Kitty Silverwings
by Patti Ansuini

In the wee hours of the morning on March 27, 1993 an Appaloosa filly was born on a small ranch in northeastern Morgan Hill.  This particular filly had three perfectly good legs and the fourth was hopelessly paralyzed from the shoulder down. Her breastbone was twisted off to the left and when she tried to stand it was an incredible struggle but in a very short time she became pretty adept at rising to nurse.  The vets were called in immediately and videotapes were sent off to experts in the south.  The wait was a short one for the replies.

The southern experts felt that the filly would not survive; it was the general consensus that she would probably be dead by the following Sunday.  Our local Vets felt that she would probably tire and eventually lie down too exhausted to keep nursing, after all they reasoned, getting around on four wobbly legs is tough enough and three would seem to be an impossibility.

After a week the Filly continued to baffle the experts by running and bucking in the paddock that she and her Dam had been turned out in.  What a marvel to watch a mini bronc with only three good legs.  During the second week of the filly's life the entire elbow area of the crippled leg abscessed.  Again the experts contended that, "this was a true miracle, the filly by all rights should have never been born with a condition like this.  Normally foals with physical defects of this magnitude would be stillborn or would have been aborted by the mare.

In record time the abscess healed and feeling started to come into the filly's leg.  Four weeks after her birth the filly could actually push the 'dead leg' out in front of herself when standing.

The resident Vets visited often and marveled at the Filly's tenacity but still felt that because no muscle had yet developed over the shoulder (scapula area), it would be impossible to expect muscle to build or regenerate itself after birth.  This lack of muscle would always be a physical defect for the rest of the filly's life.  According to the experts, she would have limited usage possibilities. Perhaps, over time she might gain enough strength to be used as a broodmare.

As time went on the Filly did regenerate the missing muscle tissue and at the age of three was entered in her first horse show.  Shown in a Western Pleasure open class at an all breed, all ages show in Southern California, her very first performance produced a first place win.  Incredible?  Not for a courageous Appaloosa filly with invisible Silverwings.

Kitty definitely left her mark on the show horse world. From 1996-1998 Kitty earned 8 California State championship titles for her performances in both the western and English divisions of the Appaloosa breed show world. She also earned California State Championship titles in the open all-breed shows where she competed and won against virtually every other breed.

In 1998 Kitty qualified for and was exhibited at the ApHC World show in Fort Worth, Texas. Kitty came away with a top ten world title. She has also earned ROM's from the Appaloosa Horse Club, the International breed registry, for her outstanding record of wins in the performance divisions of Western & English pleasure.

Upon hearing the story of Kitty Silverwings, the city of Morgan Hill, California, designated a new street being added to city map as Silverwings Court, in honor of their miraculous equine resident.

In 2003, Kitty received another highly prestigious honor when she was presented three feathers, the ancestral symbol of the war horse, by the tribal chair of the Carrizo-Comecrudo Nation of Texas, in honor and respect for her war horse spirit and courage.