Archive for category: News

One of the most common questions we get from property owners is “what can I plant that is safe for the horses?”

The simple answer is – go native! Native plants are always the best choice for our fragile environment. The North Carolina Native Plant Society has a wonderful resource for this: https://ncwildflower.org/recommended-native-species/ By planting native species you are helping our local wildlife, from deer and horses to pollinators like bees and bats. Native plants are also more guaranteed to thrive in the harsh conditions on the Outer Banks, and help with soil conservation and ground water management.

If you’d like to go a step further and make sure that your yard is horse-friendly, here is a list of native plants you might find in our area that are dangerous to horses: https://onslow.ces.ncsu.edu/2018/05/plants-weeds-toxic-to-horses/ Note that not all of them are deadly, and many of them grow naturally anyway but aren’t really a threat to horses since they rarely eat them. The one native tree that we ask people to avoid planting is red maple – we have lost horses to red maple poisoning in the past. 

One thing to always avoid – oleander. There is oleander all over the Outer Banks, but it is not native and it is highly toxic to both animals and people. There are lots of native shrubs that grow just as well here that aren’t harmful!

As for grass, you can’t go wrong with a local pasture mix. At the farm on the mainland we’ve had good luck with Kentucky 31; it grows well, is hardy, and safe for the horses. Make sure the seed you get is endophyte-free. Tall fescue grass can be infected by an endophyte fungus that is highly toxic and will cause pregnant mares to abort. Ryegrass is ok for horses in moderation but it does contain high levels of sugar and can cause health issues in horses predisposed to laminitis and metabolic issues. Clover can cause a condition called slobbers (excessive drooling) and is also high in sugar and protein; we’ve found that the wild horses don’t really like it that much anyway. Keep in mind that while this grass is generally safe for the horses, not all of it is native to our environment. 

Thank you for helping us make sure the horses stay safe, and continue to thrive in their habitat!

Thanks to everyone who has reached out over the last couple days to check in on June! She continues to do well – our vet is very pleased with how well she’s healing.

Today was a big day because June decided to voluntarily come inside her stall! It was a major show of trust and comfort on her part. We’re so glad she feels safe with us now. She also got to take a little walk around the farm this afternoon to stretch her legs and eat some grass. That will be a daily occurrence for her now – she was so well behaved and really enjoyed it. She’s started to become affectionate with us and seeks out attention, and she REALLY loves meal times.

She got her last dose of the pythium vaccine this week, and will be on antibiotics for a bit longer but overall she simply could not be doing any better! To say we are thrilled is an understatement. All the photos in this post were taken today.

We have some devastating news to share this morning. Late last night we made the difficult decision to euthanize 6-week-old filly Ceres due to a very severe case of pythiosis. She was in the same harem as June, the mare who is currently at NC State being treated for the same infection.

Ceres was seen by one of our staff on Saturday, September 10 with no visible wounds and was behaving normally. The following Monday, September 12 at around 8am, staff saw her again and a lesion had developed on top of the coronary band of her right front hoof. We immediately contacted our vet, who confirmed that it was most likely pythiosis, and we spent the entire day coordinating between ourselves and the vets at NC State to come up with the best plan of action. Since Ceres was so young, there were additional challenges that we don’t face with adult horses that require extra planning and logistics. We came up with a plan for capturing her and the hospital in Raleigh was prepared to admit her as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, after Monday the horses disappeared and despite hours and hours of exhaustive searching, we were unable to find them. Finally, this Tuesday one of our staff noticed what looked like foal hoofprints going into some very thick brush where there are no roads. She got out and walked as far as she could and was able to see the horses in the distance. Ceres was up and moving around, so we knew she was still alive and able to walk. We couldn’t get to them, but at least we knew what area to focus on. Then yesterday, the group came out of the deep woods and luck was on our side as we were able to get them all trapped under a house. Under the advisement of our vet, our herd manager sedated Ceres and we were able to safely move the adult horses out from under the house and then get Ceres onto the horse trailer and back to the rescue farm. Our vet met us there around 9pm to examine her and do x-rays.

The damage to Ceres’ hoof and the bones in her lower leg was irreparable. The infection had set into the bone and her hoof was sloughing off. She was in a great deal of pain and while on one hand it is always difficult to make the decision to euthanize, in a case like this we knew there was no other choice and that it was the right thing to do – beyond the shadow of a doubt. Ceres was laid to rest late last night next to the mares’ pasture, so that she’ll always have her aunts looking over her.

The rest of the harem is doing fine this morning. Ceres’ mother called for her during the night, but as of right now they have all settled down and are grazing quietly.

In anticipation of questions we will surely get:
Why did it progress so quickly with Ceres, while June is recovering and responding so well to treatment? Ceres was only a little over a month old when she contracted the infection. Her immune system was basically non-existent, just like with babies of any species. Foals are remarkably tough in some ways, but incredibly fragile in others.

Is pythiosis contagious? Could she have passed it on to her mom or the other horses? No. It cannot transfer between horses, or from horses to humans. There is no risk of the horses passing it on to each other, even with direct contact to the lesion.

