COROLLA, N.C. — Corolla Wild Horse Fund announced on Tuesday that the horse Cali was euthanized following an upsetting vet appointment.
A witness called the organization June 17 and said the four-year-old mare was standing in the exact same spot for almost 24 hours. She was seen favoring one of her front legs after a stallion chased her hard the night before.
The herd manager checked on Cali and noticed she wasn't favoring one of her front legs and there was no swelling and no open wounds. So, officials decided to give her the rest of that day and night to move on.
On the morning of June 18, Cali was still in the same spot, so she was moved from the beach to the Corolla Wild Beach Horse Fund's rescue farm.
On Monday, Cali received an ultrasound and x-ray of her shoulder, and officials learned it was broken and dislocated.
In a Facebook post, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund said their vets consulted with surgeons at NC State about Cali's x-ray, but they advised that there has never been a case of successful surgery for an injury like Cali's.
Veterinarian staff said the bone in that area will not hold screws, and even if they were able to repair the break during surgery the chances of it remaining stable during recovery were slim to none. Without surgery, there was a high chance the dislocated bone would eventually puncture her skin.
Cali's life was humanely ended Monday night.
"It's a devastating loss for the herd, for all of you who were rooting for her recovery, and for those of us who had been taking care of Cali over the past few days," the Corolla Wild Horse Fund Facebook post said. "But at least she didn't suffer alone in the wild, and she was safe and comfortable for the last week of her life. She was buried on our farm in a sunny spot in the woods, next to Roamer."
Click here to learn more about the Corolla Wild Horse Fund or to donate to help pay Cali's veterinary bills.