targetsmom
Well-Known Member
For anyone who hasn't seen this on Facebook where it has been shared over 250 times and has over 500 comments:
Our 28.5" mini Rusty, a 4-H project mini, was attacked Saturday evening inside his stall and mauled by what we now think was a bobcat. The only reason he survived at all was because Clyde in the next stall freaked out and busted out the door, allowing the attacker to escape, after the damage had been done. At first we had NO idea what happened because at bed check (hat to think of outcome if we didn't do bed check) we found Rusty covered with blood and barely able to stand, alone in his stall. There was blood everywhere and a busted water bucket which we thought he must have gotten caught in. The outside door in the next stall was wide open and Clyde was missing, but actually it was Clyde being outside was what we noticed first. Ran in and called vet who luckily lives on next street and came right over. Also called friend who was at Fantasia and she brought HER friend and it turned out we needed all these people to CARRY Rusty on the trailer to take him to the large animal hospital (Tufts) over an hour away. He was hanging to life by a thread and they told us the next day that he almost died during the blood transfusion.
Photos show him as he arrived at hospital, then Monday in a sling to hold his head up, and today when he was out of the sling and moving around but still can't really hold his head up. And the grill on his stall that we think may have been how the animal got in. There were a total of 7 minis outside - 4 in the area right outside his stall, 2 next door, and the stallion on the other side of the barn, all unharmed. Not counting Clyde who made #8! There were also 2 weanlings in stalls across from Rusty who are OK. We think maybe the other minis might have chased the animal or it was running to get away from them and ran/jumped into Rusty's stall. If you have a better theory, I would love to hear it. We have done some major "locking the barn door after the horse got out" and now have a baby monitor in the barn every night. Someone who examined wound photos is 90% certain they are from bobcat. DNA analysis was going to cost >$1,000 and might not give us an answer.
The 4-Her has also been to the hospital to visit him. She is devastated, as you might imagine. She is on FB so we are very careful about which photos we post there.
Our 28.5" mini Rusty, a 4-H project mini, was attacked Saturday evening inside his stall and mauled by what we now think was a bobcat. The only reason he survived at all was because Clyde in the next stall freaked out and busted out the door, allowing the attacker to escape, after the damage had been done. At first we had NO idea what happened because at bed check (hat to think of outcome if we didn't do bed check) we found Rusty covered with blood and barely able to stand, alone in his stall. There was blood everywhere and a busted water bucket which we thought he must have gotten caught in. The outside door in the next stall was wide open and Clyde was missing, but actually it was Clyde being outside was what we noticed first. Ran in and called vet who luckily lives on next street and came right over. Also called friend who was at Fantasia and she brought HER friend and it turned out we needed all these people to CARRY Rusty on the trailer to take him to the large animal hospital (Tufts) over an hour away. He was hanging to life by a thread and they told us the next day that he almost died during the blood transfusion.
Photos show him as he arrived at hospital, then Monday in a sling to hold his head up, and today when he was out of the sling and moving around but still can't really hold his head up. And the grill on his stall that we think may have been how the animal got in. There were a total of 7 minis outside - 4 in the area right outside his stall, 2 next door, and the stallion on the other side of the barn, all unharmed. Not counting Clyde who made #8! There were also 2 weanlings in stalls across from Rusty who are OK. We think maybe the other minis might have chased the animal or it was running to get away from them and ran/jumped into Rusty's stall. If you have a better theory, I would love to hear it. We have done some major "locking the barn door after the horse got out" and now have a baby monitor in the barn every night. Someone who examined wound photos is 90% certain they are from bobcat. DNA analysis was going to cost >$1,000 and might not give us an answer.
The 4-Her has also been to the hospital to visit him. She is devastated, as you might imagine. She is on FB so we are very careful about which photos we post there.
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