Humane wild horse management includes assessing each injury we come across. We monitor injuries until they heal, which they usually do. However, if and when there is needless suffering that won’t end well, and we can do something about it; we will.”
Please consider becoming a sponsor for one or more of the following rescued Salt River wild horses. Your gift makes a real difference in their lives. Thank you!
It was a traumatic rescue on May 20th, 2018, when SRWHMG and 14 firefighters helped pull Felicity (Fynn’s mother) and Iggy out of the AZ canal. We did not know if Felicity would make it because she had inhaled a lot of water (which can cause pneumonia) and had been unconscious for ten minutes afterwards. (Which can cause brain damage in mother as well as foal) Once conscious, she was transported to the SRWHMG and fully rehabilitated. What we did not know at the time was that Felicity was pregnant at the time of her rescue.
We had been monitoring old Batman in his aging and deteriorating condition for some time, but he was hanging in there, and keeping up with his band. We figured he wanted to stay wild and free until the bitter end, that is how old wild horses die, and it’s completely natural. He showed amazing determination to stay with his band and we don’t rescue horses that can keep up with their bands.
This little guy was found all alone as a brand new born, overheated and dehydrated. He was only 33 pounds, half the size of a normal Salt River foal, but he is doing really well. A naming contest between his sponsors deemed the name Gideon to be befitting for him, it means little warrior. He certainly is a little survivor. He is doing really well and has his good friend Snow to grow up with. Please Sponsor Gideon!
Snow was orphaned in the wild at two weeks old. His beautiful mom Snow White died of mesquite colic in July 2018. We then searched for Snow and found him the following day. His band led by two powerful stallions were always protecting him and kept him in their midst. It was heartwarming to see, but we knew that he would slowly perish without his mother’s milk.
Nakota is Cheyenne’s filly. They were rescued together when Cheyenne severed her front fetlock tendon and could no longer walk. Nakota was only a few weeks old at the time. We knew that Cheyenne’s chances were not great but we were able to keep her alive and out of pain for a few very important months for Nakota. We urgently need your help and sponsorhip for Nakota so that she can live happily ever after at our facility.
Agave was rescued when she was 3 weeks old. She was very weak, had a severe sand impaction, and was severely harassed by bachelors, with her mother nowhere to be found. Her recovery was a slow, challenging time with impactions, ulcers and not much appetite, and at times we were not sure she was going to make it. Once Agave was finally feeling better, we paired her up with Nakota (another rescued foal, with a story of her own) They became best friends as foals and continue to be best friends’ toady at our rescue facility.
May 20th, 2018 was a wild and crazy night for SRWHMG rescuing 2 drowning Salt River wild horses from the canal! Even though they are good swimmers, they were drowning from exhaustion in 11ft deep water. Thanks, to SRP and MCSO for alerting us, our vet from AZ Equine for coming out in the middle of the night, and the firefighters from stations 206 and 859 for giving it their all and pulling them out! They hand pulled them up the 15ft high cement edges of the canal.
May 20th, 2018 was a wild and crazy night for SRWHMG rescuing 2 drowning Salt River wild horses from the canal! Even though they are good swimmers, they were drowning from exhaustion in 11ft deep water. Thanks, to SRP and MCSO for alerting us, our vet from AZ Equine for coming out in the middle of the night, and the firefighters from stations 206 and 859 for giving it their all and pulling them out! They hand pulled them up the 15ft high cement edges of the canal.
Red Beauty, once a shiny red roan, after several bouts of colic late last year, he never fully recovered and is now in emaciated condition. While we usually remain hopeful for recovery (since we see incredible healing take place in the wild), it was becoming clear that he was not going to survive this drought and that he was suffering..
On the top of a steep mountain, three month old Mori stood all alone, disoriented and blinded with a fractured skull. We rescued her on Nov 14th 2017. Her rescue from the mountain in the dark was difficult and her prognosis was bleak. She had no sight in either eye, but we did not give up. She has been through 16 days at the hospital, 2 surgeries, 5 weeks of antibiotics, but now, she is healed and gained all of her eyesight back! Mori is spunky, full of life and looking for sponsors!
After two days of patiently feeding Old Lady, we successfully and bait-trapped her, then with pressure and release loaded her safely into our trailer. It took patience, a large team of determined volunteers, as well as good equipment and careful strategy to capture her without any stress. She is now safe, as well as her foal Lolly who is currently at the veterinary hospital. Both mom and baby would have died shortly in the wild. To the herd, the effect is the same, they are no longer part of the herd. To the individual horses the effect is 100% different.
Little Gem, could no longer get up by herself. When she went missing from her band we found her in the nick of time, severely dehydrated and septic. Her right front fetlock joint was severely infected. This is a life-threatening condition and she was going to die in the wild. Since then, (that was August 13th 2017) she has fully healed and can run like the wind. Gem is just like her name suggest, precious.
Rosco would have suffered a slow and cruel death all alone in the field where we found him, because he had been abandoned at birth. The new stallion who had just taken over his band, made his mother abandone him, difficult behavior to watch. The SRWHMG volunteers carefully surrounded him and loaded him on a blanket in an SUV.
Pacman was born a healthy Salt River Wild Horse who lived with his band for about a month, but then something bad happened to him. Pacman was found alone, with 4 injured legs, emaciated and was coming up to people for help. He had many infected puncture wounds and severe pneumonia and a bellybutton infection. The veterinarian recommended euthanasia. Today he is a healthy two year old stallion and loves his life!
On July 31st 2015, a wild horse was born, serendipitously on the same day of the impound notice for the removal of all of the Salt River wild horses. He stole many people’s hearts and at just a few days old, he looked in the cameras, whinnied, and ended up on every News Station. Sadly after the saving of his herd, Diamond needed saving one more time after loosing his hoof in a cattle guard.
April is amazing. She lost her own foal at birth and was very distraught. We found her on the internet and purchased her right afterwords. It took a few days of hard work for her to accept Rosco when he was just a few days old, but once she did, he was her baby. They saved each other. She also let Pacman nurse from her, so that both babies received the love and care and real mare’s milk. April needed hoof care as she was lame and she needed parasite treatment for her ears.
This little Peanut somehow got separated from his band and was wondering around alone in the forest. Young foals do not survive past a couple of hours without their mothers milk. Thanks to the caller who alerted us, we were able to save him.. We waited in the forest with him for 5 hours, (while feeding him milk replacer) in case his mare and his band came back; our field team searched everywhere; but he needed a new family, plus day and night feedings and loving care.He turned out to have a bad and contagious bacterial infection and he is currently on antibiotics and close medical care by our excellent volunteers. His vet bills have added up to $3000 so far.
Orphan foal rescue. The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group announces the loss of the oldest wild mare on the Salt River and the rescue of her 8 week old foal Rosy. The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group keeps track of every wild horse and their family bands, which means they notice when one of them is missing. When the old mare Rosa and her foal were missing from their family band, the volunteers went to search for them. When they found the little baby alone, they knew the mare must have died and the foal needed to be rescued quickly. But the baby was across the river, how would they get her to shore?
The word “wild” does not mean just let them suffer… In other much larger Herd Management Area’s (HMA’s) older wild horses are seen one day and then just disappear the next. It’s the circle of life and the way of the wild. But in our neck of the woods, we can’t exactly say, ok we are going to stop monitoring this old stallion, so that he can just slide into the night and quietly disappear.
