Beloved Outer Banks horse euthanized after mysterious wound spurs deadly infection

An Outer Banks wild horse with a large social media following has been euthanized after an infection spiraled out of control.

Lizzie, a 6-year-old mare, had been at a medical facility the past month getting treatment for a leg wound of unknown origin, according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

“On Friday, at the recommendation of our veterinary team, we made the difficult decision to euthanize Lizzie,” herd manager Meg Puckett reported on Facebook.

“Her condition deteriorated quickly at the end of last week, and on Friday it was clear that not only was the infection in her leg getting worse (but) she was suffering.”

Lizzie’s case received widespread attention on social media after it was reported she had to abandon a foal in order to get help. The yearling horse, named Alex, was left to fend for itself in a remote part of the Outer Banks. It has since been befriended by another family of wild horses, Puckett reported on Facebook.

The source of Lizzie’s injury remains unknown. But the cut was “just open enough for fungus to get in” and make a minor wound into a major health crisis, Puckett told McClatchy News. The cut occurred last year and worsened when Lizzie disappeared into a remote area for months to raise her foal.

Lizzie’s death comes just a week after the Corolla Wild Horse Fund had to permanently remove another horse from the wild after it nearly choked to death. That horse, named Junior, injured its eyes while rolling around in the sand to try dislodging the lump in his throat, officials said.

The loss of any horse has a big impact on the herd on Corolla, which numbers only about 100 horses. The Outer Banks are home to two herds of that size, the other being on the Shackleford Banks inside Cape Lookout National Seashore. A much smaller group also lives on Cedar Island.

“Lizzie lives on in her two offspring, Rabbit and Alex,” Puckett said in an online tribute. “Her influence on the herd and our hearts will never be forgotten. Rest free, sweet girl.”

This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Beloved Outer Banks horse euthanized after mysterious wound spurs deadly infection."