The young horse fought for hours, stuck in a cold well on an east Maple Ridge farm, until being rescued by dozens of helpers last week.
But in the end, his fighting spirit may have led to injuries from which Mozart couldn’t recover.
After struggling to get out of the brick well, the horse had injured his hind legs too much that tissue and muscle were just falling away from the bone and tendons. Those injuries led to Mozart being put down Monday morning.
“They didn’t think it was repairable,” said owner Kim Howe.
Mozart seemed to be getting better because his heart rate had improved and his temperature had dropped. But the doctors at the Langley veterinarian, where the horse was being kept, didn’t think he’d recover, Howe said.
“It’s been a long 10 days and a very sad day today,” Howe said.
Mozart, actually Maximus Mozart, went missing on Easter Friday on the acreage that Howe rents in east Maple Ridge. She noticed when he didn’t show up for breakfast.
Howe found the two-year-old horse, a mischievious appaloosa-palamino mix, stuck in the strength-sapping water. The well had been covered with plywood, but was obscured by piles of leaves.
Maple Ridge firefighters showed up to help and after a three-hour process, managed to haul Mozart out of the well.
Firefighters got on scene about an hour after they were called because they were also rescuing another horse at the time.
Howe is now looking for another acreage to rent and has one remaining horse, Amber, who she brought out to the Langley vet in order to keep Mozart company.
Amber, though, is now back home.
“She’s looking for him,” Howe said.
