Horse struggles to live in Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

A pack horse which was injured a few days ago in a traffic accident in Istanbul’s Ümraniye neighborhood is continuing its struggle to survive as it receives treatment at Istanbul University’s Veterinary Faculty.

After stealing materials from a construction site, four women attempted to escape from the police on a horse-drawn carriage, only to be struck by a minibus. The women were not injured in the accident but the horse suffered serious injuries. 

Police and people around quickly arrived to aid the horse, which was losing blood. 

A team at the veterinary faculty is currently taking care of the horse 24 hours a day. Volunteer students have assumed rotating two-hour shifts to meet the needs of the horse, which cannot stand up because of neurological injuries. 

Professor Dilek Olgun Erdikmen said the horse was taken to the faculty on May 13 suffering from serious blood loss. She said they found anemia in its blood but that it began recovering after 15 units of blood transfusion. 

The horse did not suffer any fractures in its legs or head, Erdikmen said. 

“Its problem is neurological. Fractures are bad for a horse, but neurological problems are worse. Since their body is big, their anatomy is not suitable to lie down for a long time. This animal has been lying since Saturday. We change its side every two hours. We support its circulation system using a chain hoist. Its reflexes are returning slowly. But time is working against the horse unless it stands up,” she said.

She said the post-treatment process would also be difficult. “We need this animal to be adopted. We are looking for a volunteer for it. This is really a big problem for us because it is expensive to take care of a horse or donkey. This is why they are generally adopted by people who have a horse farm.”