We will never forget this day! Diamond’s rescue day, two days after he ripped his own hoof off, in a cattleguard.

It was the first time we were faced with such a difficult decision: Do you let them suffer, because they are wild?

Diamond’s chances of ever walking again were very small, but he was Diamond, the horse credited with saving his entire herd, by whinnying into the news cameras so adorably when the Salt River Herd’s future was at stake.

So euthanasia was out of the question- at least until we knew more about his chances.
He was a year and a half old and it was the first time we tested our human round pen concept (with humans serving as panels). We’ve used it with every rescue from the wild, ever since.

We had to stay with Diamond on the beach the entire night because the vet couldn’t make it until the next day. It was the first time we asked this much from our volunteer force, which was fairly small at the time. It was a very bonding experience with Diamond as well as with our volunteers, most of whom are still with us today.

It was also the first time we dart-sedated a horse and the first time we asked the public to help us. When we finally got to the veterinarian the next day; it was the first time we defied veterinary advice. Our answer to euthanasia was simply no.

There was not a veterinarian who believed Diamond would grow a whole new hoof from the bloody stump it was, but we believed, because we’ve watched wild horses heal for many, many years.

Diamond, son of Shadowfax and Sapphire, grew a whole new hoof. It was a long road of casts and boots and treatment, of course, and it’s also not a perfect hoof because he still has half a coffin bone. It requires a lot of specialized glue-on soft shoes, but he grew back a natural hoof.

It was not the first time we were right because there was Rosco and Pacman before him.

But it was the first time the concept of humane management started making sense to a lot of people.

“Just because they are wild, it doesn’t mean you let them suffer”

SRWHMG. #managethemhumanely

Diamond lives happily ever after at our Prescott facility with his buddies Rosco and Pacman. For the first time, you can now subscribe to our Facebook page, for just $1.99. It means you’ll see our posts first, and it means you’ll help us manage wild horses humanely!

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Thank you!