Miracle Miniature Horse foal saved 4 weeks premature
Mississippi State University

A conscientious miniature horse owner sent her ailing pregnant miniature horse mare for colic treatment.

Sadly, the mare's intestines were beyond repair, but the month-early foal was saved by a team of medical specialists:

http://msucares.com/news/print/cvm/cvm03/030407miracle.html

According to this heartwarming story, the preemie horse foal was delivered by c-section and had underdeveloped body systems:

"Among his immaturities, Miracle's eyes were not open, he could not regulate his own body temperature, his suckle reflex was weak, and he was unresponsive to stimuli as if he were still in the uterus. His flexor tendons were lax, so he could not stand and could barely move."

Due to a round-the-clock effort that included intravenous feedings , physical therapy and special medications, "Miracle" thrived:

"There was no expectation that he would survive when he was delivered," McGahee said. "But he beat the odds. This foal is a rare success for one delivered so prematurely."

Miracle is alive today because of his concerned owners commitment to hospitalization and the ability of Equine Veterinarians to provide save-saving medical treatment.  This underscores the importance of having miniature horses foal in a equine hospital where life-saving treatment is close at-hand.

"Our hope is that when a veterinarian must advise an owner about survival odds, we can provide some concrete data for decision-making, and they can feel confident they are giving their patients the best possible care," Tucker said.

USA Miniature Horse is a non-profit web site dedicated to collecting useful information about miniature horses in the United States.