Since some of those behind the "disposal" speculation insisted on proof that the foals were in fact being properly cared for, we decided to document this particular activity. It wasn't as dramatic as the Rescue of Little Iron Man but it does illustrate how things really work out here.

On May 13th, 2010 LRTC received a call from BLM Facilities Manager John Neill asking if LRTC could take in and provide care for three foals that were at the Indian Lakes Rd. (Broken Arrow) contract facility. Their mares were compromised and were not producing sufficient milk. Two of the foals were nursing off a third mare who also was nursing her own foal. Veterinarian Rich Sanford and the crew determined that such an arrangement could put all three foals at risk as a single mare couldn't properly support three nursing foals.

Another foal in a different pen was not receiving sufficient milk and was getting pretty beaten up as she tried to nurse from other lactating mares. A logical decision was made to remove the two "extra" foals from the mare that was nursing three, and the foal that was getting injured looking for milk. LRTC agreed to accept the foals and they were removed from the nursery pens.

LRTC volunteers arrived at the facility early that afternoon.

The process for moving the foals through the corral system was low key and orderly. The crew used horses as it was less traumatic for the foals to walk alongside quiet horses than be shooed along by humans. At first the foals wanted to return to their familiar pens, but soon they quietly followed the wranglers and their horses.

What really tells the tale about the foals and how they were handled by BLM is revealed once they arrived at the LRTC's Lucky Horse Rehabilitation Center Corrals, presented in Part Two.