Twin foal’s leg brace removal to be shown on live video by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris
Before you check out the streaming video link below, BEWARE: live
images of baby horses and ever-patient mama can be habit-forming.
Animal Beat received the following media release from Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, California:
“’Sunny”
and ‘Angel,' a pair of rare, four-week-old twin foals that have
been hospitalized at Helen Woodward Animal Center since their birth on
March 2 could soon be rid of the braces that have been helping their
legs to form.
"During a live, online medical exam and update
scheduled for 11:00 (PDT) Thursday morning Dr. Rodrigo Vazquez is
expected to remove the braces from Sunny’s front legs. Braces and
wraps on Angel’s legs were removed a few days ago.
“'Sunny’s braces were for a different reason than the
braces on Angel’s front legs,' says Helen Woodward Animal Center
spokesman John Van Zante. 'The bones in Angel’s front legs were
not completely formed, causing her knees to buckle inward. Her braces
held the legs in place until the bones could form and solidify."
Van Zante says that while the braces may look the same, Sunny’s
circumstances are very different. 'The bones in Sunny’s legs were
growing faster than the tendons. The tendons were keeping his legs from
growing straight. His braces force the legs to stay in the proper
position and caused the tendons to stretch and catch up with the bones.
Dr. Vazquez will discuss this online during the live exam on Thursday.'
"Horse lovers have been following Sunny and Angel and their mother,
a nine-year-old maiden mare named Lena since they arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center.
Streaming video has attracted worldwide fans who follow the progress of the twin foals.
[At the moment of posting this article, one of the foals was nursing on the mare.]
"Van
Zante says twin birth for horses is so rare that it’s hard to
find accurate statistics. 'In round numbers, the chance of a mare and
both twin foals surviving birth is around one in 10,000. Sunny and
Angel also beat the one in 15,000 odds by surviving the first two
weeks, but they remain under 24 hour watch in our intensive care stall.'
“'We’ve
had calls and e-mails from people wanting to come out and meet them. At
this point we’re not allowing guests. The care of Lena and foals
along with the other horses that are hospitalized here at the Center
are our highest priority. They’ll be here until October. We hope
to be able to find a time when the public can meet them.'” For more info: Helen Woodward Animal Center Tel. (858) 756-4117
