EMERGENCY BUCKET FUND: ANOTHER ONGOING RESCUE OF A DOWNED, COMPLETELY WILD, NEVADA RANGE HORSE! PLEASE HELP THEM HELP HIM (and others)!






*I AM SADDENED TO SAY THAT THIS YOUNG HORSE DID NOT SURVIVE.  THEY SUSPECT WEST NILE VIRUS.   THE BUCKET FUND IS ACTUALLY FOR A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT – AN “A FRAME” THAT HELPS ERECT DOWNED HORSES.   I WAS DEMONSTRATING HOW WELL THIS TEAM WORKED VIA THIS DOCUMENTED RESCUE (therefore adding value to the need for the A-Frame)… AND DID NOT EXPECT HIM TO EXPIRE.  SO SAD.

 

These photos are utterly amazing.  This horse is a very sick, very wild  2 year old Virginia Range mustang stallion. These volunteers and first responders brought all of their large equine rescue gear and got to work.

THINK OF THE RISKS these people took to help this ailing and downed young stallion…  And now LRTC has lost a key piece of equipment – An “A-Frame” that helps stand up a downed horse.




  If you receive this post via email, click here to donate!

All photos courtesy of Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates

HIS STORY

ADDENDUM:  THIS COLT PASSED.  I’M VERY SORRY TO REPORT.  THEY ARE WAITING FOR TESTS BUT IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN WEST NILE VIRUS.

This 2 year old stallion is well known to the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates.  They know this colt’s mother, father and all of his aunties/uncles/brothers/sisters.  They watched him grow.

So it was very difficult to see him sick and down.

The day before he was sore and his legs swollen.  The next morning, he was worse.  In no way would they let this compromised horse, one of their charges, become a predator meal…

So they jumped into action and called in the large equine response team (LRTC) to pick up this sick, wild horse.

Imagine.

The entire stallion band is standing there… yet these BRAVE humans came in to help this horse.  Not an easy task… HOW do you load a sick, wild horse whose buddies don’t want him to go?

Our friends at LRTC aided and documented this rescue.

Aunt Lilly and the others come up to talk to him and stay until the trucks arrived.

The first team meeting where the team leaders gives instruction, job descriptions and safety reminders.

Comments from Willis Lamm “Veterinarian Bruce Hartzell and Cindy, his wife / assistant assess the horse’s motor function (or lack thereof.) Everyone else remains clear of the hot zone at this point.”

Team leader Willis Lamm joins in to put together a plan as the colt lies quietly.
from Willis Lamm “We are still carefully managing the energy around the horse and also letting the horse get used to our presence. His “reactivity bubble” is starting to decrease, although he still is protective of his personal space.”

A sedative is applied to keep him quiet and stop him from hurting himself or the volunteers.
From Willis Lamm “the wild ones often need follow-up sedation before packaging as their adrenaline drive is pretty strong.”

Cindy holds his head as he is prepared to be loaded in the trailer.
From Willis Lamm “Head management is important, even while sedated, and can sometimes be challenging, hard work.”

The young stallions band stands back and watches the activity as the emergency team prepares him for transport. We know this band and were comfortable with their presence. But the rescue team were unsure of Blue and what to expect. We were asked to keep an eye on him. One of these mares is the Mother.

Blue watches… anxious why his son is down.

From Willis Lamm: A good one showing the process of hobbling the horse. Note the tethering of the responder (me in this case) reaching over the horse. This guy was uncoordinated but he could still strike so we use long tools and make sure the “horse person” can’t slip over the horse into the “kill zone” if the horse makes a sudden move.

From Willis Lamm Rolling the horse over onto the Rescue Glide. There is actually webbing attached to the hobble set so those pulling are out of reach of the hooves. The head was managed by Bruce the vet, and while difficult to see, is controlled via the recovery strap. Once rolled over the head was again held down.”
The horse has been down for several hours. Rolling takes pressure off the internal organs and helps circulation.

From Willis Lamm On the Rescue Glide, Z-rig haul line attached and making a final check. We should have moved the slip sheet farther away since we didn’t end up using it and those things are slippery. (Note: The Horse and Man Group donated the slide previously.)

From Willis Lamm “Readjusting hobble position in preparation for drawing the legs onto the glide. (Bruce should have been tethered but I do “have his back” from a low, buttressed position.)”

Loading him up to transport
From Willis Lamm “Use of the lightweight aluminum folding ramps. These things make loading so much easier. 3 people on the haul line were able to easily pull the horse inside.”

Loaded and nearly ready to go. The volunteers put away the equipment.
from Willis Lamm “Final check before starting down a pretty rough dirt road – glorified Jeep trail actually. This is a good illustration as to how the ramps fold up for compact storage.”

The straps are being removed.
from Willis Lamm ” Carefully removing restraints in a logical order so the horse wouldn’t try to get free while still partially secured.”

Rescued and awaiting a diagnosis and treatment.  It is suspected West Nile Virus.

CAN WE HELP this Team purchase the piece of equipment to continue to rescue large animals?  This young stallion, Baby Milan from last month and numerous other wild and personal horses have been saved by the LRTC Team.

Can we help them continue to help others?  CAN WE HELP them replace the very important piece of equipment that has broken?

All donations are 100% tax deductible.  THANK YOU in advance!



  If you receive this post via email, click here to donate!

West Nile is suspected… He is eating and drinking.

EVERY DONATION COUNTS!

Click here to visit sales page! All jewelry sold benefits the Drop in the Bucket Fund. To follow us on our beautiful FB page, click here! fb-icon

FEATURED 9:   STARFISH BLUE necklace! So fun! Only $40!

Czech glass beads in azure tones – a real Boho-beachy feel to this one! Bronze patina starfish at crystal closure. A great pop of color with jeans or dressed up. Wear front to back or back to front. 20″.
To purchase, click here!

Featured 5: Turquoise, Gemstones with Sterling Cowskull necklace! So much going on for only $68!

Lovely alone or layered, can be doubled. Gorgeous turquoise, turquoise heishi beads, jasper beads and handmade sterling beads with Sterling cowskull pendant (1″). Chrysoprase chunk bead at closure. Necklace 30″.

To purchase, click here!

FEATURED 10:  LUSCIOUS MEGA-WRAP necklace/bracelet! So much beading and only $147!
This is the necklace so many of you have requested. You can leave it long, wrap it, triple it… wear back to front, front to back – wear it any way you like! Czech glass white and cream pearl beads, opaque, white turquoise nuggets, silver and bronze, silver wrapped in crystal, antique African trading beads, amber beads… with a handmade sterling silver flower charm at crystal closure. 66″!!!
To purchase, click here!

 





HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth... if you like this, please pass it around!



2 comments have been posted...

  1. dawndi Post author

    Yes. I understand and am saddened. I removed the post from FB.
    However, the fundraising was actually for an A-Frame that they need to erect
    downed horses like the one in the story. They think it was West Nile. So sad.
    I will re-write the Bucket Fund focusing on the piece of equipment –

  2. Marge

    This was just posted to my facebook page; The Rescue groups could probably still use fundraising, but the article update says this horse has died.

Post a comment!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *