I am back after over a year's hiatus from writing in this blog. I have had an amazing blessing come into my life, which must be shared. I am the proud Mama of a 1 month old baby Wild Horse! It was all part of a chain of synchronicities that made it clear the Wildies were calling me. About 2 months ago I was setting up a presentation with Dr. Claudia Lotzke on the Wild Horses of Alberta. She suggested I have a look at the blog for the Wild Horses of Alberta Society. When I saw some of the photos on the site I was shocked at how much they looked like my now 3 year old colt, Juno. I wrote to Bob Henderson, the director, and sent him photos. Based on this he was quite certain Juno was a captured wildie. (Check back for Juno's story).
I was so excited about this that I arranged to go see Wild Horses with Bob west of Sundre on Saturday, May 14. We had an absolutely amazing day, seeing 163 Wild Horses, including many babies and even a wobbly new born. It was such fun seeing some yearlings rolling in a mud hole just as we were calling it a day.
The little foal by the watering hole kept whinnying while the yearlings were mud bathing. I think he really wanted to join them. We also ran into some Highland cattle wandering down the road. They remind me of "muppet" cows.
After having such an amazing day watching the wildies I had no idea it would get even better. The next evening I received a phone call from Vickie Tate, who runs Eagle Feather Riding outside of Calgary. She relayed that a young couple, Johanne and Sebastien, had just stopped at her place with a newborn colt. Apparently they had been returning from a hike in Kananaskis when they spotted a little foal all by himself on a little knoll between Powderface Trail and Elbow Falls. When they got up to him he just collapsed on the ground. A passerby reported that earlier that day they had seen him trying to nurse from a mare, but she was kicking at him. Whether it was his Mom rejecting him (? 1st time Mom) or something happened to his Mom and it was another mare in his herd we will never know. They helped him get a drink of water and tried getting help for him. No one, including Fish & Wildlife, the RCMP, 911 and a Sheriff they flagged down, would help them, so they loaded him into the backseat of their truck and Johanne sat with him.
After stopping at Eagle Feather they took the little colt home. I then came with Daria and Mike to pick him up and take him to Moore & Company. Blood work showed that he had no measurable immunoglobulin, indicating he had not received any colostrum. This is apparently associated with a 70% mortality rate. I made the decision to give him 1 bag of plasma (at over $560/bag) after WHOAS offered to cover some of the bill. He was placed on antibiotics and I took him home. We bonded in the stock trailer which seemed to have no shocks, cuddling underneath 2 horse blankets and bouncing into the air with every bump in the road. We arrived home at 3:00 am. I slept with him that night. He didn't awaken until 3 hours later when he wanted more milk.
