The Fertility Study Mares

 

 

Always when a call for help comes in regarding horses needing homes and horses that may go to slaughter, Whispering Winds Equine Rescue tries to step up to assist and place as many as possible. This is what happened this past December (2008) when Susan Pohlman, Director of Whispering Winds, was contacted about a group of Virginia Range wild horses that had been used in a fertility study program and the program funding had ended.  Told there was not a home for all these horses to go to and a possibility they would be headed to slaughter if something wasn't immediately done, WWER agreed to take 10 youngsters and assist in placing the additional 23 mares. However, as circumstances would have it not only did WWER end up with the original 10 foals agreed to but the 23 homeless mares, some in foal, were left permanently at Whispering Winds facility in Roseburg, Oregon. This was in addition to the 35 rescue horses already in their care.  The rest of the details are mute compared to the lives of these horses.

These mares, along with several stallions, had been gathered from the Virginia Range, outside of Reno, Nevada.  Their purpose was to be used by the University of Nevada, Reno,  to study various fertility drugs in an effort to find a way to manage wild horse populations.  Some of the drugs used were gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccine known as GonaCon, the porcine zona pellucida (PZP) vaccine known a Spay Vac, and the human intrauterine device - IUD.

Horses were kept in a facility at the Carson City Prison for 4 years where they were monitored for effects.  Since December, 2008, we have been monitoring these mares and foals for any complications and/or long term effects from the drugs used.  We have requested more in depth data regarding these horses, as to ages, what drug was used, who has aborted, and any adverse affects.  To date we have not even received acknowledgement to our request.  We have been given the responsibility of caring for these horses, to assure their are healthy, to tend to any medical needs and are expected to do so blindly.

Since December, 2008, we have had 3 aborted foals, one filly who only lived a week, a stillborn colt, 2 live, healthy fillies, and Carson - a foal whose mother rejected him from birth and other mares tried to kill.  To date we have lost 2 mares to unknown causes, one 2 days after arriving, another about 2 months later after a battle of ups & downs.  At one point the attending vet, Dr Thain, had requested the ability to come to our ranch and do uterine biopsies on the mares.  As I observe changes in behavior and weight I am led to believe that there is a possibility that one or more of these drugs may have caused uterine cancer in some of these mares, including Carson's mom.  But, because we don't have the funding to pay for the specific tests, and Dr Thain has not relinquished documentation requested on these horses and has not made arrangements to do the tests he suggested, we can only speculate that these horses are having adverse reactions to the drugs that are now being used on many of our wild horses in the open ranges, including the famous Cloud herd.

We would like to introduce these girls to you.  They have taken up a special place in our lives as we work daily with them and among them.  Some are developing trust in us and eat from our hands, while others choose to keep a safe distance and just watch.  Regardless, they call our ranch home - Un Lugar del Refugio (A Place of Refuge).  It is our hope to either acquire more land or find a permanent sanctuary for these mares to live their lives out. 

These horses come from the same area that Wild Horse Annie (Velma Johnson) fought so hard to protect. These horses are a piece of our history. We, at Whispering Winds, believe that it is through the kindness of strangers that we will be able to continue the necessary care these horses needs.  With your help, with your thoughts, and with your generosity we can continue our work successfully. Because of the lack of documentation we can only do our best and assume ages and illnesses we see. Our vet bills alone for these horses has exceeded $5000 so far, and we feel this is only the beginning.

Please help us continue helping them and keeping them in a safe environment. Your donations are vital. On behalf of all the animals at Whispering Winds - thank you.

 

A little background to understand some of the photos.  Each mare used in the study has a number branded on her rump, as well as what appears to be arrows going in opposite directions on their neck - maybe an N.  Typically the numbers would coincide with notes indicating the information on the horse, like age, what drug was given, when she foaled, outcome of the foal, complications, etc.  You know, important research data!  We have not been given this information, even after requesting it 3 times.  It's obvious that some of these mares have been "brood" mares for quite some time with the sway backs they are showing.  The study was only 4 years, according to the Nevada Dept of Agriculture.  So, that meant several of these mares were already in late age when pulled to do the studies.   We  have documented our findings just from observation on these mares.  No, I'm not a vet or research scientist but I do have an extensive medical background and have been around horses for almost 45 years.  I can only document what I see; the changes that have occurred.  Without having a baseline to go from I had to create my own.  That is why all horses were photographed the morning after they arrived and notes taken.  Meet our girls....
<

   

#35

This is a sweet mare with severe clubbed hooves in the front. She has to fight for food so she has been relocated to a quieter band of similar mares from the same herd.
   
   

#35 (aka Granny)

Granny has been one of our favorites since these mares arrived. She chose to separate from her herd all summer and stayed in the back meadows, where she was content to be alone. We have brought her in for the winter and she shares a barn with Sasha. Although Granny will not let us get too close to her, she does come along with us when we are working in the pasture. A slight hard keeper, Granny is on Equine Senior and daily supplements, along with all the grass she can eat. If a horse could share wisdom, Granny would be that horse.

