Meet Ziggy Stardust, a surprise BOGOF foal who arrived in temperatures of -5C, as snow lay thick on the ground – on David Bowie’s birthday.

Lisa Philip told H&H the filly was born 11 months to the day after she bought the mare, and it was only last month they were sure she was expecting.

“We bought Dolly for my mum, who’s 72, to hack and have a nice time on,” she said. “She arrived fit and fully clipped and they had a great time, hacking and on the beach and in the sea. She’s such a good mare.

“In September or October, we thought she was getting fat but never thought she could be pregnant as we haven’t got any entire horses. Then the vet came in October or November to do her teeth and we said ‘Do you think there’s any chance she’s pregnant’, and the vet said no, she was just a bit plump. So we thought ‘Ok, then’.”

But in December, Lisa’s father was poo-picking in the field and saw something obviously moving inside Dolly.

“It took a few days of standing and watching, then I posted on Facebook as I’ve got friends who are breeders,” Lisa said. “They said ‘Yep, definitely a foal in there’! At which point we had a bit of a panic.”

Lisa rang Dodson & Horrell for advice and put Dolly on a stud balancer.

“Then we just waited and waited, and she got bigger and bigger,” she said. “We were sure she was going to have it on Christmas Day – and we’d have had to call it Baby Jesus – but she held out till 8 January.”

The family had started bringing Dolly in at night a few weeks beforehand, as they knew it would be cold when she did give birth.

“Her belly was a bit more pointed and she didn’t wax up but she was pacing a bit,” Lisa said. “I live about 10 minutes away and about 7pm, my mum phoned to say ‘I think this is it’. I jumped in the car and by the time I got there, the head and front legs were out, and Dolly was eating hay.”

Lisa said it was a textbook 45-minute delivery with no issues for mother and baby, other than the temperature.

“It was -5C that evening, and -7C the night after, so pretty chilly!” she said. “But the foal came out with the most amazing coat, about two inches thick. I’ve never seen anything like it on a foal; nature is quite amazing.”

The foal’s coat was so thick, she did not need the tiny rugs bought in preparation, and the vet arrived soon afterwards to give her a clean bill of health.

“We have no idea what her parentage is,” Lisa said. “The man we bought her from had only had her for a few weeks; he’d bought her from some lads in Ireland and was gobsmacked. We’ll have her DNA tested to get some idea of breed but probably not the sire; I’d been saying to my mum ‘I bet we’ll get a mule’!”

And the name suggested itself, Lisa said, adding: “David Bowie is one of my all-time favourites. We had no idea what to call her then I saw on Facebook that it was his birthday, so she had to be Ziggy Stardust!

“We’d been worried, with these temperatures but it couldn’t have turned out better. She came out like a wooly mammoth and Dolly’s the best mum; a real pro. A better mummy you wouldn’t find.”

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Lining up for Wednesday’s senior newcomers showjumping championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) 2024 (9–13 October) is the brilliant gelding Joe Malone, who has beaten all the odds to get there.

Described by his devoted owner Nikki Freeman as her “little miracle”, Joey was orphaned at birth.

“His mother Velvet II was a really good horse, we competed her up to 1.35m and she was very consistent, very careful,” explains Nikki. “So when she did a tendon, we thought we’d have a foal from her.”

Nikki and her father Carl Freeman breed a few foals every year, and Carl, having spotted the signs that Velvet’s foal’s arrival was imminent, was with the mare when tragedy struck.

“She gave one big push and died,” remembers Nikki. “We now know that actually she’d prolapsed but we didn’t know that at the time. But the foal was still completely inside her at this point.”

The local vet was called but with a 40 minute journey time, they gave Carl instructions to help get Joey out urgently.

“He was told to put his arms inside her and use every last bit of his strength – they said you just need to pull and keep pulling,” says Nikki. “He had nothing to lose, because the foal was going to die if he stayed in there anyway. But they told him it needed to be sooner rather than later because everything was closing down now that the mare has died.

“I guess in those moments you find every last bit of strength, don’t you? So Dad got him out and luckily he was absolutely fine. Because it could have been horrendous.”

Hunt for a foster mare

Nikki and her dad managed to draw some colostrum from the mare and, as cattle farmers, they happened to have a cow teat which they used to feed the bay colt, allowing him a much-needed “kick-start”.

“When the vet arrived they checked him over and couldn’t believe it, but he seemed absolutely fine,” says Nikki.

They fed the foal with a milk formula for the first couple of days before, by “the wonders of Facebook”, they managed to find a foster mare for the colt.

“We were put in touch with the owners of a 13hh coloured cob whose foal was stillborn, so we collected the mare from London and dropped her at the vet’s where she had an injection to induce ‘labour’ so she thought she’d foaled him,” explains Nikki. “It just worked, it was amazing.”

The next hurdle, however, came when Joey tried to drink milk from the foster mare.

“She was only 13hh and the same size as this foal, so he couldn’t get to her teat. We thought, ‘What’s he going to do?’” recalls Nikki. “He was trying his hardest but you could see him thinking, ‘I’m not getting any milk here’. Then he just worked it out by getting down on his knees.”

Joey stayed with the mare full-term, by which point he was “towering over her”.

“He was massive next to her!” says Nikki.

“I think just because of those first couple of days where we were ‘Mum’ to Joey, he was always a bit over-friendly with us, even as a two-year-old – he had no fear. So we put him out in the field with our other young horses and we let him go feral for a bit. Now, you would never know he was any different.”

Joe Malone: named after their favourite perfume

Joey was given his competition name Joe Malone after Nikki and her mother’s favourite perfume.

“His mother Velvet was called Jo at home and we were so sad when she died we thought we need to do something to remember her, so we called her foal Joey,” says Nikki.

“He’s by Fruselli, who my dad actually backed for his previous owners, and he said Fruselli was very sharp to back and Joey was exactly the same, very like his dad in many ways.

“Dad always said that once we could get on top of Joey’s sharpness he’d be a good one – Dad once fell off him twice during a 15min hack, he’s that sharp. But he knew he’d be good when he grew up and he hasn’t been wrong.”

Both Nikki and Carl produced Joey through his early competitions and neighbouring rider Emma Sargeant took the reins when Nikki was pregnant with her second child. He has racked up consistent results throughout, including qualifying for this year’s newcomers championship at HOYS.

HOYS showjumping: “I’m so nervous”

The whole family will be in Birmingham on Wednesday to watch Emma Sargeant and Joe Malone competing in the newcomers championship alongside 23 other finalists.

“I’m so nervous. We’re just ecstatic to have got there, so there’s no pressure on the night, but then again when you have a horse as good as him, you think he could be in with a chance, which does bring its own pressure,” she says.

“Emma is a fantastic jockey – he’d never really gone against the clock before she got on him. He’s strong but always moving – there’s always an engine there – so in the jump-off you can just let him roll. The more you dare him, the more careful he is.

“He means so much to us and my dad has put so much time and money into it, so it’s lovely for him – he’ll be as proud as punch.

“Joey is our little miracle.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout Horse of the Year Show, London International and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

Seeing a new equine life coming into the world is an uplifting experience, but foaling in horses – particularly for inexperienced horse breeders – can be mixed with anxiety about what to expect and the chance that something could go wrong. Being well prepared, with essential foaling supplies restocked and your vet’s details on hand, is key to peace of mind.

Foaling in horses: be prepared

Unlike women, mares have a relatively flexible delivery date, and sometimes a foal will arrive weeks earlier or later than anticipated. Therefore it makes sense to be prepared well in advance, but also plan for the unlikely, but still possible, situation where the mare does not give birth until weeks after you had expected her to. This inevitably seems to happen to the one-mare breeder who plans time off work to sit up with their mare and then finds they are still waiting weeks later.

If your mare is going to stud to foal, then ideally she should move about six weeks before she is due, both to allow her time to settle and also to build up some immunity to any disease-producing organisms in the new environment. This should be adequate time for the mare to develop protective antibodies that she will pass to her foal in her first milk, called colostrum.

At least one month before foaling — an average gestation period of 342 days from the last date of covering can be used — your mare should have a flu and tetanus vaccination. This allows some immunity to be passed to the foal, giving them protection for the first few months of life.

If your mare has had a Caslick procedure (the surgical closing of the upper part of the vulva to reduce the risk of infection), make an appointment with your vet at least three weeks before the due date, to remove it— this is essential to prevent the mare from tearing and to allow easy exit of the foal. If you aren’t sure if your mare has a Caslick, then ask your vet to examine her at least three weeks before her due date so that appropriate action can be taken. If you want to use an internal foal alarm, your vet could insert this at the same time.

It is sensible to do regular faecal worm egg counts throughout the mare’s pregnancy to ensure she remains relatively worm-free. Similarly it is wise to remove droppings from pasture to minimise worm infestations. Some people advise treating with a dewormer in the latter stages of pregnancy, however if you have been fastidious with your parasite control beforehand this may not be necessary. Always check the literature that comes with the wormer to establish that it is safe for use with pregnant mares and/or speak to your vet for advice. Vets recommend doing worm egg counts to monitor worm burden levels before treatment.

Where is best for foaling in horses to take place?

If you are going to have your mare foal at home, consider whether you have a suitable stable or whether the mare would be better foaling outside. Most professional breeders will foal their mares in a large foaling box, but if you decide to foal your mare outside it should be in a small paddock so that the mare cannot take herself too far away – she will normally go to the most remote and quiet part of the field. There also needs to be a reliable means of artificial light in case of an emergency, as things can and do go wrong — and most foals are born after dark when it is quiet and peaceful.

