Wild Horse DRAMA!

Here's how it unfolded...

On Thursday, I went up in the hills to take a brisk walk and try out my newly repaired camera - the one that pooped out before Christmas

But mostly to try out my newly repaired camera

After a while, I noticed some of the horses were concerned about something, and had started to move in the direction of their curiosity, but I didn't see anything, and couldn't figure out what was bothering them.

Then, from the opposite direction, a truck full of hay arrived and they were distracted.

But still concerned

Eventually however, their stomachs won them over

But not without hesitating a few times first

I wouldn't mess with my favorite if I were you

They all gathered around the truck and patiently waited while the hay was unloaded. They seem to be very calm and non-violent when they're around the hay truck

A member of The Hidden Vally Horse Association gets friendly while feeding the horses

On their way out, going the opposite direction of the way they came in, the people from the HVWHA spotted what the horses were so concerned about - a horse was down. I went to investigate, thinking maybe it was giving birth

But it wasn't. It was a sick and dying pony, the one I wanted to take home to give a hot bath and cuddle up with back in this post

The two ladies knew all about her and had named her Kylie. She was born in September and has been suffering with an eye infection all winter, and her stomach was extremely bloated.

Kylie seemed to be dying a slow death, but would somehow muster the strength to stand up and walk a few feet at a time before collapsing again

She would collapse wherever she was - even right on top of the brush

But then she would rally and find the strength get up on her feet again

Only to collapse a few yards away, where she would be comforted

These nice horse loving ladies (and there was a gentleman with them too) began directing her toward the herd, in hopes of finding her mother who could nurse her.

But her mother wasn't around - the ladies knew exactly which horse to look for.

In the meantime, between all the stopping and starting, lots of phone calls were made to different veterinarians and government agencies. Taking care of sick wild horses is a convoluted process because they are federally protected. Not just any vet can help out, or even legally put one down. The fear was that she would be eaten alive by coyotes before the right person arrived.

And this was how things stood when I left the scene - thinking she would be coyote dinner, whether she was put down or not, because legally, when one dies, it must be left out for food.

BUT, a miracle happened, in form of a government horse whisperer, who whispered her two enemas and various other miraculous whispers, which snatched her right out of the jaws of death (and coyotes). Also, her good for nothing CPS mother came back (they say her mother is not a very good mother), bearing mother's milk, and according to Bill, from The Hidden Valley Wild Horse Association whose number I took down before I left, she's on the mend and seems to be doing well!

The end :)

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p.s. Ella made her school's volleyball team and the Sacajawea video she and her friends made for their history project has been selected to go to state finals! Yay Ella :)