   
   

#07 (aka Mimi)

Mimi arrived at the ranch in foal, nursing a weanling, and had a yearling at her side. She had had an IUD inserted, which had slipped resulting in the pregnancy. Being in foal we took extra precautions with her per information we had received. However, Mimi gave birth to a stillborn colt despite our efforts.
   
   

#55

This is a very sweet older mare that refuses to fight for food. She has been relocated to the smaller band where she is doing well.
   
   

#53

This is another sweet, easy going mare that prefers to keep her distance and roams with the main herd
   
   

#63

This sweet mare arrived in foal with "Hope", who only lived one week (see photo below). She also had Tonka at her side. The day she lost Hope she followed the 4wheeler carrying her off the hillside and to the barn. From that day on she chose to roam with our other mustangs and has joined up with another band.

   
   

#58

Quiet mare that keeps her distance and roams with her herd.
   

 
   

#52

#52 is Carson's mom. She is another mare that doesn't fight for food and has been relocated to a quieter band of similar mares from the same herd. She has been one of the underweight horses since her arrival.  She can be handled and loved on, but on her terms.
   
   

#22

This older red roan is a quiet mare that wouldn't fight for food and has been moved with the other smaller band of horses.
   
   

#60

- nicknamed "baby thief" by employees and handlers in Nevada this mare only loves to be a nanny to the new foals - She is an older mare whose joints pop when she tries to climb the hills with the other mares.  We have moved her to flatter ground and she is enjoying being with the weanlings and older mares.  When the new foals started arriving this mare assigned herself to the first one and stayed with mom while the 3 of them grazed and wandered together.  If mom wanted to rest, "nanny mare" stood watch.  We have found this typical with a couple of our mustangs that do not have foals of their own.  This is their job in the herd.
   
   

#61

This sweet girl is best friends with #62. The 2 of them will come in to the barn together for special treats. Will eat from your hand, but prefers to keep her distance.
   
   

#37

This sweet mare prefers to keep her distance and roams with her herd.
   
   

mare

This is a young sweet mare that foaled in the early Spring, 2009, having a health filly. This mare was moved in with the other harder keepers in order to assure she & the filly got quality feed during the nursing period. The fiily has since been weaned but the mare continues to remain with the small band of older mares.

   
   

#72

This is a sweet sorrel mare that arrived with a broken foot.  She is mom to Gray Boy (see yearlings available for adoption).  This mare is able to be handled and doesn't appear to be having problems with the now healed injury.  She enjoys roaming with the BLM horses and has made them her family band.

Only 1 of 2 horses I received information on.  This mare was given ECG vaccine in July of 2007 and foaled in 2008.

   
   

#67

This mare arrived with Tucker by her side. She died from unknown causes 2 days after arriving at our ranch. Tucker then joined up with another mare who was nursing another foal.

 

 

 
   

 
   

#21 (aka Virginia - Ginny)

Ginny is an older mare who began losing weight quickly and showing similar symptoms as a mare that died a while back. She is one that wouldn't fight for food, so we brought her in to the barn immediately where she shares a stall & shelter with Granny & Sasha. We slowly changed her diet so that she has an increase of fat. We feed her a special mixture of grain, supplements, ulcer meds, and beet pulp, as well as a grass/alfalfa hay. She has been putting on weight and her affect is brightened. She will nicker to greet us in the mornings, and prefers to stay with the other 2.

   
   

#25

This old mare arrived without any obvious signs of being in foal. She looks the same today as she did when she arrived, only with a young filly at her side. #25 doesn't fight for food so was brought in to be with the smaller band so we could not only give her supplements during nursing, but the filly, too. Filly is now being weaned.
   
   

#62

This mare is one of my favorites.  She is a smaller mare with a lot of expression.  We have started bonding and falling in to an understanding.  When I open the smaller hay barn for the really good hay, she is to come and eat out of my hand.  Her rules, not mine.  She has started to let me touch her nose during our special time, but only briefly and that's ok

   
   

#56

Sweet mare that runs with the main herd. Curious and will let you scratch her from time to time. Will eat from your hand and loves carrots.

   

#64

 This is the fertility study herd's lead mare - She is a unique colored mare.  During the summer she has an Appy blanket & shows more gray during the Spring.  And, as winter sets in she becomes an almost solid bay.

 

 

 

 
   

#Mini Me

This is a quiet 9 yr old mare that is somewhat flighty/untrusting.  She has joined up with our Paiute band and is content to stay with them.  We call her China's Mini Me because they look very much alike except for height. This mare is much smaller

She was given ECG vaccine in July of 2007

   
   

#29 - Caleb's mom

This old mare arrived with Caleb by her side. She was sick & thin on arrival. We separated her and Granny, moving them to a front field where we could let them into the hay barn so they could eat at liberty. This mare was unable to be handled due to a high flight personality, and with an obvious illness we did our best to treat her. She started to gain weight and look better, but would soon revert back to being thin and had a discharge constantly. Due to the request from Dr Thain to do uterine biopsies we believe that this mare may have been suffering from some complications that she finally succumbed to May 8, 2009, 5 months after arriving at our ranch.