Any paddock should be free of obstacles and have secure fencing: post and rail is best, with the bottom rail close enough to the ground to prevent a foal rolling under it and, inadvertently, getting separated from its mother. And, of course, these safeguards also apply for the field you intend to use for your mare and foal after the birth.

A foaling box must be larger in size than a standard stable (4.5 metres by 4.5 metres is recommended, depending on the size of the mare) and preferably square in shape to allow plenty of room around the mare when she lies down to foal. It should be free of sharp or projecting objects.

A clean straw bed is typically the bedding of choice for foaling boxes. It helps to absorb birthing fluids, provides a soft landing for wobbly foals, and is less hazardous if the foal tries to eat it.

The foaling kit

Experienced breeder Sara Longworth of Waverley Stud in Warwickshire recommends setting up your foaling kit in a large plastic container with items that will be required immediately after birth, plus some that could be needed in case of emergency.

Her kit contains:

• phone numbers for the vet on the lid of the box (also save the number in your mobile phone)
• a plentiful supply of sterile gloves for washing the mare and handling the placenta
• scissors for cutting umbilical tape or tail wrap; or more seriously, in case of an emergency, for dealing with a red bag birth (where the placenta would need to be cut open), or, again in rare cases, for the need to cut the umbilical cord
• umbilical tape or clamp, in case the umbilical cord needs tying off immediately after foaling
• antiseptic spray or chlorhexidine wash to disinfect the umbilical stump and reduce possibility of bacterial infection
• towels, to dry off and stimulate breathing in the newborn foal
• thermometer for mare and newborn foal
• whole foal colostrum in case the mare doesn’t have any or does not produce enough, although this is rarely easily available. This is usually kept frozen until required.
• foal milk replacer in case the worst happens and the mare is lost
• plastic bottle and rubber teat for feeding a foal
• large container for milking the mare (in case the foal takes a long time to stand and suckle)
• enema (gentle sodium phosphate type) to administer to a newborn foal in case of meconium (first dropping) impaction
• If you don’t have good artificial light in the stable and in the yard, you will also need a strong torch or head light
• Some professional breeders may have a canister of oxygen with nose cone, in case there is an emergency with the foal, however it is far better to get professional help if needed

In a covered bucket, alongside the foaling kit, Sara also keeps mild liquid soap for washing the udder and genital area of the mare prior to foaling, and an extra long tail bandage to keep the mare’s tail hair out of the way throughout proceedings. Vets advise that both the mare and the foaling area need to be kept as clean as possible to reduce the risk of infection for the newborn foal, especially as it nuzzles the mare as it attempts to nurse. A head collar and lead rope always hang outside the stable door.

Signs of foaling in horses

During the last few weeks running up to foaling in horses, your mare will start to “bag up” – this means her udder increases in size. Once the udder remains full all day, and the teats enlarge and start to point out to the side rather than straight down, foaling is getting close and the mare should be monitored carefully.

The muscles around the mare’s pelvis will start to relax a few weeks before she is due, and hollowed areas either side of the top of tail may be seen. In the last couple of days before foaling, the mare’s vulva will also swell and relax.

“Waxing up”, when beads of colostrum showing at the end of mare’s teats, may occur 12 to 36 hours ahead of foaling, and is considered a strong indication that the mare will foal soon. However, this can differ between mares – some may wax earlier, while others won’t at all. If the mare starts running milk, she will be losing the important colostrum that contains vital antibodies to protect her newborn foal from disease. In this situation the milk should be collected and frozen, so it can be fed to the foal after birth, or an alternative source of colostrum must be available.

Not all mares show these signs – some will give you no warning signs whatsoever.

The stages of labour

As the mare moves into the early stages of labour, she may show general signs of discomfort that can be confused with colic, such as restlessness, kicking at the belly, looking at the flanks, and generally seeming irritable or anxious. If combined with sweating on her neck and flanks, and she continues to drink, urinate and pass droppings, this is likely to be the result of her body preparing for the birth, rather than colic. However, the actual delivery may still be some hours away. This may be interspersed with periods where the mare acts normally.

The second stage of the mare giving birth is very rapid, typically lasting less than 20 mins. This begins when the mare’s waters burst and a large quantity of pale yellow fluid will be released. After 5-10mins a white membrane called the amnion will appear, along with the front feet, typically one slightly before the other. If the mare has not already laid down, she will likely do so at this stage. She will continue to strain as the foal’s muzzle and then shoulders are passed, followed by the foal’s hips.

Once the hips are out of the birth canal, the mare may rest with the foal’s hind legs remaining inside her. This is not a cause for alarm and the mare should not be disturbed unless the birthing sack is obstructing the foal’s nostrils. At this stage the placenta is still providing blood to the foal. The umbilical cord breaks when the mare stands or the foal gets to its feet. The stump of the umbilical cord will need dressing to avoid infection.

The third stage of foaling in horses is the passing of the placenta – this is typically expelled with an hour of the foal’s birth. If the mare has got to her feet after giving birth, she may lay back down for this stage and show colic-like signs. If the placenta has not been delivered within three hours you should call your vet as a retained placenta is potentially life-threatening for the mare, particularly in heavier breeds of horse. Once it has been expelled, it should be carefully examined to ensure there are no tears or risk of any tissue having been left inside the mare. If you think this might be the case, then you should contact your vet.

Most foals are on their feet within an hour of being born and should be feeding from their dam within two hours. It is important to ensure that the foal gains sufficient colostrum in the first few hours as this provides them with important protection against infection. If the foal is not standing or feeding within two to three hours of arrival, then you should seek veterinary advice.

Foaling problems

Complications can arise during or after foaling in horses, as Sarah Stoneham MRCVS explains. Common problems include:

Dystocia: this is defined as a difficult birth that requires assistance. The most common problem is an abnormal presentation where the foal is in the incorrect position for a straightforward delivery. This is often associated with a deformity of the foal such as carpal contracture, a condition that prevents the foal from straightening its front legs. As time is of the essence, it is important to contact your vet at an early stage if things don’t appear to be progressing normally. You can then be given advice over the phone about what to do before the vet arrives. If the vet is unable to correct the problem promptly, emergency admission to a clinic may follow — either for a controlled delivery under general anaesthesia or a caesarean section. For this reason, always have horse transport ready to go if you have a mare due to foal.

Red bag: another name for premature placental separation, a red bag delivery occurs when the placenta fails to rupture over the foal’s feet as they pass through the birth canal. A red, velvety sac then appears through the vulval lips. This is a real emergency that requires prompt action to save the foal. Call your vet immediately and describe the problem, so you can be talked through the process of rupturing the placenta manually. You will then need to deliver the foal and help it to breathe before the vet arrives, because if the placenta is not ruptured the foal will be unable to breathe.

Stillbirth: a normal foal will start “gasping respiration” and start to breathe immediately on delivery, and the amniotic sac should be cleared from its muzzle immediately. It should be struggling to sit up on its sternum within 5min. Sometimes, the foal is not breathing at all when it is born — a problem that can occur following an apparently normal foaling. If the foal is able to be revived, it will need to be resuscitated immediately if it is to stand any chance of survival. This means being on hand with the necessary knowledge and equipment. If the foal has any difficulties, call your vet without delay for further health checks. It is really important that your foal stands and suckles, ideally within a couple of hours after birth – the sooner the better – if there are any concerns, call your vet.

Post-foaling haemorrhage: this potentially life-threatening condition can occur in the hours after foaling. The mare will be bleeding from one of the large internal arteries that supply blood to the uterus. Initially, the haemorrhage will be contained within the ligaments around the uterus. If the bleeding continues, however, and ruptures the ligaments, the mare is likely to haemorrhage into the abdominal cavity, with fatal consequences. If haemorrhage has occurred, the mare may show colicky signs such as sweating and shaking, and her mucous membranes will rapidly become pale. Keep her as quiet and comfortable as possible until your vet arrives. The condition is more common in older mares, although it can occur at any age.

Other problems, such as post-foaling colic, can occur, so keep a close watch on both mare and foal after delivery.

Most foaling in horses goes smoothly with the mare not requiring any help, but it is always wise to be prepared as the organising and homework you do now will pay off handsomely when the time comes.

• With thanks to Sara Longworth of Waverley Stud in Warwickshire and Sarah Stoneham MRCVS for their contributions to this article

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The 2022 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe superstar Alpinista has delivered her first foal, a filly by Dubawi.

The new arrival is a fifth-generation home-bred for owner/breeder Kirsten Rausing, and has kept with the grey tradition.

“I had been hoping for the mare to produce a filly, so I’m obviously thrilled and very grateful to Alpinista, who, as usual, can do no wrong,” Ms Rausing said.

“Following family tradition, the daughter of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner is a grey – all females in her family going back to [12th dam] Lady Josephine having been of that coat colour.”

Alpinista, who is by Frankel and out of the Listed-winning Hernando daughter Alwilda, won six Group One races in three countries during her four-year career with trainer Sir Mark Prescott. Her remarkable career boasted more than £3.3m in prize money and 10 wins from 15 starts, including an eight-strong unbeaten streak that featured all six of her top-level successes.

She was a firm fan favourite on the track and was described by her regular jockey Luke Morris as a “once in a lifetime” horse on her retirement.

