Rehabilitation begins for Three Strikes Ranch mustangs

Regional News

After a massive effort to move nearly 200 wild horses from the Three Strikes Ranch near Alliance to the Morrill County Fairgrounds in Bridgeport , there was a lot a concern for injury and death.

On call, veterinarian Dr. Tom Furman says it took 3 days of transporting horses, but by Friday afternoon, every single living horse and burro was taken off The Three Strikes Ranch.

Furman says it was safely done. Nobody got hurt and No horses died or got damaged in the (moving) efforts. Furman says the last horse that was moved off the place was the big stallion that was supposedly stolen. Furman says they are going to work very diligently over this week to hopefully maintain their safety record.

Furman says the community support and local law enforcement efforts have been "top shelf" to get these horses to a place where they can give them proper medical attention. Now that the horses and burros are relocated to the fairgrounds Furman says the next step will be to organize as many medical professionals and animal handlers as possible to conduct a massive herd health effort.

Furman says they will need to identify all the animals, draw blood for a Coggins test (Equine Infectious Anemia), write up health inspection certificates and talk about different feeding programs for different animals. There are mares with foals, extremely emaciated horses, and some that are thin, but not as weak as others, so they will all need a different nutritional program.

Furmen says that will take several days into next week. Furman and his father Dr. Jim Furman have practiced veterinary medicine over 35 years and this situation is easily the largest project they have taken on at one time.