Linda,
One year ago, my best little mare foaled a little colt. I was very ill at the time, the breeder alert did not go off as the mare labored in the standing position. I was really sick after major surgery, but I went to the barn to check on the horses. It was my first time in the barn since. Found the mare standing with a colt's head sticking out. A leg seemed to be a little stuck and without too much trouble the colt was delivered. It was brutally cold and the colt had a contracted tendon and could not stand. We loaded up the perfectly healthy stable mare in the trailer, my husband bundled me up, pajamas and all, wrapped me and the colt in a blanket and off we went to New Bolten Center.
The colt had a tough time but lived. The perfectly healthy mare died 3 days later( I had her put to sleep, but she was going to die very soon. She developed projectile diarrhea while at New Bolten Center. They worked very hard on her trying to save her, they were very upset, It was very costly too.I was not allowed in her stall as they were worried that it was contagious. NONE of my other horses were sick, no one had diarrhea.
New Bolten closed in May 2005 for a few months to terminally clean the hospital and sterilize as much as they could. That was right after my mare died. Turns out that several horses died due to diarrhea there. It was a drug resistant strain of some weird form of Salmonella or something. Now, my mare was necropsied and "cultured" but nothing was found. I am still very suspicious. MY mare went there fine and died because of complications of this weird diarrhea. She was dehydrated no matter how much fluid they gave her, she developed clotting problemsetc. I had to put her to sleep as she was suffering and there was no way to save her. I REALLY believe she picked up a "BUG" at the hospital, but no one will own up to it. Hey, I wpoildn't sue or anything, they have saved several horses for me and do good works. I need to be able to go there. Still I wish they would tell me what I believe to be the truth.