The now seven-year-old bowed out from racing in November 2022, after sustaining a minor setback during preparations for her intended swansong in the Japan Cup, and retired to Ms Rausing’s Lanwades Stud.

Alpinista is set to visit Siyouni at the Aga Khan Studs’ Haras de Bonneval in Normandy in her second season.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

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The owner of a pony who gave birth on the way home, on a grass verge – having paused for a few mouthfuls of grass mid-labour – said she has never seen the like in 44 years of breeding.

Both Barkway Tiny Tears and her colt are well and happy after the unusual circumstances of the birth, on the side of Whiteley Lane, but successful show pony breeder Claire Smalley said she “aged 10 years in an hour!”

Claire told H&H she went to collect 12hh British riding pony Holly and another mare from her winter grazing, a few miles from home, on Monday (17 April).

“We had to bring one back as she’s susceptible to laminitis and the grass is growing, and Holly was due in a couple of weeks so we thought we’d get her back too,” Claire said. “This is the fourth foal she’s had here and she always foals on the day she’s due.”

Claire said Holly showed no signs of being near to labour, but on the short journey home, also accompanied by Claire’s daughter Bibi and Bibi’s boyfriend, Holly went down.

“We’ve got a camera in the back and Bibi shouted ‘She’s gone down’,” Claire said. “I stopped and we got in the back and because she was still tied up, she was almost hanging herself. Her weight on the rope had tightened it so we had to cut it. Luckily, we keep a knife in the living – note to everyone, always carry a penknife in the lorry – and she’s got such a good temperament.”

Claire had to drive the small lorry on to a place where she could get the side ramp down, so she pulled in again 10 to 15 yards further on.

“We got the ramp down and I got my daughter’s boyfriend to hold the other mare,” Claire said. “He’s not horsey at all but luckily she’s so greedy that she thought she’d gone to heaven so he could just stand while she grazed on the verge.

“Then I opened the partition and saw that Holly had about eight inches of the foal sticking out of the back.”

Claire and Bibi let Holly find her feet, on the floor of the lorry that was “awash” from the mare’s waters breaking.

“We got her down the ramp and she decided, being her, ‘I think I’ll have some grass now’!” Claire said. “Typical pony, she stopped having her foal for a quick snack on the verge.”

Claire thought at first the foal had died as his tongue was lolling and he was unmoving. She pulled the bag away and tapped his nose – and saw a twitch.

“Then, after a couple of minutes, she went down, gave three pushes and out he came!” Claire said. “There were cars coming past, people staring, it was surreal. But he stood up quickly, she passed the afterbirth and was lying on the ground eating the cow parsley, she didn’t care. It was probably 10 minutes from her going down to the foal being born. It would have been a textbook foaling, if she’d waited 10 minutes.”

The foal, who was shivering on the open hilltop, was wrapped in a Union Flag blanket from the living, while Claire’s “amazing” friends Jill Ward, Rebecca Sandell and Robin came to the rescue, with another lorry for the other mare, and shavings to dry Claire’s lorry.

Bibi stood in the back holding the foal up, as Claire drove home “at about two miles per hour”. Holly and her son have since been out enjoying the sunshine.

“They’re absolutely fine,” Claire said. “It was just one of those bizarre things, with a very good ending. It was funny though as it was the first foaling Bibi has seen; she’s nearly 18 and she’s missed so many foals being born by two or three minutes. So this was the first one she’s seen born, and I don’t think she’ll forget it – and I’m very glad Holly’s only the size she is!”

Claire added that a number of people have suggested Barkway On The Verge as a name for the foal.

“I think he will be called that,” she said. “And Charles for everyday use as he was wrapped in the Union Flag blanket. And when he’s showing, everyone will know who he is!”

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

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Lesley Barwise-Munro is a partner at Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group, Northumbria, and is also an official FEI vet. Her main areas of expertise are lameness, respiratory disease, dentistry and how they influence performance. She tells H&H about a particularly startling case

“In September 2014, a horse owner phoned to say that his four-year-old Friesian broodmare was off colour. She had been due to foal in May, and the owner had gone out to her when he saw her getting up and down in the field.

“But he didn’t find a foal, or foetal membrane, and a few weeks later discovered what he assumed were the remnants of a foal. The mare remained her usual self until we were called out, months later.

“The situation immediately triggered alarm bells — something wasn’t adding up. I wondered if there might be more to that first foaling than the owner realised.

“The mare was stiff and off her food with a high temperature. I examined her and felt what seemed to be legs in her uterus. The cervix had closed up but I opened it, only to find a dead foal inside — it had been decaying for more than five months. It was an unbelievable finding — I was flabbergasted, not least because the mare was as well as she was.

“I had to assume it was the second of twins. It was astonishing that infection hadn’t set in, especially as the cervix had opened for the first foal, preventing the uterus from remaining a sterile environment.

“We brought her in and it took around two hours to remove all the foal’s body parts from inside her, while she was on drip sedation. We were pulling out individual bones and bits of hair, piecing the foal together on the floor. Everyone was coming to look — it was bizarre.

“The mare was at great risk of toxaemia and laminitis, and one of the foal’s rib bones had pierced her uterus. The uterus is very fragile so I had to be careful not to traumatise it as I felt around inside with my gloved hand. I found the whole thing intriguing, rather than gruesome, and I knew there was no way the mare would have survived had we not got everything out — she would have gone downhill fast.

“Eventually, it seemed that we’d got everything out — parts of dead foal were lying all over the floor. The mare was very uncomfortable that evening, but quickly became brighter. We flushed out the uterus daily until no more debris came out. The mare’s resilience was unbelievable — she returned home after 12 days. She never became ill as a result of the experience.

“To think that she had had that foal rotting inside her for months, and yet recovered so fast is unbelievable. It’s incredibly rare and goes against everything I’ve experienced as a vet.”

• Please note, the picture above is not of this particular veterinary case

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The Donkey Sanctuary has created a “pioneering” adoption of a suckling system to help the natural development of orphan foals.

A groom at the charity came up with the idea when week-old orphan foal Sam was relinquished to the charity and needed to be bottle-fed every three to four hours. The groom had previously seen artificial suckling systems used for lambs.

“The team caring for Sam noticed potentially concerning behaviours developing, such as rearing up and biting in a playful manner, and the decision was taken to adapt an artificial suckling system to replace hand-rearing,” said a Donkey Sanctuary spokesman, adding that the groom had previously seen such systems used for newborn lambs.

With the charity’s new feeding system Sam’s milk formula is accessible 24 hours a day, and through monitoring it was observed he suckled at a variable rate throughout the 24-hour period, replicating natural rearing behaviour.

“Sam also suckled at times without taking in milk, demonstrating that suckling behaviour is a key part of maternal nurturing,” said the spokesman.

Ben Hart, Donkey Sanctuary senior lead in behaviour and human behaviour change, said orphan foals are one of the “greatest challenges” to equid care and welfare.

“Hand-rearing is often the only option for equine sanctuaries when an orphan arrives. However, too much inappropriate handling from humans can result in behavioural issues as the foal grows,” he said.

“Male donkeys can be extremely playful, often engaging in aggressive play well into adulthood. Foals learn a great deal about the world by biting things and interacting with them in this way. Bottle-reared foals may exhibit more of this behaviour because of incorrect handling, such as being pushed away, which the foal interprets as positive, playful attention.”

The artificial system consists of a plastic tube leading from an enclosed milk bucket to a bottle teat, which is attached to a stable door at an appropriate height. The formula is heated by a machine as it passes through the tube, on its way to the foal.

“The automatic system not only allows the foal to self-administer and potentially feed more naturally, but research also shows ad-lib feeding may also promote healthier growth and development,” said the spokesman.

“The system also allowed for 24-hour camera monitoring and the team caring for Sam observed other activities replicating the natural behaviour of foals. These included head-butting the teat, chewing or rubbing the teat and staying close by even when not feeding – all behaviours considered to be non-nutritive suckling and similar to when foals stay close to their mothers in the first five months of life.”

The spokesman said Sam has “flourished” in the charity’s care and when he was old enough to be rehomed, he was matched to one of the charity’s volunteers who helped look after him at the Donkey Sanctuary’s Paccombe Farm.

“The feeding system was adapted so successfully for Sam that the Donkey Sanctuary Ireland used it to help rear a rejected foal called Bugsy, when he came into their care. The team further adapted the system, building a structure to house the suckling equipment with space for the foal to enter and reach the teat,” said the spokesman.

“This was an improvement on the original system, as it allowed Bugsy to live with similarly aged companions without disrupting the feeding system. This in turn minimised social isolation, which can compound the development of behavioural problems.”

Ben added that developing the system is a “great” example of how collaboration and lateral thinking can significantly improve not only the health, welfare and behavioural development of donkeys in the charity’s care, but also equines around the world who can learn from the “pioneering” work.

He said: “Developing this artificial feeding system, which mimics the natural environment, is a great example of how team collaboration, academic excellence and lateral thinking can significantly improve not only the health, welfare and behavioural development of donkeys in our care but also equines around the world who can learn from our pioneering work.”

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A mare who developed grass sickness when she was eight months’ pregnant has recovered to give birth to a “miracle” foal.

At the end of 2021 Welsh mare Bluehaven Rock Goddess, known as Bambi, was found looking lethargic and unwell by her owners and breeders Julie and Carl Costello of Bluehaven Stud. The couple contacted their vet and following an examination Bambi was referred to Rainbow Equine Clinic.

