Bonus Buzz: Baby Seven’s fight, UT’s care, and being kind to our veterinarians
I want to dedicate this week’s Buzz to “Baby Seven,” the colt raised and shared with the world by creator and horsewoman Katie Van Slyke. Katie lives in the same town as our oldest daughter, son-in-law, and our grandbabies, which makes her feel like a hometown neighbor to us. She has been an educational inspiration to me, and I appreciate how she makes hard horse care topics feel understandable. We also have a soft spot for the University of Tennessee (“UT” - for you Texans, UT is not University of Texas). Our middle daughter graduated from UT in Knoxville, and our youngest was accepted to the UT College of Veterinary Medicine but chose Kansas State University for vet school.
Seven was born two months premature at 286 days on February 15, 2024, and spent months in expert care at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, complete with custom orthotics and rehabilitation. He made it home in March 2025, and on August 11, 2025, Katie shared that they humanely said goodbye after his brave fight. To honor him, the family announced the Seven Scholarship supporting equine veterinary students. If you would like to follow his story or share condolences, visit Katie’s Instagram and TikTok at @katievanslyke.
What equine prematurity means
A full term equine pregnancy averages about 340 days. Foals born far earlier can be too underdeveloped to survive, and before roughly 310 days they are often considered nonviable. Seven was born at 286 days, about two months early, so he faced extreme hurdles from day one. Torchbearer
Step by step: how teams cared for Seven
Stabilize and protect. At birth Seven’s knees and hocks lacked mineralized bone. For months he spent long stretches lying down and protected in casts to prevent joint collapse while bones mineralized. Torchbearer
Move to specialized rehab. When his skeleton strengthened enough, he went to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine Equine Performance and Rehabilitation Center. Specialists collaborated on custom orthotics that allowed healthy motion while blocking damaging motion. Torchbearer
Graded rehab. With protection in place, he practiced short, frequent walks, grazing, and controlled exercise. Supports were adjusted or removed as tissues coped with load, a classic rehab approach. Torchbearer
Homecoming. After months of hospital level care, Seven went home in late March 2025 to continue supervised rehab. WBIR
Thank you, UT veterinary staff
The UT team brought science, creativity, and heart. Their equine rehab program blends diagnostics like MRI and CT with therapies such as underwater treadmill, therapeutic laser, shockwave, and hyperbaric oxygen, all under board certified clinicians who tailor plans to each horse. That depth of expertise gave Seven a real chance to grow, move, and learn. vetmed.tennessee.edu+1Volopedia
The hardest update and how his story continues
On August 11, 2025, Katie shared that they said goodbye to Seven. In his honor, the family announced the Seven Scholarship supporting seven third year equine medicine students at UT with seven thousand dollars each. A tough ending, and a generous legacy that will fund hands and minds for horses yet to come. If you want to follow or support, visit Katie’s Instagram and TikTok at @katievanslyke. People.com
Holding space for the whole circle of care
Seven’s loss is not only hard on Katie and her family. It is felt by the caregivers at her ranch, the farriers and friends who cheered him on, the thousands of followers who rooted for every small win, and the veterinarians and technicians at UT who invested months of skilled, tender care. Moments like this are a reminder that grief travels through the whole circle of care. It is also a good time to talk briefly about veterinary wellbeing and how we can support the people who care for our animals.
A brief note on veterinary wellbeing
Multiple studies show veterinarians have a higher risk of suicide than the general population. In long running U.S. data, male veterinarians were about twice as likely and female veterinarians about three and a half times as likely to die by suicide compared with the public. Contributing factors include moral stress around euthanasia, frequent exposure to grief, client financial limits, long hours, perfectionism, and access to lethal drugs used in practice. Burnout and high debt loads also weigh on teams. None of this takes away from the meaning of the work, but it explains why the load can feel heavy and why community support matters. AVMACDCPMCPubMed
How we can be kinder clients?
Here are simple, real world ways owners can support the people who care for our animals.
Respect time and boundaries. Arrive on time, use after hours lines only for true emergencies, and understand that urgent care may be the best alternative for emergent situations.
Be transparent about budgets. Ask for a range of options and estimates early. Consider pet insurance to reduce money stress during crises.
Assume good intent. Your veterinary team is on your animal’s side. Avoid online pile ons and instead address concerns directly and calmly.
Say thank you. Kind emails, handwritten notes, and honest positive reviews matter more than you think.
Learn before the storm. Ask your vet about emergency plans, pain signs, and aftercare while everyone is calm, not only during panic.
Share resources. If someone in your circle is struggling, point them to Not One More Vet for support and education. Not One More Vet
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline right away. Help is available 24 hours a day.
My favorite vet with her two best boys. Dr Payton Wise, Trophy Club Animal Hospital.
Seven’s journey showed what skill and compassion can do. Thank you to Katie for teaching while she loved him, and to the UT team for thinking, building, and caring at the highest level. The best way we can honor that work is to treat our veterinary teams with patience, kindness, and respect.