Alice,
Please call the Hooved Animal Humane Society in Illinois, talk to Donna
Ewine. Last winter/spring I ended up taking responsibility for the care
and welfare of 26 starving Arabians and several cattle when their owner
committed suicide. It was a horrible thing to deal with and by the time
I'd been contacted to help with this, five horses had already died of
starvation. I called Donna and she advised me on everything from the
legal aspects, how to get help, to feeding and veterinary care. She and
her staff were wonderful, and even though you are in another state (I
was, too, Iowa) she can be a great source of help and also moral
support. I can't say enough good about this organization.
Don't be afraid to get involved and do something, but do take care that
you find out proper procedure and handle it carefully. You can get in
legal trouble if you take on something incorrectly, and the horse could
suffer more if not fed and cared for properly in this condition. Don't
delay - sounds like this animal needs a kind helping hand.
Good luck.
Ruth Bourgeois
P.S. Let me know how this turns out.