Carl told H&H initially it was suspected that Bambi had colic, but vets carried out an eyelash test and Bambi – who was eight months pregnant – was diagnosed with chronic grass sickness. One of the clinical signs of grass sickness is ptosis, the drooping of the upper eyelids, and to test this eyedrops are used in one eye. In a horse suffering with grass sickness, the eyelashes will assume a different angle in the eye that has received the drops.

“It took a while to establish what was wrong with her. We were watching her go downhill as we were looking at her,” Carl said.

“At one stage the vets said the foal should be aborted because Bambi wasn’t eating a lot, and anything she was eating was going into the foal. Juliet and I discussed it and agreed we wanted to try and save the foal, but we said if at any point Bambi became in danger we would have to abort her.”

Bambi spent more than three weeks being in hospital and Carl said she began to “pick up”.

“We were trying to stimulate her to eat by trying chopped-up carrots, corn, slops – anything to try and help her,” he said.

“Then she just began to turn a corner. She got stronger and stronger and we were able to bring her home to continue nursing ourselves. At one stage a haynet would have taken her weeks to empty, but now she’s eating well.”

On 8 March Bambi gave birth to a filly, named Bluehaven Roxanne. Carl said maiden mare Bambi’s mother instincts “kicked in” but during the first few hours she had become very “foal-proud”, where a mare can become overly protective, and the foal initially struggled to suckle.

“We were concerned at first she wasn’t getting the colostrum she needed, but after some time they were fine. The foal is now bouncing around and doing well. Bambi is very proud of her, and we’re very proud of Bambi. We hope with time she will return to her former glory in the show ring and we’ll show the pair of them. She’s not 100% back to herself yet, but she’s a good 97%.”

Carl and Juliet have been in touch with the Equine Grass Sickness Fund and have provided tissue samples from Bambi to the charity’s biobank. The biobank was established last year with the aim of collecting vital samples from horses and soil to help with future research into the disease. For more information on providing samples visit www.grasssickness.org.uk.

“We’ve sent all the samples we can so hopefully they can learn something from them, as we have learned from the charity,” said Carl.

“We know grass sickness survivors are rare, and Bambi then giving birth to a healthy foal was even rarer. The disease takes no prisoners, and we’ve been extremely fortunate.”

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A Suffolk foal who survived a complicated birth and spent her first 10 days in hospital is now thriving.

Suffolk mare Whatton Jasmine, owned by Tommyshop Farm near King’s Lynn, went into labour on 22 April but veterinary intervention was required when the foal became stuck.

The farm’s head groom Claire Bartarm told H&H seven-year-old Jasmine was around five to six days overdue and noticing she had become “twitchy”, Claire phoned the vet to say she expected her to foal that evening.

“Five minutes later we had a bag, so we didn’t get much warning!” she said. “But it soon became apparent she wasn’t going to push the foal out herself. There was no way.

“We had the two legs and a nose but the mare couldn’t push her any further, the foal was rapidly stuck.”

Claire said the vet arrived and after 40 minutes, Tommyshop Astra was born at 10.30pm. The filly, by Colony Cuthbert, showed signs of being a “dummy foal”; neonatal maladjustment syndrome is a condition caused by oxygen deprivation that can cause a newborn foal to be slow in following expected patterns of behaviour, such as standing or drinking within the normal time-frame.

“She was struggling to get up on her back legs on her own, and while she had an excellent suckle reflex she couldn’t get the jist of tipping her head to feed,” Claire said.

“I milked the mare for the first 24 hours and bottle-fed her but we weren’t making any progress and Astra started to look like she was going downhill.“

The mare and foal were referred to Newmarket Equine Hospital, where Astra underwent plasma infusions and was treated with antibiotics.

“We thought everything was going well then Jasmine developed signs of foaling laminitis,” said Claire. “She was treated with ice boots and painkillers but it was a real worry.”

After 10 days Jasmine and Astra both improved and returned home.

“We kept them in an extra couple of days just to make sure everything was 100% before they came home. Collecting them was the most exciting day,” said Claire.

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“Now they’re just amazing. Jasmine is a first-time mum and she never gave up on her foal, she was so good letting us milk her. Astra is now feeding well and is a little live wire running around.”

Claire said welcoming a filly had been “extra special”, and the foal is the farm’s first for seven years. The farm has five Suffolk mares and is embarking on a breeding programme in the hope of boosting the rare breed’s numbers.

“We are hoping to have two foals next year. The farm’s owner Jackie Taylor also likes them to be used for exercise and working on the farm too so we will also use embryo transfer when we can,” she said.

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For foals who fail to wake fully at birth, an innovative veterinary technique could be the answer. Kelly Harrison-Tait MRCVS explains

The majority of foals born are fit, healthy and ready for the world, but sometimes things aren’t quite right. One condition that can affect a newborn foal is neonatal maladjustment syndrome, also known as being a “dummy foal”. A procedure that can help in this situation is the Madigan squeeze.

Traditionally, oxygen deprivation to the brain is thought to be the reason for this neonatal maladjustment syndrome, resulting in brain damage and inadequate blood supply to the nerve cells. Oxygen deprivation can result from the placenta coming away abruptly from the uterus before foaling, prolonged labour, prematurity, sepsis and swelling of the brain, among other causes.

Another, newer consideration is failure of the foal’s mental state to evolve from somnolence within the uterus to consciousness at birth, which normally occurs as the foal travels through the birth canal. The squeezing effect of the canal halts the release of neurosteroids. These keep the foal in a state of unconsciousness in the uterus; if no signal is received to stop their production they continue to be emitted, preventing the foal from becoming fully conscious as he emerges.

Slow to respond

A dummy foal will often be slow to follow the expected patterns of behaviour, not standing or drinking within the normal time-frame, for example. He may be lethargic and “forget” to lie down or stand up, needing assistance or reminding.

The foal is typically unable to interact fully both with his dam and his environment. When going to feed, he may struggle to locate the udder or fully latch on – this can lead to failure of passive transfer, a process where the foal receives essential antibodies from the mare. If he does not ingest enough colostrum before his gastrointestinal tract stops being able to absorb these large proteins, he is at increased risk of sepsis and other life-threatening illnesses.

Failure to spot the signs and initiate treatment can mean that a dummy foal develops a dangerously low body temperature (hypothermia) or blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia), which can ultimately lead to death.

Foals are born with very little energy storage in the form of fat, so intervention to ensure that the affected foal receives adequate colostrum can be essential. Care must always be taken if bottle-feeding a foal, because aspiration pneumonia can result if any fluid, such as milk, enters the lungs. Due to their often poor suck reflex, dummy foals need to be fed with extra caution.

It is important to seek veterinary advice, as stomach-tubing the colostrum is often considered safer. An intravenous drip may also be necessary, containing warm fluids, glucose and other neuro-protective agents such as thiamine and vitamin C.

Most foals recover well within one to five days, with correct care and if closely monitored, and begin to behave as expected.

The Madigan squeeze

The Madigan squeeze is a procedure that can be used on a foal displaying dummy signs in an effort to recreate the natural transition to consciousness.

A rope is secured around the foal by looping it around the chest several times. Tension is then applied to mimic the pressures implemented by the birth canal during the foal’s journey from the uterus to the outside world, and at the same time the foal is helped to lie down.

The rope is held for 20 minutes, the duration that the mare would be in second-stage labour. During this time, the foal becomes somnolent and lies asleep within the rope.

At the point the rope is released, the foal awakens, and, if the procedure has been successful, displays normal consciousness –usually going straight to the dam to drink. With these foals who have responded well to the technique, the prognosis is excellent as the sedative effect from the neurosteroids has been switched off.

The Madigan squeeze will not work on those who have suffered from hypoxic injury to the brain, unfortunately, although attempting the method will do no harm. The only caveat is that the foal is first checked carefully for evidence of rib fractures; if injury is detected, it is not safe to squeeze the foal.

“He was so floppy”

Miniature Shetland colt Gizmo weighed just 9.5kg when he was born on a snowy night in the Scottish Borders in late March. While the mare, Fern, appeared to foal without issue, owner Charlotte Mills soon sensed that something was wrong.

“Although Gizmo seemed physically perfect, he was so floppy that he couldn’t stand,” she recalls. “He was unresponsive and was getting cold, so we took him indoors and put him in front of the fire.”

Gizmo was referred by Charlotte’s local veterinary practice to the Dick Vet Equine Hospital, where he arrived early the next morning after a short lorry journey spent sitting on Charlotte’s lap. Now nearly 12 hours old, he had yet to stand or nurse from his dam.

“Examination revealed that Gizmo was hypothermic, with a poor suckle reflex, a drowsy demeanour and physical evidence of immaturity,” says Rachel Jago MRCVS, who confirms that the tiny foal was diagnosed with neonatal maladjustment syndrome.

“He was admitted to the foaling intensive care unit, under the care of the specialist medical team, and wrapped in a Bair Hugger warming blanket to maintain his core temperature.

“He was fed the dam’s colostrum every two hours, via a nasogastric tube, together with intravenous fluids and antimicrobial therapy,” adds Rachel. “The Madigan foal squeeze technique was performed and his demeanour improved.”

After 36 hours of round-the-clock care, Gizmo was up on his feet and able to suckle unassisted. Three days later, he and Fern could return home.

