Local farm helping young horse abandoned, attacked by mother

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (WPVI) -- The first three days of Skye's life haven't been easy.

Penny Parker of Thornbury Farm says the foal was attacked by his own mother who was pregnant when she was rescued from a kill pen.

"With her kicking him in the head, he's had some swelling and blood," Parker said. "She neglected him in the sense that he would try to nurse her and she would kick out at him."

Volunteers from Thornbury Farm in West Chester, Pa. are now taking turns bottle feeding Skye around the clock.

"They've got to get the nutrients and antibodies from their mom within the first 24 hours and if they don't get that, they're not going to survive," volunteer Denny Waldman said.

A nurse mare, or surrogate, arrived Monday.

"Her responsibility is to raise the baby and feed the baby," June Hillman, Castle Rock Farm Manager, said.

Staff are hoping Lucy will be able to begin nursing soon.

But leasing a mare and formulas aren't cheap; Parker is paying out of pocket.

"The powder supplement is about $75 every three days. [We need] probably about $5,000 between all the medicine and surrogate mare," Parker said.

And that's not including the almost daily visits from the vet which Parker says in total will likely surpass $10,000.

The cost, she says, is worth saving Skye's life.

"To reject the baby and really try to intend harm, it's sad," Parker said.

They are hoping Skye will be eating on his own in the next five to six days.

If he doesn't, volunteers will be bottle feeding him for months, which will add up.

To help donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/2s7t68b8