surgery.

“After a roller coaster of emotions and a whole day of phone calls to different equine surgeons in the Northeast, I finally spoke with Dr. José Garcia-Lopez at Tufts Hospital for Large Animals, and his kindness and confidence gave me hope,” says Carina. “Even though Tufts was three hours away, I knew it was the right place for us.”

Prince had a successful surgery, which required plates and screws to heal the fracture. Carina was given a plan for rehabilitation at home, and six weeks later they were back at the hospital to have the hardware removed. A few weeks later, Prince was back to frolicking in a field with his mom.

“This little guy has inspired me so much to not give up when it seems the odds are against you,” Carina says. “Prince now has a second chance and will grow up to be a happy, healthy horse no matter what career path he chooses for himself.”