Cast of few save foal's life

Everybody loves a happy ending and for two Kaimanawa horses caught in the 2010 muster, tender love and care and hours of endless patience have reaped their reward and saved a life.
After being rounded up in the annual cull muster the two mares - a grey called Rosie and a bay called Lily - were transported to new owner Mellany Tuarua's Kerikeri home.
When Rosie foaled on September 12, things didn't look very good for the new-born filly foal.
The foaling had been expected, but it was luck that Mellany's mother was home sick for the day and noticed the newborn thrashing around on the ground.
The foal could not stand - a vet examination revealed the little filly had contracted tendons in both front legs, so bad she couldn't bend the legs to straighten them.
"It was fortunate Hilary [the vet] had worked in an equine stud and had seen this condition many times before, but worryingly - never in two legs," said Mellany.
The decision was made to try and save the foal, so firstly Rosie was sedated so the foal could be worked on.
After wee Hilz [named after the vet] was also sedated and given a cocktail of drugs, the legs were bandaged with padding and then forcibly straightened.
"Not nice, but it had to be done," said Mellany.
Because the foal couldn't stand this meant holding her in position every two hours so she could feed - back-breaking work, especially with a weak foal - and trying to hold the mare at the same time. "We alternated bottle-feeding - so we knew she was getting enough while letting her try to suckle on the mare to encourage milk production, said Mellany.
After 48 hours the bandages and casts were taken off to check progress. Day three saw the casts back and feeding every two hours continued.
"Mum and dad were exhausted," said Mellany. "I had helped the first night until 3am when I went home - mum and dad did the second night, so on the third night it was my turn again"
However, it was becoming a bit easier now. There was no need to hold the mare, the milk had come in and once Hilz was in position she was able to feed herself.
"She was beginning to call out to you when you were coming to the stable and was trying to get up." One of the casts was taken off in the hope she would get up and feed herself. "Magic - at 4am she was up feeding," said Mellany.
After a week the casts came off and eventually mother and daughter were able to stay in the paddock.
Her legs are straight now and as you can imagine Hilz is easy to do anything with and loves being pampered, said Mellany.
Fortunately there was no repeat of the problems when Lily foaled on October 11.
The colt foal arrived in the wind and rain, but with mother dripping milk and a strong maternal instinct, this lad had no problems - especially when it came to evading its owner.
"Now this foal could move, his nickname is Phar Lap, as he gallops everywhere at speed," said Mellany.
It took a few days for Lily to accept Mellany being around her foal, but now all "is good" and life on the farm has returned to normal.