CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - A Chincoteague mare has died after the Saltwater Cowboys and a veterinarian team tried for seven hours to save her, according to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Co.
Fire company officials say the mare that passed away was Sonny's Legacy, a chestnut pinto mare. She was brought in for medical attention earlier this year when her foal needed some help. Officials say she was not in bad physical shape then, and had no pre-existing conditions.
Fire officials said the cowboys came across the mare laying down, which they say is not uncommon, but the horse would not get up when they tried to help her.
The fire company says there did not appear to be much wrong with the mare, so vets administered fluids. The mare declined very rapidly from there, going in and out of consciousness. They say vets then administered a small steroid and a painkiller.
Fire officials say they took the mare to the new medical barn in Chincoteague, where vets administered more calcium.
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Co say that the mare passed around 1 A.M. Aug. 31. They say they are not sure what caused the 12-year-old mare to die, but suspect a neurological problem or unknown disease.