“Gizmo is still small, even for a mini Shetland, but he’s lovely,” says Charlotte, whose husband Douglas bred him. “He’s happy and healthy, like a little bison.”

Glazed and lifeless

“It was as if the lights were on but no-one was home,” says international showjumper Jay Halim of the glazed, lifeless look his warmblood colt foal Herbie (pictured top) developed during his first 12 hours. “He had arrived a little earlier than expected, but he had seemed bright and normal at first and was suckling well. As the day progressed, he went downhill.”

While Herbie would go to the udder, he wouldn’t drink. Jay had tried milking the mare and offering the foal a bottle, but Aled Thomas MRCVS, a stud vet at Bourton Vale Equine Clinic, recognised dummy foal syndrome and advised that Herbie should be transferred to the clinic.

“Herbie was initially managed with an indwelling stomach tube, so that we could feed him the mare’s milk and ensure that his hydration and energy levels were maintained,” explains Aled. “We later performed the Madigan foal squeeze technique, which was so successful that he was able to suckle almost immediately.”

Eight months later, Herbie has been paired up for turnout with another uncastrated colt.

“You wouldn’t know he’d ever had a problem,” says Jay. “He’s a cheeky monkey, but everyone loves Herbie.”

Ref: Horse & Hound; 24 December 2020

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A premature foal who was “smaller than a Labrador” and weighed only 15kg on arrival is spreading happiness three years after defying the odds to live.

Tiny, an embryo transfer out of Loretta Live by Floriscount, was born from a recipient mare at Scottish stud Caledonia Dressage Horses at 306 days gestation – around five weeks early – on 6 May 2017.

Stud owner Reay Campbell told H&H the mare had developed placentitis and delivered the foal standing up.

“I pulled this little thing out of her thinking she had aborted the foal and the placenta that followed was rotten,” she said. “Then all of a sudden this tiny scrap of life blinked at me.

“She was smaller than a Labrador – just absolutely minute.”

Reay said Tiny was unable to stand and received round-the-clock care, being fed hourly night and day.

“We really didn’t know if she was going to live or die. She had received very poor nutrition so the vets gave her plasma and the mare was super at letting us take milk from her,” she said.

“The thing we noticed from the beginning was Tiny’s character. She couldn’t stand but you’d go to feed her and it was like she was yelling at you saying ‘come on feed me now’.”

After a week Tiny was able to stand and drink from the mare with assistance from Reay and stud manager Rachel Murray.

“She couldn’t balance herself but one day while holding her up she started bucking and I thought she might just live,” said Reay. “She was as bright as a button and with time it got to the point she could stand by herself.

“But her first time out of the stable my heart sank. Her feet were like balls and her joints were so soft, her legs were all over the place and I just thought how are we ever going to sort this?”

Vets X-rayed Tiny’s knees and hocks but it was thought the filly “didn’t have a chance” and Reay was advised to put her down.

“I couldn’t stop crying,” said Reay. “She wanted to live, at no point did I ever get the feeling she had had enough so I made the decision to go on the journey and see where we ended up, taking one day at a time.

“Nobody really knew what to do so Rachel and I got human braces and made splints for her legs and over time, once her feet got harder, our brilliant farrier Keith Hedley fitted plastic extensions to her hooves to help.”

Reay said after six weeks Tiny was X-rayed again and the vets “couldn’t believe the difference” with the filly’s bones and joints making significant improvements. Following continued remedial farriery and splints, now three-year-old Tiny has straight legs and acts “very pleased with herself”.

“It was a rollercoaster ride until she was around six months old, but Tiny never knew anything was wrong with her – she’d march around in her splints with her huge character,” said Reay.

“Her cannon bones are shorter than what they should be so she doesn’t have a future as a riding horse, but she is beautifully bred and genetically everything is fine, so the hope is to take embryos from her in the future. She is smaller than she should be so I will never ask her to carry a foal. It would be a lovely end to the story to get an embryo, but if we can’t get embryos she will have a happy life being a companion.”

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Reay added Tiny developed a large following on social media with many people keen to hear about her journey.

“When she was first born we didn’t announce anything until she was six weeks old as we really didn’t know if we’d lose her, but then she became a bit of an internet sensation. People loved hearing how she was getting on,” she said.

“During my time breeding we’ve very occasionally had a mare abort a foal, but I’ve never experienced something like this – it was just incredible she lived.”

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An orphaned foal has been successfully adopted by her dam’s field companion, who is raising the coloured filly alongside her own.

Sally Lister’s cremelo mare Szoszke (known as “Gracie”) has taken on the youngster, Donna Seraphina, who was born on the same night as her own buckskin filly, Brackenspa Nightingale, and all three are doing “very well”.

Donna Seraphina, owned by Melissa Burman, lost her mother, Betty, as a result of foaling complications. She sustained colon torsion and despite vets’ best efforts, they were unable to save her.

“We brought the orphan filly foal home on Thursday morning (23 April) and thankfully Gracie had foaled that same night,” Sally told H&H.

“It is one of those sad things that can happen as a complication of foaling. Hopefully we have been able to make the best of a really sad situation and thank goodness we had another mare foal that same night.”

Sally, who owns and runs Brackenspa Stud in Lincolnshire, said they thought about bringing a mare into milk — which they did successfully last year for an orphaned Suffolk horse — but that would take a week to 10 days.

Sally is an experienced breeder and her husband has experience of successfully getting orphaned calves to be adopted.

“When we arrived home from Oakham, we ummed and ahhed about what to do,” she added.

“We decided to give it a go as Gracie has been with us for years and we know her very well. Temperamentally, she is one of the nicest mares you could ever have.

“It is amazing — it’s not as much about how we did it, but rather it very much comes down to the mare.”

The team at the stud had the help of Tower Equine and very carefully managed introducing Donna Seraphina to her new mother, ensuring there was always someone with the trio for the first 72 hours.

The foals worked out which side each of them would drink from and all three have now bonded well.

She added both are feeding well and putting on weight.

“Gain Equine Nutrition have been hugely supportive in making sure they are all getting the right nutrients and that we are getting the best for the mare as her milk yield needs to be twice the size,” she said. “It isn’t like she is feeding twins, these are both full-size foals.”

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Sally added there was a moment on the second night where they thought Gracie was feeling a bit pestered, but with help and managing the amount and timing of extra feeds, this quickly settled down.

“I have twin children and I know how hard it is — all they want to do is drink,” laughed Sally. “The most important extra feed we give them is last thing at night, it fills their tummies and gives Gracie some respite.

“Now they are all out in the field all day and the foals are absolutely loving life. They are best mates and are going to have the best time growing up because they have always got a friend.

“She is growing up as a foal [not hand-reared], learning all the things she needs to learn from a very professional broodmare who is very kind, but who doesn’t take any nonsense from them.”

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The arrival of twin foals tends to hit headlines. When breeding mare Didi Van Weltevreden delivered not just one foal this spring but two, her connections were certainly surprised.

“We hadn’t realised that she was carrying a twin foal, until the birth,” says Marjolijn Takke of Beukestein Stables in Maartensdijk, the Netherlands. “She had developed a really big belly towards the end of her pregnancy, but the vet told us that was normal as the mare is big.

“When the filly foal arrived and was not that large, we joked that there might be another one in there,” Marjolijn continues. “Then Didi started to labour again and delivered the second foal, a colt.”

Didi’s double delivery is indeed remarkable, according to Dr Charles Cooke MRCVS of Equine Reproductive Services.

“As a prey animal, a newborn foal must be ready to leap to his feet and run,” he explains, pointing out that other baby mammals that have the “pack” to protect them remain helpless, with their eyes shut, for some time. “To ensure this happens, the mare’s placenta provides all the foetus needs but will only really sustain one foal satisfactorily. Twin pregnancies can occur, however, when a mare ovulates an egg from each of two follicles and both eggs are fertilised.

“Carrying twins is risky,” adds Charles. “It is essential that the mare has an ultrasound scan 15-16 days after covering to see if she is in foal, address any twin/triplets or prepare her for re-covering if she isn’t pregnant — and another at around 18-20 days if there is any evidence or suspicion of a second pregnancy. Some mares are also scanned at 28 days to confirm a single, healthy foetus.”

Twin foals: the chances of survival

While some twin pregnancies may reduce to a single spontaneously in the first few weeks, Charles explains that prompt action is preferable. It is usual for the vet to “squeeze” (crush) one by hand at the 15-16 day exam, when the procedure is relatively simple and has minimal effect on the remaining embryo.

Didi was scanned several times by the vet during her early pregnancy, yet a second embryo was never spotted. How does a twin foal remain undetected?

“Identifying a twin pregnancy can be difficult” explains Charles. “A pregnancy can be surprisingly similar to a uterine cyst, which is a dilation of soft tissue in the uterus, so an embryo nestled up against cysts can ‘blend in’. Repeat scans can help.”

“If the embryos settle next to each other at the base of the same uterine horn [arm], they are in competition for space and nutritional contact with the uterus. They might both be lost or reduce spontaneously, although this cannot be relied upon and happens later than the 15-16 day vet squeeze. Manual reduction is always the best option for a single, healthy pregnancy. Those in separate horns can develop independently, which usually leads to problems in mid-late pregnancy.

“Complications include musculoskeletal issues for the mare, uterine trauma and infection, or abortion with possible ‘dystocia’ [delivery problems].”