Why is this happening? Where does the pythiosis come from? How do the horses get it? Pythiosis is a fungus that grows on decaying plant matter in water. When we don’t get solid freezes in the winter, bacteria, fungus, and other pathogens can grow rampantly. Unsettled weather patterns (flooding rain immediately followed by months of excessive heat) exacerbate the problem. It enters into the body through an open cut – something as small as a pinprick could lead to the infection. The horses’ habitat is primarily marshy, swampy, wet terrain. There is no feasible way to test for pythiosis and isolate areas where it is present, and there is no way to remove it from the environment. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a very cold winter.

So what can we do? First and foremost, property owners need to make sure there is nothing in their yards that the horses can get tangled in that causes cuts and abrasions to their lower legs. Wire, sand fencing, ropes, other garbage – please, please clean it up. We are seeing an increase in the amount of poorly constructed, unsafe fencing in the area where June and Ceres lived. The horses get caught up in it, walk through contaminated water, and then end up with the infection. If you want to enclose your property, build a solid fence. High-tensile wire can be a death trap. Help us keep an eye on the horses by looking at bellies and lower legs. If you notice a wound, let us know. We are monitoring horses in affected areas very, very closely and the more eyes, the better.

If you’re wondering why it was so difficult for us to locate the horses once they disappeared, this post will help you better understand their habitat: https://www.facebook.com/corollaw…/posts/10160021432653330

There is a lot more that could be said about the disease, management, treatment, and future research, but hopefully that helps answer some common questions. We have an amazing team of vets who have gone above and beyond to support us as we navigate this, and we continue to learn from each and every case. We are grateful for your continued support as well, and appreciate everyone understanding that right now our staff is grieving and heartbroken and may not be able to respond to every comment and question right away but we will do our best.

Media outlets: Photos and information from this post can be shared, credit to CWHF. At this point we have no further comment beyond the information provided in this post.

There are photos of Ceres’ wound in the comments of this post. Please be advised that they are graphic, but it’s important to us that people see the severity of what we are dealing with and also know what to look for in other horses.

On Wednesday August 31, we got a call from a visitor that June, a 12 year old mare, had a cut on the bottom of her leg near the top of her hoof. After checking it out, we put out word to everyone to keep an eye on her but it wasn’t an emergency situation at that point. However, by Friday the wound had grown and there were indications of underlying infection. The vet was consulted and we decided to continue monitoring her closely for the next couple days to see how things progressed, but start making plans for rescue and removal just in case. By Monday, the wound had grown even more and began to look like what we had been afraid of – pythiosis.

On Wednesday of this week, we successfully captured June and took her to our rescue farm on the mainland. Our vet came over that evening to examine her and take x-rays, and then consulted with specialists at NC State University who told us to get her to the hospital in Raleigh the next day. We arrived in Raleigh around 1pm yesterday, and the veterinary team there was waiting for us so they could take June into surgery immediately. Yesterday’s procedure was successful; they were able to remove the lesion and begin treatment for pythiosis. June recovered well and as of late yesterday evening was comfortable in a stall eating hay. She’ll have a bandage change today and we’ll get another update on how things look. She is still in critical condition and has a long road ahead of her, but yesterday was promising. June will likely be in the hospital for several more weeks and will need multiple surgeries to remove infected tissue. We are hoping that between getting her quickly removed for treatment, the fact that the hoof and bone don’t seem to be compromised yet, and the excellent care she is receiving at NC State she has a chance at survival. But we are very much taking things a day at a time and know from past experience that even with the best, most intensive treatment possible things could go downhill very quickly.

In the wild June was part of a harem that many people affectionately referred to as “the blondes.” She spent most of her adult life with Junior, and after we had to rescue Junior last summer when he choked on an apple, she and the other mare in the group, Anne Bonny, ended up with Scar’s harem. June’s sire was Roamer, and we are pretty sure her dam is Blossom, who is still alive and well in the wild. Through all of this, June has been a shining example of what makes the Banker horses so special. She’s been so smart and sensible about everything, taking it all in stride and adapting to her new circumstances with a grace we certainly don’t take for granted coming from a sick, scared wild horse. We didn’t have much time to slowly introduce her to domestic life, but after only about 45 minutes of practicing leading and being touched, we were able to walk her right onto the trailer yesterday morning. When we got to the hospital, she unloaded calmly and walked in like she’d been doing it all her life. The vets remarked that most domestic horses aren’t that well-behaved when coming into a scary place like the hospital. She is a very special mare.

We appreciate any support you can offer June, whether it’s financial, sharing this post, or simply keeping her in your thoughts. If you donate via the button on this post, 100% of your contribution comes directly to CWHF with no fees taken out. You can also donate through our website – https://www.corollawildhorses.com/one-time-donations/ Any donations received that exceed the cost of medical care for June will go towards the general care and wellness of the horses on the rescue farm.

Thank you for helping us give June the best chance possible at recovery. We will continue to update everyone on her condition and appreciate your support through this very difficult time.