Saving Foal

[GreatPyrenees]

So I'm on the back roads and im pulling. New horse trailer that I just bought. And I pass this horse and foal laying in the grass I pull my truck to the side and see what's going on (cause they like to sleep but a horse sleeping kind of consened me) so I went through the fence and what I saw horrified me. The mare was skin and bones as well as the baby. The first thing I did was call the police who then told me that the people who lived there moved out few months ago. So I decided that I would load up the pair and take them back to nurse them back to health. I grab a halter from my truck and put it on the mare she gets up hardly and eventruly get in the trailer with her foal. I drive them home and call the vet she gives me drugs for them and instructions. But honestly I have no idea how to take care of a weanling. I have only taken care of Yealings. I'm questing Shes a weanling cause she so small and the vet estimated 7-8 months.

Please Please Help

Thanks

 

[chickendreams24]

I'm sorry I don't have enough experience with horses to help but I'll be praying for you all and keeping an eye on this thread. Thank you for saving them even if they end up not making it they know someone cares.

 

[dainerra]

first, be careful that you don't get arrested. Sadly, it's still theft of property. And, since no one came out to get pictures of the horses in the field, it's likely that you've taken away a huge chance at getting these people prosecuted. So call Animal Control and the police back and have them get to your place ASAP to file paperwork.

They may let you foster them until they are healthy or they may take them into custody to nurse them back to health. Either way, get the authorities involved before YOU are the one in trouble and they get off scott free.

 

[Talithahorse]

My minimal experience with weanlings is that they are not much different from yearlings if you get a good starter feed (the best that you can afford right now). They do better if you can break their feedings up to 3-4 times a day vs 2. For a horse that is run down you will want to give them as many small meals as your schedule will allow. 4-5 would be ideal. Small at first, maybe just a handful and slowly build. The best thing in the world that I have used with rescue horses is Red Cell. It is an iron based supplement and it really builds them up. I have also had great luck using a senior feed to begin with as it is predigested and a rundown horse will absorb more of the nutrients. Good quality hay (I would wait on alph alpha for a while) but if you can find one with fine soft stems that would be best. Start slow but then give them free range on the hay so they can eat it when they want and as much as they want. With the weanling you may consider getting a powdered mares milk and sprinkling a little in his food. Plenty of fresh water and patience. The best food I have found has been Triple Crown / Legends but others are good too. Once rescued a draft horse (twice but that is a longer story) The second time he was so run down we couldn't bring him home for two months because we didn't think he would survived the 10 hour trip. We put 700lbs on him using Senior feed, red cell and great hay.

Sadly Dainerra is right but often times the laws are loose. I had a stallion (yes stallion) just show up on my property and after staying in my front yard to two weeks (the grass was good) I called the authorities who prompted me to just put him in my field (with mares, REALLY? He wasn't that good looking,LOL). I put him in a stall with a paddock and called to find out the laws. In Alabama an animal is considered abandoned at 30 days. I could have had the authorities haul him to auction after keeping him for 30 days or he became my responsibility. I was required to post pictures up at a minimal of 3 locations and put an ad in the paper. I did so and after 30 days I told him that if his owner didn't claim him he could run away or become a gelding. I gelded him and then gave him away. Check your local laws, and follow them. It is very unlikely that they will be prosecuted and you likely have kept them from dying.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Stacykins]

first, be careful that you don't get arrested. Sadly, it's still theft of property. And, since no one came out to get pictures of the horses in the field, it's likely that you've taken away a huge chance at getting these people prosecuted. So call Animal Control and the police back and have them get to your place ASAP to file paperwork.

They may let you foster them until they are healthy or they may take them into custody to nurse them back to health. Either way, get the authorities involved before YOU are the one in trouble and they get off scott free.

This. You will be arrested for horse theft if you do not involve the authorities NOW. Just taking a horse, even one that is the victim of severe neglect, will get you in hot water when the owners raise a fuss.

 

[naturalfeddogs]

Did the cop you called originally tell you you could take the horses with you?

 

[GreatPyrenees]

Yes when I called the police they said for me to take them with me and animal control showed up to take pictures and such. We are going to court Monday to press charges on the owners. But yes I did get the police and animal control in this mess. So thank you for all the help and I will post poctures of them and how they are doing.

 

[GreatPyrenees]

Yes he did and so did ani

Did the cop you called originally tell you you could take the horses with you? 

mal control

 

[Bunnylady]

You called the police, you called in a vet; I am going to assume that the authorities are aware that you now have the horses.

Refeeding a starved horse is a tricky business. You have to get the digestive system ready to handle food before you can really feed it, otherwise, the animal can crash from an overload of nutrients. You need to start with very small quantities, literally handfuls, and gradually increase until you're feeding a little more than you would normally give a horse of that size but of normal weight. You need to go slowly; good quality grass hay will do them a ton of good. Talithahorse pretty much covered it; they will start showing improvement within a week or two, but it may be months before they are up to their proper weight. It's a shame that the youngster had this happen to him; it may impact his usefulness for the rest of his life.

Ownership and responsibility for these horses may be difficult to sort out; it's even possible that the former residents aren't the ones that left the horses there. Kudos to you for caring enough to get involved; hoping that you do what is necessary to keep yourself in the clear; there's a deep satisfaction in seeing a rescued animal grow healthy and strong due to your care.

ETA - Oops, I see you have posted that you have the OK . . . That will teach me to leave my phone on a thread.

 

[naturalfeddogs]

Yes when I called the police they said for me to take them with me and animal control showed up to take pictures and such. We are going to court Monday to press charges on the owners. But yes I did get the police and animal control in this mess. So thank you for all the help and I will post poctures of them and how they are doing.

Good! Let us know how it goes!