2 foals that survived drought now recovering in Cave Creek

CAVE CREEK, Ariz. (KSAZ) - A drought emergency was declared by the Navajo Nation and the situation was so dire, nearly 200 horses died due to a lack of food and water, but two tiny foals survived.

Both foals were brought to Healing Hearts in Cave Creek about a week and a half ago and their caretakers say both horses are making tremendous progress.

"She's eating a lot on the package of that bag, she's eating more than a foal her age, but we're doing good, we don't really want to stop her, she can have as much as she wants," Amanda McCoy said.

McCoy is the ranch manager at Healing Hearts Large Animal and Equine Rescue and she says Cocoa and Moana are two very luck girls.

"When she first came to us all she did was sleep and we had to help her up because she couldn't get up," she said. "She didn't have the muscle to get up, so now every time we come in she's already up."

Cocoa has been feeding from a nursing mare. She came in weighing 15 pounds, but now she's up to 65!

Moana weighed just 20 pounds and now she's up to 170 pounds, according to executive director Jennifer Brumbaugh.

"They were found by two Navajo women who were hand feeding them, giving them milk replacement every two to three hours," she said. "It's a seasonal issue up in the Navajo reservation. This year has been the worst in 10 years on the reservation. What we saw this year with 200 horses dying is pretty epic, we're hoping to get some water troughs up there."

The vet says the prognosis is great and both horses should make a full recovery.

Healing Hearts
http://healingheartsaz.org