Puff the miracle mini horse baby
A young mini horse was at an auction barn in New Jersey in September 2015 and nobody wanted her. Mini horses are smaller horses usually weighing about 300 pounds and are the size of a St. Bernard dog. The mare was going to be sent to another auction or even worse end up being shipped to slaughter. Most folks do not realize that over 100,000 USA horses are shipped to slaughter per year and a large portion of the meat is used for human consumption overseas. Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue in Mystic Connecticut stepped in and paid to get the mare out of the auction barn and to have her transported to Mystic .It was clear when she stepped off the horse trailer that she was very ill. Beech Brook removed the auction number from her hip and named her Cocoa based upon her coat coloring being like dark chocolate. Her breathing became much labored and Twin Pines Veterinary diagnosed her with pneumonia. Beech Brook began treating her with antibiotics every 8 hours but after several weeks it was clear she was not getting better and in fact was getting much worse. Things were so dire at one point that Beech Brook and the veterinarians were talking about possibly having to euthanize her if she did not get better. During this time the vet performed an ultrasound and discovered that Cocoa was about 6 months pregnant. The normal gestation period for a horse is 11 months. Beech Brook was concerned the drugs Cocoa was being treated with could harm her fetus, but Beech Brook did not have any other treatment options. A nebulizer treatment was added to her regimen and after about 2 months of receiving a variety of antibiotics, Cocoa turned the corner and started to improve. The severe pneumonia had taken a toll on her and her lungs were scarred and at times she still labored to breath. As her girth increased with her pregnancy it became more difficult for her to breath. The baby inside her was moving and Beech Brook named it Puff since when giving her the nebulizer treatments, puffs of medicine going into her nose. Beech Brook encouraged Puff to be strong and talked to the baby every day as they cared for Cocoa. In March it was noticed Cocoa was getting milk and Beech Brook started to countdown for the arrival of the baby. Many volunteers were going to the barn to check on Cocoa regularly and finally on March 29th at 8:50 PM, Puff entered the world with a very quick delivery weighing in at about 25 pounds. He is dark in color like his mother. He was standing in no time, although it took him hours to figure out eating. Beech Brook breathed a sigh of relief that he was born alive and appeared to be fairly healthy. He truly was a miracle baby. The efforts to save his mom, resulted in saving two horses and without the intervention of the rescue, Cocoa may have ended up at other auction barns or died due to her severe pneumonia. Once Puff is older, both he and his mom will be available for adoption. Beech Brook Farm Equine rescue is a 501c3 nonprofit that saves horses and donkeys from slaughter and neglect. Volunteers help with daily care and fundraisers and are always needed. You can learn more about the rescue at www.beechbrookfarm.homestead.com and at their FB page.