Rescued mustang foal gets new lease on life

Gayla Nelson, owner of Dark Horse Ranch in Sisters, received a very special blessing on Thanksgiving Day over two years ago: A four-month-old mustang foal that was rescued from the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Oregon. The refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, is noted for its population of wild horses.

A mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American West that descended from horses brought to America by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as "wild horses."

The Sheldon Refuge periodically rounds up the mustangs to remove excess animals to balance population numbers with the range's capability to sustain them. Sometimes during a round-up horses get hurt.

"I got a call from Marietta Roby, she's a horse trainer involved in re-homing rescued mustangs. She asked me if I would take a mustang foal that was being held at a horse rescue organization over in the Valley," recalled Nelson. "I was told she was found starving to death after a round-up/capture at the Sheldon Refuge and was in bad shape and couldn't go anywhere just yet. How could I say no?"

The U.S. program of rounding up wild horses began after cattle ranchers complained that the mustangs were competing for food and water with the livestock.

"I was told that if there are any mustang foals involved in a round-up, they will be shipped off and euthanized because, by law they are too small to ship," said Nelson.

Sandy Huey, owner of Emerald Valley Equine Assistance Horse Rescue, happened to know someone in charge at that specific Sheldon Refuge round-up and was allowed to take the little orphaned foal.

"I had to wait until the little foal got her strength back before she could be brought to my ranch," said Nelson. "Debbie Driesner, president of mustangs and MOHR is the one who delivered her right to my doorstep on Thanksgiving Day."

Mustangs and MOHR stands for Mustangs Offering Hope and Renewal. It is a foundation for rescuing wild mustangs and mentoring at-risk children.

"Since she was delivered on Thanksgiving Day, I named her Blessing; it seemed right," said Nelson.

Things were going to be tough for a while. There would be time and effort spent working with Blessing, building her trust.

"She was so mad in the beginning, her ears would go flat back. It took several weeks to gain my trust," recalled Nelson. "But mustangs are capable of great loyalty once they've bonded with you."

As Nelson continued to work and train with Blessing she noticed that it took her a long time to get up after lying down, she would stumble on her front legs and then quickly take the weight off her left foot.

"I took her to the Bend Equine Center, where Dr. Wayne Schmotzer took an X-ray of her hind leg. She had a bad break in her hind hock," said Nelson. "He suggested a special wrap on her left hind hock that could help her live a more comfortable life."

The wrap worked well, and although Blessing still stumbles once in a while, she loves to run and jump around the pasture at Nelson's 10-acre ranch.

Nelson followed her passion for wild horses and has rescued more than 10 since her involvement began 13 years ago. She is a compliance officer for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

"When you first adopt a mustang you get to keep it for one year, then I will go out as the compliance officer to see how the horse and person are doing together, if it's a good situation then they become horse and owner."

Blessing, the chestnut brown and white filly is now 2 years old, and although she will never be able to be ridden, is a happy, active horse.

"Mustangs have taught me more about horses and myself than anything else I have ever done," Nelson said, smiling.

For more information, email Nelson at [email protected]