The foal was bottle fed for a couple of days, then, through the heavy horse world grapevine, word of the predicament had been spread and a warm-blood mare, who had had her foal put down, was located and brought to the farm. She immediately adopted the orphan who suckled enthusiastically but, sadly, after another couple of days, the foal seemed to weaken and did not recover. She died last week.
But that is not the end of the whole episode. Apparently, when my brother and the vet went to put Candy, the mare, out of her misery, they decided to give her till the morning to see how she was as she had deteriorated no farther. In the morning my brother really expected her to be lying dead.........but no!.....the discharge from her nostrils had ceased and she seemed marginally better. So she had a reprieve. Last night we saw her far over the field, not looking exactly in the pink but raising her head when she heard a noise and she is eating, albeit not voraciously,and moving about, and seems to be slowly gaining strength. The vets are puzzled as the symptoms were very similar to that of the dreaded grass sickness, but not exactly so.
Here's hoping she keeps on improving.
2 comments:
There is much sadness when rearing animals but also great joy. We, as farmers and ranchers, have to accept them both to keep going.
Terribly sad story, but will keep everything crossed that the mare can recover.
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