If twins are born live, their combined weight is often the same as the single foal the mare’s uterus is designed to carry, explains Charles. They tend to be very weak with an increased risk of neonatal illness.

“Twin foals are always a worry and are to be avoided where possible, so ultrasound examination in early pregnancy is something we always recommend,” he says. “When they do occur and survive, they are headline news for a reason.”

Ref Horse & Hound; 22 August 2019

Watching one mare foaling is a magical moment, but for Marti Rudd and her husband Tomas Doyle at Monbeg Sport Horses, they had the joy — and rare sight — of watching two of their broodmares foal next to each other within the space of 10 minutes.

“Timmy was overdue by two weeks and had shown no signs of foaling,” explains Marti. “I had checked Nancy the night before and she looked close to foaling.

“At 5am the following morning, Tomas went out to the field to check them and, when he didn’t come back, I went out too and saw Nancy had just foaled.”

While the other broodmares showed some interest, Timmy stood over watching intently and, at one point, even licked Nancy’s newborn colt foal.

“It was unusual for Nancy to let all the other mares come and say ‘hello’, but then Timmy got down right next to them and had her foal, another lovely, big colt,” adds Marti. “Nancy and Timmy are incredibly close friends, but I doubt we’ll ever see something like this again — at one stage we thought they were going to swap foals!”

Tomas noticed Timmy’s foal had a leg in the wrong position during the birth, but it was sorted quickly and both colt foals were born happy and healthy.

“Nancy’s foal even tried to suckle off Timmy, at which point we had to intervene,” says Marti.

Article continues below…

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The two broodmares, who are both 17 years old, have recovered well after the births and have remained in the large field in which they foaled.

“When the weather is nice, we always leave the broodmares out in the field together. It is a lovely big field and they seem happiest in the natural environment,” adds Marti, who has yet to name the two very cute newborns.

The new arrivals will eventually be broken in at the couple’s base in County Wexford in Ireland, before being sold or competed by Tomas in young horse showjumping classes.

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When Dutch showjumper and breeder Anne-Liza Makkinga’s foaling alarm went off one day in May, she was unaware her mare Cacharelle’s birth would quickly turned into a “terrifying” ordeal — thankfully with a very happy ending.

Her former grand prix horse had had a twin foal aborted during a previous pregnancy, but a scan this time around had revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Anne-Liza’s first inkling that there was something amiss only came when the mare began pushing.

“I tried to feel if the placenta was open and when I took my hands away there was so much blood,” Anne-Liza tells Horse & Hound. “I called the vet straight away because my first thought was that she had damaged her insides. I had him on loudspeaker and I was holding the placenta with two feet in it and pulling while she pushed. Then suddenly another placenta came out and I was absolutely terrified because I thought at first it was her insides.

“I realised it must be a second placenta, then I saw another leg — I remember screaming down the phone to the vet ‘I have three legs!’ And he said ‘But that’s impossible!’”

The vet arrived within five minutes and in the meantime Anne-Liza’s neighbour, also a breeder, arrived to help. His first reaction was that the third leg must be the foal’s hindleg before it became apparent there was more than one foal.

“He helped me to pull the two legs which had come out first and within about 30 seconds, with just one push, the foal came out,” says Anne-Liza. “The other foal by then was half-out and came out shortly afterwards.

“I was apologising to ‘Cach’ while it was happening as I thought I was going to lose all three of them — I was thinking ‘What situation have I put you in?’”

The first foal was up quickly but Anne-Liza had to clear the second foal’s nostrils so she could breathe, but then the filly lifted her head and stood soon after her older sister.

“My neighbour’s reaction was ‘They’re both still alive, how can that be possible?’ then the vet arrived and was very surprised to see them both, apologising for not having seen it in the scan,” she recalls. “But they must have just been very close behind each other in the womb at the time.”

Amazingly, both foals have been suckling from their mother without any problems.

“The bigger first foal was drinking within half an hour. We milked the mare straight away so bottle-fed the little one every hour through the night,” says Anne-Liza. “Then we tried her on some powdered milk in the morning but she said ‘No way!’ so we were a bit worried. When she saw me coming with the bottle she stood up and went straight to her mum and drunk from her instead.”

Continued below…

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Nearly a month on, both filly foals are doing really well and the reaction to having three healthy horses at the end of it all has been overwhelming.

“The only difference between the foals is the size,” says Anne-Liza of the daughters of Conthargos. “If you look at the bigger foal, you wouldn’t say she’s a twin, but the little one is definitely on the small side and her legs are thinner — but she’s grown a lot.

“The little one is such a character – very cute. But that’s probably our luck, because if she didn’t have that strength of character, she may not have been quite so lucky.”

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A breeder has called the surprise birth of Connemara twin foals a “blessing”.

John and Anne Gunning’s 12-year-old mare Currachmore Cashe, known as Magic Molly, had been scanned in foal to Connemara stallion Coral Misty Bobby. It was believed she was carrying one foal but she unexpectedly gave birth to healthy twins on Friday morning (31 May).

John, from Ballymoe in County Galway, told H&H there were “absolutely no concerns” ahead of the birth.

“The mare was in the paddock at the back of the house and the night before I’d looked at her and thought she would foal the next day,” he said.

“In the morning my wife looked out of the window and said she thought she could see a pair of ears in the grass. I went outside and there was a foal on its own, I looked at the mare and she was giving birth to another foal. It was absolutely lashing down with rain so I had to get a little bit of help from my brother-in-law and we put them inside.”

John said the “cheeky” foals, who have been named Jack and Jill as they live on a steep hill, are flourishing.

“The vet said about 5% of pregnancies will fertilise two eggs and they’ll always look for twins at the scan. It’s about a 10,000 to one chance to have healthy twins on the ground,” said John.

“Magic Molly is an amazing mare. She lost a foal last year but she was in great condition and has kept that condition – that’s why you wouldn’t expect twins. She’s a great mum. It was like she wondered where the second foal had come from but she took to them straight away. They’re absolutely gorgeous.”

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John said Jack and Jill have caused a stir locally.

“People have been coming with carrots and apples for Molly, wanting to get photos,” he said.

“We’re giving Molly extra TLC and she’s quite happy. She has a paddock to herself and her two foals. They go in a shed at night and we have a camera to keep an eye on them – everything is going as planned.

“It’s a blessing. We’re having to pinch ourselves, it’s really incredible. We think Jack will be a dun, but possibly Jill as well – it’s very hard to tell at this stage. We don’t know the future plans for them yet, I’d love to keep Jill – they’re both very special.”

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The owner of a mare who initially rejected an orphan foal after losing her own wants others in a similar situation to know that through “great darkness you can give light”.

Hertfordshire-based riding coach Miri Hackett’s mare Mo gave birth to her first foal, Mpenzi, (which means “sweetheart” in Swahili) on Saturday (11 May) but the filly died on Monday morning.

Half an hour later, Miri posted on a Facebook group to say she had a mare who could potentially take on an orphaned foal.

“Within 10 minutes I received a message saying a nearby stud had a five-day-old filly, I got in touch with them and within the hour the foal was with me,” Miri told H&H. “At first we put her in the next-door stable to Mo which has windows and Mo was nickering at her and then we took her to the front of Mo’s stable.”

Miri said Mo, who she has owned for 10 years, then turned on the filly.

“She was pretty horrible to her. She had her ears back and tried to bite her – she was just poisonous. It was heartbreaking, in my head it didn’t make sense – I thought ‘why can’t you love this baby’ but they just know it’s not theirs,” she said.

“We took the foal away and came up with a plan. We had to restrain Mo and cover her eye to let the foal drink from her. The foal didn’t notice anything was going on, but it was painful having to make Mo do something she was feeling very uncomfortable with.”

Miri’s vet administered prostaglandin, a hormone naturally produced by a horse that can be given synthetically to help a mare come in to season and can also produce the signs of labour, in the hope Mo would “reset” and accept the filly.

“If they are given a certain dose they are supposed to sweat up, roll, and show signs of labour but Mo didn’t have the reactions she was supposed to. After 30 minutes she sweated up a little and the foal had a drink but we couldn’t leave her with Mo – she hated her. We were so disheartened – it felt like that was our only chance,” said Miri.

“That night I bucket-fed the foal every two hours. The stud she had come from had bucket-fed her from the start so we didn’t need to use bottles.”

Miri’s vet came back the following evening and administered a different brand of prostaglandin, Lutalyse.

“Within 15 minutes Mo was lathered in sweat, pacing, and doing the flehmen response where they smell the air – it was like she was showing real signs of foaling,” said Miri.

“We took the foal in and initially restrained Mo, but you could just tell she was different. She was quieter, she wasn’t pulling faces. I had wiped some of Mo’s sweat on Didi’s back so she smelt like Mo. We were scared because Mo had had such a strong reaction to her previously, and she’s a feisty horse – but she completely accepted her like her own.”

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Within 30 minutes Mo was nuzzling the filly and then feeding her.

“It felt like a miracle, I’m so grateful to my resourceful vet for everything he did and I want to share my success story so others know if one way doesn’t work – it’s not the end of the road,” said Miri.

“It’s still very hard and I’m very sad I lost my Mpenzi and I’ve had a lot of support from people following my story. I’ve named the filly Zawadi which means ‘gift’ in Swahili. I want people to know sometimes through great darkness you can give light and hope my experience can help another mare or foal in a desperate situation.”

