Surprise Foal Born Six Months After a Tragic Trailer Crash

Six months after an accident on Interstate 40 in Knoxville, Tennessee, some unexpected joy has emerged. The accident involved a trailer carrying 30 slaughter-bound horses. Nine of the horses died as a result of the crash, but several of the survivors got a second chance at life when they were taken in by Omega Horse Rescue in Pennsylvania.

One of the horses was adopted by Amy Neary, a Tennessee resident who helped with the surviving equines on the night of that tragic accident as part of her role as an emergency hauler for the University of Tennesse’s veterinary school. Neary named the black-and-white pinto mare Hope.

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On April 12, Hope gave birth to a colt. Because Hope’s background was mostly unknown prior to her rescue, Neary and the staff at Omega hadn’t known that Hope was pregant, and the colt was a surprise. The foal, a medicine hat with a blue eye, is healthy, as is his mom. Neary has named him Freedom and calls him Freddy for short, according to a story from WBIR.com.

Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com

7 years ago

Leslie Potter

Leslie Potter is a graduate of William Woods University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Equestrian Science with a concentration in saddle seat riding and a minor in Journalism/Mass Communications. She is currently a writer and photographer in Lexington, Ky. Potter worked as a barn manager and riding instructor and was a freelance reporter and photographer for the Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar and Saddle Horse Report before moving to Lexington to join Horse Illustrated as Web Editor from 2008 to 2019. Her current equestrian pursuits include being a grown-up lesson kid at an eventing barn and trail riding with her senior Morgan gelding, Snoopy.