The Corolla Wild Horse Fund announced that Ceres, a six-week-old filly, had to be euthanized due to a severe case of pythiosis.

Staff members tried to treat the horse but there were additional challenges with a horse that young.

Pythiosis is a fungus that grows on decaying plant matter in water and when there are no solid freezes in the winter, bacteria, fungus, and other pathogens can grow rampantly, staff said.

Staff continued to explain that unsettled weather patterns exacerbate the problem and it can enter the body through an open cut.

The damage to Ceres’ hoof and the bones in her lower leg was irreparable. The infection had set into the bone and her hoof was sloughing off. She was in a great deal of pain and while on one hand it is always difficult to make the decision to euthanize, in a case like this we knew there was no other choice and that it was the right thing to do - beyond the shadow of a doubt. Ceres was laid to rest late last night next to the mares’ pasture, so that she’ll always have her aunts looking over her.

The horse was taken to N.C. State in Raleigh to be euthanized.