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The Orphan Foal: A Practical Guide is a book written to explain how a foal should be cared for if the dam is unable or unwilling to feed her foal.

Author Wendy O’Connor has over 45 years’ experience of working with horses. She spent 30 years on stud farms and the remaining with the racing industry. Wendy has assisted with hundreds of foalings, most of which have gone very smoothly, resulting in a healthy mare and foal. However, when things have gone wrong, for example if the mare rejects the foal, Wendy has developed the skills necessary for caring for the mare and/or foal. She is renowned all over the UK for fostering and hand-rearing orphan foals and has given lectures on her methods.

The skills Wendy has acquired are passed on in this book. Time is of the essence when things go wrong and this book will be a valuable guide to anyone involved in breeding horses, whether professionally or for pleasure.

Deidre Carson BVSc MRCVS said of this book: “There is no baffling science but reassuring reference to the need to take professional veterinary advice if needed. This book covers all of the basics and more and would be an excellent addition to the reading material for stud managers and stud employees plus the amateur breeder who wants to ensure they have access to some sensible, practical advice on rearing a foal when things haven’t gone to plan. Vets and vet students will also find it useful if they are unfamiliar with these situations.”

This book explains how to foster an orphan foal, how to hand-rear an orphan foal, how to integrate and educate an orphan foal with other horses and how a foal should be cared for if its dam us unable to feed it.

In this book extract, Wendy explains her top tips for success when fostering a foal:

– Make sure the foal has not been fed for a while before you start i.e, it must be hungry. It depends on the age but foals less than two weeks old can be left a couple of hours before introducing them. Older foals can be left about three hours. When the first foal arrives (if the foal comes to your mare) enquire when it last drank so you know how long it can safely go without food.

– If the foal has never drunk from a mare before you will need to show it where the udder is and encourage it to latch onto the teat. You can start by trying to squirt milk into the foal’s mouth, taking care to avoid aspiration pneumonia. This is one of those times when you will need a lot of patience. If the foal has only every drunk from a bucket or has done so for a long time and won’t latch on to the teat, try feeding it from a bottle to get the suck reflex going. Once it has learnt to latch on and suck from the bottle, progress to the mare’s teat.

– Always put foals on a one week course of equine probiotic paste. This is because the trauma of losing their dam, the stress of fostering and the change in diet may cause digestive upsets and probiotics may help.

– Some mares do not like having too many bales of straw around them and will try to jump out, so be flexible to individual needs.

– Each fostering is different — there are no hard and fast rules.

– Work with the mare and foal as individuals until you understand their likes and dislikes.

-The fostering process may take anything from a couple of hours to over a week.

– Normally an experienced handler can asses whether the process is going to work or not.

– It sometimes helps to try taking the foal away from the mare after a couple of hours and watch her reaction to see if she misses the foal. If she whinnies and looks for the foal, you’re onto a winner. Do not despair if she doesn’t, there is still plenty of time.

– Not all attempts at fostering work.

– Always have a supply of formula (equine substitute) milk available in case the mare’s milk supply is inadequate and the foal needs to be supplemented.

– If the mare has poor milk supply, supplement her feed with cocoa powder (from the local shop). Make sure it is full strength cocoa powder and not low calorie or drinking chocolate. Mix four tablespoons of powder with her night feed. Start with one spoonful then build up as she gets used to the taste. Your vet may also advise treating her with Domperidone (an anti-sickness medication that has a side effect of her usually stimulating milk supply) and she should be fed plenty of fresh cut grass. Your vet may also suggest using prostaglandin if the mare is not pregnant again, which is a relatively new protocol and can give good results. These methods will hopefully encourage the mare to produce more milk so if contemplating these forms of treatment, consult your vet.

– Any change in a foal’s diet can cause it to scour.

– Anti-diarrhoea preventive medicine and probiotics may be advisable until recovered.

Price: The Orphan Foal: A Practical Guide can be purchased for £20 via Whorl Publishing

Published by: Whorl Publishing Limited, 2018

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When Jan Davidson and Ian Lovatt decided to breed a foal from ‘Larney’ (Seskins Popper), a mare they had owned for 16 years, little did they know the heartbreak and stress that was ahead.

Larney competed at British Eventing novice level with Jan, and then proved to be a super schoolmistress taking an inexperienced teenager to the national amateur showjumping championships at Aintree, where she won an accumulator class.

Jan and Ian chose the stallion Balou Star and sent her to Twemlows Stud. Larney was scanned in foal, due April 2018.

“Jan and I went along to the Twemlows open day, where Balou Star was paraded and jumped 1.60m for fun,” explains Ian. “He reminded us of another very good mare we have, Cyloma Z, and I said to Jan ‘I think that’s the one for us’.

“We went and asked the people looking after Balou Star if we could put our mare to him, but they said it wouldn’t work as he was only providing frozen semen — with a 20-year-old mare, a natural covering would give her the best possible chance of getting in foal.”

But after some discussion, it was decided that Larney would go to Twemlows to have fresh semen artificially inseminated once Balou Star had returned from a two-week jumping show in Germany.

“Twemlows called us two weeks later to say that a miracle had happened and Larney had been scanned in foal — we were over the moon,” says Ian.

Jan and Ian had wireless CCTV cameras installed in Larney’s stable, where she would foal at home, with Phil Wardle from the Bazaars Stud and Tom Walters Equine Vets on standby to help if needed.

On Thursday 19 April, Larney started to look uncomfortable. Phil came over and he recognised it was unlikely to be a straightforward foaling.

An internal scan showed the mare wasn’t creating enough room in preparation for the birth and things started to become desperate. But with Phil’s help, a healthy colt foal was eventually born.

Shortly after the foaling, it became clear that Larney’s health was at risk and James Carrier from Tom Walters Veterinary practice attended. Despite everyone’s best efforts, the decision was made to put her to sleep. The focus was now on a foal to save.

“It was such a traumatic experience — Larney meant the world to us, but the race was now on to keep the foal alive,” says Ian.

While dealing with the emotion of having lost their wonderful mare, it was imperative to get Larney’s colostrum (first milk which contains important antibodies) inside her foal. Ian milked as much off Larney as he could.

“We had no experience of this type of situation before,” explains Ian. “The vet said we needed to milk Larney as much as we could — if the foal didn’t get the required amount of colostrum, he would die too.”

The newly named Larry was bottle-fed the colostrum, followed by formula milk every hour. It then became a race against the clock to find Larry a foster mum.

The National Foaling Bank was informed and Larry became the 38th foal looking for a foster mum that season.

Messages were put on Facebook and phone calls were made to studs and vets in the area.

“We had a massive response,” says Ian. “The Facebook post had over 1,000 shares and people were really there to help.”

The most suitable sounding match was found in Essex. The mare had tragically lost her own foal, but sounded ideal as she was an experienced mum, the right size, with plenty of milk and critically, she still had her dead foal with her.

Johanna Vardon from the National Foaling Bank advised Ian and Jan how to prepare for the tricky task of introducing the mare to Larry.

Firstly the stable was modified, dividing it into two with plywood and a mesh grill. The mesh needed to be no lower than the mare’s eye line so that she couldn’t touch noses with Larry. A plyboard gate was also installed to allow access between both sides of the stable, and finally Larry was kept hungry.

After a four-hour journey, the mare, KitKat, arrived. She and her dead foal were put in the stable and she was milked by hand to relive the pressure in her bag and also to give some to Larry if required. The advice given was that once a foal has suckled his mum’s milk, he will begin to smell like her after 36-48 hours.

KitKat was then sedated so that her dead foal could be taken and his skin removed. The foal’s ears were also removed and tied to the grill between the stables on the mare’s side. This allowed her to smell her foal yet see Larry.

The skin was attached to a towel and placed on top of Larry covering his neck and back (pictured top). To add KitKat’s smell to Larry, her droppings and urine were rubbed all over him. Vicks Vapour rub was also placed on his head and in her nostrils to dampen her sense of smell.

The initial introduction over the stable door was encouraging with no signs of aggression from KitKat. Larry was backed into her stable, never allowing her to smell his head. Then it was time to get him to suckle. With a little assistance, Larry got the idea.

KitKat was a natural. She was allowed to sniff his back and legs, but that was all for the time being. Once Larry was full, he was put back on the other side of the boards. KitKat immediately became distressed, which was a good sign but it was too early to leave them together — the fact that she could see him and smell the ears comforted her.

Two hours later, the process was repeated, and each feeding session was more and more encouraging, with the mare showing natural bonding signs such as licking Larry. The foal skin was slowly folded towards his head so that she could smell him.

At 6am Larry fed well independently and the skin was removed. KitKat licked and called out to him throughout. When he was put back into his box, the decision was made that he would be left with the mare after his next feed, and to everyone’s relief it was a success.

It is now a few weeks later and KitKat and Larry are both doing really well.

“I hope that even if this story raises awareness and helps just one person and their mare and foal, then speaking about it is worth it,” says Jan.

Ian says: “It was the worst few days of my life — Larney meant the world to us. But I would like to truly thank Edward from Twemlows, James from Tom Walters Vets and Phil Wardle for all of their expert advice. A special thank you must be said to Stuart Redding and Victoria Selfe for allowing their wonderful mare KitKat to come and save Larry’s life. Additionally they would like to thank their wonderful friends Helen, Mark, Tom, Bridie, Shirley, Darren and Ceri. The loss of their beloved Larney will never be forgotten, but hopefully now that she’s at rest, seeing a part of her living on inside Larry will in time help with the healing process.”

