Small enough to fit in SUV

The following documents are copies of emails I sent out to some of our WHOAS members about this precious little foal we rescued this past Saturday night. 

Some of the names of those involved have been omitted or just mentioned by first name for privacy reasons.

July 3^rd, 2010. 

Hi Everyone

It has been a busy week for wild foals in trouble.  We got a call from Kathy Bartley of the Bear Valley Rescue Centre stating that some people found a very young wild foal with badly swollen back legs.  They didn’t want to see the baby get torn apart by wolves and so they phoned Kathy to see if they could help.  As WHOAS is more experienced with wild horse rescue and knows the area, Kathy phoned us, but offered to come out and help too. Bob had to wait until after work but in the meanwhile I cleaned the SUV, and put a tarp and blanket in the back, along with a lariat, foal halter and several lead shanks. 

We drove out West and Bob and I found the camp of the three people who reported finding this lame foal.  Henry drove us to the location and we decided then and there that the foal didn’t stand any chance of survival in that clear-cut debris.  The filly could only pivot on her front legs, the back legs dangled limp.  There was no chance the foal could get away from a predator as she already had a chunk of flesh taken out of her back.  Bob threw the lariat around her body and quickly grabbed her.  The mare was very upset and would charge towards us.  Henry and I would go towards her and she would stop and snort.  Bob and Henry took the lariat off the foal and took turns carrying her through the immense debris of the clear cut about 200 yards to the SUV. 

Seriously deformed back legs

Trapped in a Clear Cut

Carrying foal to safety

removing the lariet

Watching for Mom

Almost there

 Once at the vehicle I draped a blanket over the foal and Bob lifted her into the vehicle and put a lead shank around her back end so she could not attempt to stand.  The mare tried charging a few more times, but the stallion went after her and chased her back. He knew we were trying to help the foal.  We slowly made our way back to Olds and called a Vet Clinic on my cell and the Dr. met us there at the clinic in Olds. The Dr. said her prognosis wasn’t good, as he had never seen the degree of swelling to her legs in any other foal.  She has pneumonia, and an infection raging through her tiny legs and system.  He recommended euthanasia, but at our request, he gave her some cortisone and an anti-biotic and some instructions on how to give future needles.  Bob has plenty of experience giving injections to animals however, thank goodness, as I don’t know if I could do it.  I tend to be a fainter when I get them personally.  In any event, we got home and transferred the filly into the stock trailer and then Bob got some supplies of Browns Milk Replacer, a bottle and a few rubber nipples.  So far so good, she has had a few bottles now.  I spent the night in the camper next to the horse trailer with the windows open listening for her.  She would bang around a bit and whinny and I would call back to her.  It was a bit of a sleepless night listening to vehicles and drunks carousing the streets.   I must admit I wasn’t brave enough to leave the camper, even with my dogs just behind the fence ready to protect me.  At first light however, I braved the streets in my PJ’s and went and warmed a bottle for a very hungry girl.  Anyways, I must get back outside and check on her and pull some more green grass for her to munch on.  

Resting comfortably

Ginger is taking to us humans and she loves to be touched.  I was rubbing her neck and stopped and so she leaned into me for more.  OMG what a doll, I was choking back the tears.  We will be contacting the SRD to let them know we have her and how this all went down. 

Animal bite perhaps?

Feeding the hungry foal

If you have any advice on bottle feeding and caring for very sick foals, it would be greatly appreciated

Eating some tasty grass

Please keep Ginger in your prayers.  She is going to need all the help she can get.  I don’t know if she is going to make it, but I put in a special request to the Man Upstairs. 

  Thanks, and hope to hear from you soon.  Doreen and Bob 

 Second Email

Sunday, July 4^th, 2010

Ginger has been with us now for over twenty-eight hours.  She is putting weight on all four feet however, naturally not very steady.  Our Internet research shows her condition is quite treatable.  Her temperature was normal today compared to 103 yesterday.  Tonight she pounded back two cups of milk out of a bowl.  She drinks much more this way than with a bottle and is much happier about it.  We have rigged up a heat lamp in the trailer and I covered the front end of the trailer with tarps.  Drafts will still be able to blow in but the heat lamp should counter that quite a bit.  It is miserably wet and rainy here.  Tonight she followed Bob around bunting him for food and chewed my sleeve when I ran out of milk so Bob had to hurry and get more.  This is a very good sign that our little Diva is demanding her food now.  She also likes electrolytes and drinks lots of that from a bowl.  Ginger even sat on my lap today, I had been holding up her back end while Bob was giving her a drink and she and I both got tired and so I crouched down and the next thing you know she was sitting on my lap, quite contented.  Never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have a horse sit on my lap and live to tell about it.  lol…

I have put ice on her swollen hocks a few times today, so I think all this is working along with the meds.  So thanks everybody and please keep those prayers and positive energy coming.  Doreen

Ginger in a sling for support

Ginger enjoying the sunshine

Third Email

 July 5^th, 2010

 Just to let you know we had another Vet come and checked her out today.  He diagnosed her with joint ill in three legs and a naval infection.  The naval infection was likely the cause of the swelling and fluid build up in her legs.  Judging by her naval condition the Dr. determined that she was 10 days old.  Ginger didn’t get enough colostrum so her bowel was impacted too.  She would have most likely been very crippled even if he drained all her legs of the massive fluid build up, as her legs would remain extremely deformed.  Ginger was put to sleep a few minutes ago.  Bob has gone to return her to her home and bury her where he initially found her.  Due to other obligations I will not be going with him.  However, Bob said he will mark her grave with a wreath or something and I will go and see where she lies in a few days, anyone who wants to join us feel free to do so, we could use the support.  Talk to you later.  Doreen

Posted by Doreen on Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 10:17 pm.