Victoria Goss, founder of Last Chance Corral in Athens, Ohio, is nuzzled by a foal wearing a baby horse blanket. By nature, the foals are curious and friendly.
Although they welcome all horses, Last Chance Corral has two core programs: Thoroughbred Donation/Adoption Program, which caters annually to 20 to 40 horses.
The second program is the Nurse Mare Foal Rescue Project, which has progressively grown to save an average of 150 foals per year.
From her office, Victoria is able to keep an eye on the new arrivals to Last Chance Corral. The foal barn is attached to the old log cabin that is Victoria’s home.
Horses are herd animals and very social. Even as babies they prefer to stay in a group.
When a new arrival of foals get off the trailer they are dazed, confused and usually depressed from being taken from their mothers. Suddenly, they are in a strange place. Soon, they whiney and romp in the foal barn as if they recognize their new lease on life. By the end of their first day at LCC, they are settled and restful. These two pals take a stand-up nap.
Leni Sheeks, left, and Leah Nairn tend to a foal at Last Chance Corral.
New foals are individually assessed and tended to according to their health needs.
As soon as a new batch of foals have been assessed, triage begins.
Sometimes, intravenous antibiotics are necessary to combat the bacteria caused by extreme diarrhea. This little horse was up and around the next morning with a kick in her step.
Victoria steadies a foal as Stacy Rourke places a feeding tube because the foal is not drinking milk on its own.
Unlike human babies, who get their immune system established through the mother’s blood, horses get it only from mother’s milk in the first 12 hours of life.
The foals rescued by Last Chance Corral have been taken off their mother’s milk shortly after being born. The milk is critical to their survival. Those are the tough cases because they don’t know how to drink on their own. Stronger foals arrive knowing how to drink on their own.
Victoria tests the tender foot of Glory, a rescue horse in the fall of 2010. Victoria’s faithful dogs, Rex, left, and Valkyrie are always nearby.
Last Chance Corral has room for up to 10 adult horses in the two barns.
Through the Thoroughbred Donation/Adoption Program, they cater annually to 20 to 40 horses.
Victoria is in constant motion. Attention to detail and cleanliness is critical to the health and survival of the foals. When she’s not feeding the foals, she sweeps, scoops and replaces the shavings in the foal barn to avoid additional bacterial infections, which is critical for the foals’ survival.
Because Last Chance Corral does not have pastureland, they feed top-notch quality hay, which means both barns are heartily stocked.
The cost of hay has sky-rocketed since 2010 because of poor economy during those years. A good growing season – or not – also determines the cost of feed.
Some of the adult horses run and play in the large corral. Last Chance Corral is efficiently maintained on 2.65 acres in Athens, Ohio. Victoria calls it “micro-managing.”
Poetically, the two barns on the property for the adult horses at Last Chance Corral are also rescued. They were going to be demolished but were moved to the property and now house and shelter rescued horses.
Wander was a nurse mare foal in 2008 at Last Chance Corral. Sometimes, he comes back to visit.
This is Last Chance Corral’s policy with anyone who adopts horses from their care: If it’s not a good fit or care can no longer be provided, they will take them back.
The foal barn is a respite for these horses who haven’t yet found a place in the world. They can be adopted out as soon as their health is stable. Adoptees must have documentation of equine experience, a proper facility in which to house the foals and a working knowledge of equine health and training needs.