Animal lovers across the country are mourning the loss of Seven, the miracle foal who captured thousands of hearts with his fight for life.
Born seven weeks early, he was his mother’s seventh baby, and his owner Katie Van Slyke’s seventh foal of the year. Against all odds, Seven survived for more than a year — a milestone no one thought possible when he first came into the world in February 2024.
“While we knew that we didn’t have years or even many months left with our sweet boy, we had hoped for more sunny days of watching him graze in the pasture,” Van Slyke shared. “We had hoped for more mornings being greeted by his sweet, cheerful whinny. We had hoped for more evenings feeding him his favorite banana treat. We had just hoped for more.”
Last week’s scorching heat proved too much, even for healthy horses. For Seven —whose fragile health was always a concern — it became unbearable. Van Slyke and the University of Tennessee Center for Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) made the heartbreaking decision to have him humanely euthanized after he began showing signs of colic.
“We join Baby Seven’s family in mourning his loss. His journey was remarkable, not only for his resilience and spirit but for the profound impact he had on our faculty, staff, and students,” UTCVM said in a statement. “We are touched by the support and outpouring of love throughout his journey.”
Seven’s life was nothing short of extraordinary. Born at just 286 days of gestation, before most horses are even viable, many of his bones were still cartilage. He underwent surgeries, braces, casts, and hours of physical therapy, yet he never stopped fighting. Katie often shared his journey on TikTok, where followers cheered on his every milestone.
“Anyone who dealt with Seven on a personal level knows the fight and LIFE that he exuded every single day,” Van Slyke said. “He WANTED life. He FOUGHT for life. He was a joy, and though he wasn’t able to be a ‘normal horse,’ no one can say they didn’t fight for him to have that chance.”
Seven’s legacy will live on in more ways than one. Earlier this year, the “Seven Scholarship” was created to award $7,000 to seven third-year equine veterinary students and to UTCVM each year—totaling $49,000 annually to honor the foal’s incredible spirit.
Katie expressed her gratitude to everyone at Tennessee Equine Hospital and UTCVM who helped give Seven his chance at life. For those who followed his story online, his loss is more than just the end of a fight—it’s the loss of a little soul who taught the world what it means to truly persevere.
Seven’s story is one I’ll never forget. A true testament to courage, love, and the tireless devotion of his owner and care team. He may be gone, but his spirit lives on. 💕🐴