Horse rescued by SPCA after roadside discovery gives birth to healthy foal

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Fort St. John chapter of the BC SPCA is thanking a Conservation Officer for helping to rescue a pregnant horse.

According to a news release from the SPCA, the horse, later named “Spirit,” was found at the side of a Fort St. John logging road on June 28th, ten kilometres down the road, and “obviously pregnant.”

The horse also had lesions, hives, and welts all over her skin, especially on her chest.

“We were contacted by a Conservation Officer about Spirit, and we were able to find a foster in the area who could take her in,” explains Christy King, BC SPCA Interim Program Manager for Farm and Equine Animal Care Services.

“We are so thankful to the Conservation officer for notifying us and the foster who was able to respond so quickly. She drove her own truck and trailer down the logging road to rescue Spirit and then coaxed her into the trailer. Spirit was a bit shy at first, but eventually, she walked into the trailer.”

King says the SPCA arranged for Spirit to be seen by a veterinarian, who prescribed topical medication and antibiotics to heal her skin.

“She is looking so much healthier now,” King says. “It did not hurt that she was being fed and watered regularly, and she was able to rest comfortably.”

Spirit’s owner was found, and they surrendered her to the SPCA. She’s now living with a foster family that has decided to adopt her.

Her foal was born on July 28th at about 3:30 p.m. Spirit’s new owners named the foal “Journey” to commemorate “the journey her mom had before coming into care.”

According to the SPCA, Journey will be available for adoption after she’s been weaned, a process expected to take several months.