Starved Oregon horse survives, inspires with spirit

By Associated Press Published: Oct 7, 2011 at 6:43 AM PDT Last Updated: Oct 7, 2011 at 7:07 AM PDT
Starved Oregon horse survives, inspires with spirit
Darla Clark leads Grace to graze along one of the pastures at Strawberry Mountain Mustangs equine rescue ranch in Roseburg, Ore. on Oct. 12, 2010. Clark, founder and director of Strawberry Mountain Mustangs horse rescue, named the mare Grace because of her spirit. (AP Photo/The World, Benjamin Brayfield)

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon horse that survived one of the worst cases of starvation that veterinarians have seen is on the road to recovery.

The mare named Grace was found by Douglas County animal control officer Lee Bartholomew near Winston in August.

He said the horse literally was skin and bones — her vertebrae visible on the side of her neck.

Bartholomew told The World newspaper in Coos Bay that most horses in Grace's situation would have been euthanized. But she was still standing, and her blood tests showed her body was still able to function.

Darla Clark, founder and director of Strawberry Mountain Mustangs horse rescue, is nursing Grace back to health. She says the horse has acquired thousands of fans on Facebook, where people can see her recovery.

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Information from: The World, http://www.theworldlink.com

 

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.