In Phoenix, Arizona a mare and her foal struggled to escape from a deep mudhole on Sunday at the Apache Sitgreaves National Park. Miraculously, several heroes joined together to save the two horses.
According to Friends of the Weber Wild Horses, one of the rescuers quickly arrived at the dire scene, stripped down and carefully waded into the mud up to his knees in order to place a lead rope around the horse’s neck. The foal was easily rescued, but the mare struggled for more than an hour before she was finally freed and on safe ground. Although the two were thoroughly exhausted after their rescue, the mother and foal are reported to be doing fine.
The rescue occurred near a dirt water tank, a crucial water source for the Heber wild horses and other wildlife at the park.
Because it has been a very dry season, potential dangers for the horses escalate. When the water tanks go dry, it gets very muddy, and animals can easily become trapped.
Check out the video.
Thanks to Betty Nixon who lives nearby and volunteers her time along with other horse lovers, two lives were saved.
Just yesterday morning, it happened again. On the Friends of the Weber Wild Horses Facebook page;
Another foal stuck in this dangerous “mud pit” yesterday! This is the same mud pit another mare and foal were rescued from on Saturday! This is what the U.S. Forest Service wants for our beloved Heber Wild Horses! I pulled the foal from the mud. The foal is out!
I had been standing watch at this dangerous “mud pit” since 8:00 a.m., watching out for any animal that may get stuck in the mud, when this sweet foal went into the mud at 11:54 a.m.! This is happening because we are in drought conditions, and the FOREST SERVICE REFUSES TO ALLOW ADVOCATES AND FRIENDS OF OUR HEBER WILD HORSES TO DELIVER WATER!
The Forest Service want the horses to move to another part of the forest where there is water available, however there is not substantial forage for them to eat. It is now foaling season, and the only way the horses can survive is to travel long distances or risk drowning in the mudholes.
Due to the drought, the Arizona Game & Fish Commission volunteers have been hauling water to wildlife, but the areas where the water is being delivered is not accessible to the horses. In addition to the horses suffering, elk, deer, bear and other native wildlife have been having a very difficult time this year, however it has been reported that the wild horses are not able to benefit from the water trailers.
To help:
Please call the U.S. Forest Service and respectfully ask that they allow us to deliver water to the Heber Wild Horses. All of the other animals in the forest are receiving water delivery. Why not our federally protected wild horses?!!
Please Call:
Chief, U.S. Forest Service, Tom Schultz
800-832-1355
District Office, Forest Service Supervisor
928-333-6280
(Photos via Vivian)
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