A Southern Colorado world champion horse needs life-or-death surgery

FALCON, Colo. (KRDO)- A horse that's won several world champion barrel races was diagnosed with severe arthritis and needs emergency surgery.

KRDO13 talked with Kendall Halberg she's the owner of Fancy. Halberg said that seeing her beloved horse in this condition is heartbreaking. She's doing side jobs to raise money for the surgery that will cost $17,000.

Halberg and her horse Fancy have been inseparable since day one; together they've won several competitions.

"Her mother's name was Ruby, and Ruby died giving birth to her. So she died two weeks after she was born. So I had a bottle to feed her as a baby," said Halberg. "She is a two-time world champion, three-time world champion barrel racer."

Last November, Fancy was diagnosed with severe arthritis. Now, it's making it a lot harder for her to walk.

"Sometimes she's limped around with three legs because she can't put pressure on her left leg at all. So she's putting all of her weight on her right leg. So they're going to put some sort of a splint in there to help her balance better, to take out all of the bone spurs in her kneecap," said Halberg.

Halberg said she goes through so many emotions every single day seeing her horse in so much pain. 

"I will just start crying emotionally every single night because I don't want to have to make the hard decision for her because I don't want her to be in pain every day, to have to put her to sleep," said Halberg.

Halberg hopes that Fancy can get her surgery by the end of the summer, otherwise she'll be forced to put Fancy down. 

She's also created an online fundraiser to help raise money for the surgery.