August Happy Tails Rescue

The Non-Rescue

Horses can get themselves into all kinds of trouble on the range. While on a call to check on a limping filly, rescue team volunteers notice a colt with a metal band of some sort stuck around his hind pastern (just above his hoof). They reported it to the Range Management group, Wild Horse Connection, and got approval to try to get it removed. They had a trap corral already assembled but they were at the end of a long, 100-degree day and there was little they could do about it as the horses headed up the hill for the evening. The edges were rolled and not cutting into his leg so they went home to make a plan.

The colt, identified as Lee in the AWHC database, was already known to some of the team members. Just a few days before he had tried to jump a barbed wire fence and got caught and had to be cut out. Fortunately, he suffered only superficial injuries but this little guy was finding trouble everywhere!

The next day they arrived early and got the trap ready. When the horses came down for water, they baited and coaxed the band into the trap, then slowly let out the adults who remained nearby. He was not happy about being separated and eventually they got one of the band members back in which calmed him down some.

Lee proved to be a challenge. He wanted nothing to do with the squeeze panels, and they didn’t want to risk him injuring himself so they were going to attempt to grab him and lay him down with several team members holding him while others removed the ring. He ran to the far side and circled them a couple of times before one of the team pointed out that the ring was gone!

Lee had managed to catch it on a rock and pull his hoof right out. Sometimes the NON-rescue becomes the easiest solution! They opened the trap panels and the colt happily ran out and rejoined his band!

The metal caught around Lee’s foot

Lee freed himself!