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The devastated owner of a newborn filly who died tangled in the surcingles of her dam’s rug wants to raise awareness of the dangers of rugging pregnant mares.

Amberley Jane Baker wanted to ensure her part-bred Welsh mare Lottie (pictured) was comfortable in her stable on Monday night (2 April), as she had been turned out in the rain and was wet, cold and tucked up.

She put a rug on but removed the rear straps and tightened the surcingles as much as possible while ensuring Lottie was not uncomfortable, then checked her continually on CCTV until the early hours of the morning to ensure there were no signs of a foal’s arrival.

“When I woke up, I saw legs on the CCTV and rushed out to the stable, really excited – and found the foal hanging from the belly straps,” Amberley told H&H.

“I tried my best to revive her but it was no use, there was no life in her. It was absolutely horrible.”

Amberley explained she only found out Lottie was in foal a month ago when she started bagging up, and can only think that her now two-year-old colt, who has a talent for escaping despite Amberley’s best efforts, had somehow impregnated her.

She posted about her experience on social media to warn other owners, but says she has since been the victim of online abuse.

“I’m absolutely devastated and don’t need to be told I’m stupid or shouldn’t have horses,” she said.

“Lottie’s been rugged up all winter – we’re in west Wales and it’s been so cold, she’s had heavy rugs on – and she was so cold that night, I was just trying to make sure my mare was comfortable.

“And of course we didn’t know when she was due; I’d had CCTV installed especially so I could check her. I’ve heard stories of foals getting stuck in rear straps so I’d taken that off but this was different.

“The afterbirth was out and the foal looked clean so she didn’t get stuck while Lottie was giving birth. I think the foal must have gone to drink and maybe the mare tried to kick or something as she’s been sore and that’s how she got tangled. But I can’t bear to watch the CCTV video to find out.

Continues below…

Pregnant mare and aborted foal die in horrific hit and run *warning: graphic image*

The mare was dragged some 20 metres by the vehicle, whose driver failed to stop

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“I just wanted to raise awareness but I’ve had so much hate. I want people to understand to never put a rug on a pregnant mare, regardless.

“I’ve got to live with this for the rest of my life so I don’t need any more hate from people, it’s been heartbreaking.”

Amberley is now urging anyone with a foal who needs a foster mother to get in touch, adding that she would be happy for Lottie to move yards if necessary. Call 01252 555021 or email eleanor.m.jones@timeinc.com.

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When Vicki Chiverton bought a mare at the beginning of the year with the aim of doing the Wobbleberry Challenge, she got a little more than she bargained for, says Jo Prestwich

You’ve bought your new horse and thoughts move to the future. Schooling, long hacks and the upcoming show calendar are all in the mix and the world looks wonderful.

And then the doubt begins to set in — that mare, she’s just beginning to carry a bit of extra weight isn’t she? In fact, she’s looking positively fat, or I should say pear shaped… She couldn’t be pregnant, could she?

Some ring the vet, others take to social media; either way, for the majority, it’s a case of wondering what we do now, because, let’s face it, few of us have practical midwifery skills.

Vicki and Polly Chiverton have just gone through the whole drama with Vicki’s mare Fran. Vicki bought Fran in January to do the Wobbleberry Challenge but four weeks ago, whilst Vicki was away on holiday, Polly’s suspicions were aroused.

“I went over to ride her for mum, got her in, tied her up, looked at her and thought this is not a shape I’m familiar with, she’s either in-foal or there’s something very wrong,” says Polly. “I got the vet who took bloods to test but as I was still very short of useful knowledge I rang a breeder down the road who came up and said he reckoned she was two-and-a-half weeks off foaling — he was bob on!”

The mare was out 24/7 so that routine was adhered to. The night before she foaled the mare, certainly to the untrained eye, looked no different to usual and Vicki arrived the following morning to see a fine bay colt in the field.

“The local breeder came up to have a quick check of her but unfortunately in the excitement of seeing the new arrival no one noticed what the dogs were up to and by the time he arrived and went to check the afterbirth, they had quite a bit of it for breakfast!”

Continued below…

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The downside? Well there’s certainly not going to be a Wobbleberry Challenge this year, but the upside is that ‘Dude’s Legacy’ is bred for the job.

After a bit of detective work it turned out his Hanoverian/thoroughbred mum was covered by a grandson of Seeking The Gold. The three-year-old colt had unintentionally got in with the mares but Fran was tested not in foal.

“If they’d realised they wouldn’t have sold her, but it’s great because he can be my next eventer,” says Polly.

Don’t miss the full feature about mares who arrive with an unexpected extra on board in this week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine (31 August 2017)

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A US police force has welcomed the first foal of its “exciting” breeding programme.

New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) mounted section started the programme to help secure the horse-power it will need in the future.

Tebo Stardust, a Percheron/throughbred colt, was born on 17 March weighing around 120lb and is “doing fine”.

The name “Tebo” was chosen by a competition winner, who named him after her grandfather — a former serving police officer.

Dave Waguespack, the mounted patrol unit’s lead instructor, told H&H the colt is being well handled and is getting used to the noises and goings-on around his paddock.

He added that temperament is the “number one” priority for their police horses.

The force formerly bought its horses from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

These equines were bred and trained to work in similar situations to those that police horses face.

However, when the prison revealed it was ending its breeding programme last year, NOPD decided to secure the bloodlines itself.

The force bought two in-foal mares — Endy and Allie — with money from a generous donation to start its own scheme.

“It is very exciting,” added Mr Waguespack. “The department is committed and hopefully we can make it a successful long-term programme.”

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All being well, Allie is set to foal at the end of next month.

The mounted unit is now hoping to raise more money to fund a larger turnout area for its 25 horses.

“Our goal is to expand the size and the reach of the mounted unit so that the horses and officers are able to patrol additional areas on a regular basis,” said Superintendent Michael S Harrison.

“Right now the horses are primarily used to patrol the French quarter and central business district.

“We hope to continue to develop the division so that the mounted unit will be able to become an integral part of patrols in neighbourhoods around the city.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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A pair of rare twin foals have been born in Suffolk.

The maiden Welsh section D mare Greenwing Royal Rose gave birth to the pair 16 days ago.

Tiger and Lilly, who are by the Welsh section D stallion Danaway Sniper, are growing stronger each day and have become an internet hit after a video of them went viral.

The pregnancy went full-term as by the time the six-year-old mare had her first scan at 42 days, she was already quite far along with both foals within the same horn and it was decided to let nature run its course. Scans are usually carried out between 12-14 days post covering.

“We are lucky to have two healthy foals,” owner Lee Smith told H&H. “Rose has taken to motherhood very well.

“They were two weeks old on Monday [20 March] and are getting stronger every day. We can see them really building themselves up.

“The biggest one is quite outgoing, while the littler one stays with the mare most of the time.”

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The owner was there at the birth — one of the foals was born inside her sac, which they were able to pierce, but no veterinary intervention was needed during the delivery.

Live twins are a rarity as it is very risky for the mare to carry them full term and one — or both — twins do not normally survive.

While it is common for mares to conceive twins, if they are spotted early enough on an ultrasound a vet will usually ‘pinch’ (abort) one embryo to give the other foal and the mare the best chance of a safe, full-term, healthy pregnancy.

Vet Dr Chris Lehrbach told H&H that while the pair are not “out of the woods” yet, they are doing well.

“It is very difficult to give actual figures [for how rare full-term equine twins are],” he said.

He added very often it is unknown that twins have been conceived as mares commonly naturally abort one at a very early stage, and that vets do “everything they can” to avoid them going to term to maximize the chance of a safe pregnancy.

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A mare who was found stuck under a trailer on an industrial estate last year has presented her rescuers with a spring surprise.

The young mare, named Minty, gave birth to a healthy filly on 20 February at her new home, HorseWorld in Bristol.

A spokesman for the charity said this means at the time of her rescue she would have been six months pregnant.

He added that Minty’s experience does not seem to have had any ill effects on her foal, who was born during the night with no problems.

“We suspect this is Minty’s first foal as she was not very maternal to begin with and seemed a little daunted by it all,” said HorseWorld groom Joanne Vaughan.

“Thankfully, Minty’s friend Beebie stepped up to help and is accompanying the pair as nanny.”

The charity is holding a competition to name the new arrival.

‘Her spirit was broken’

On 6 September 2016, HorseWorld received a call from police asking for help with a young mare who was stuck under a trailer and in pain.

Mark Owen, the charity’s managing director, told police to call Avon and Somerset Fire Service’s animal rescue team and B&W Equine vets.

The 14hh mare was given painkillers and sedated to allow rescuers to pull her out.

“Using strops, drag board and specialised rescue equipment the horse was freed,” said station manager Rob Seaman.

“The mare was continually monitored as the sedation wore off and then released into a makeshift pen.

“After the lengthy rescue it was already dark so crews provided lighting to assist with the move of the animal into a trailer.”

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Her leg was covered in cuts from where she had been struggling to free herself prior to being rescued. Once she was on her feet, her rescuers saw she had other injuries consistent with harsh training methods.

Her mouth was badly cut inside and on its corners and she also had sores on her back.

Mr Owen said the environment she was in “resembled a waste-ground” and was littered with rubbish, gas canisters and upturned cars.

“Minty had been locked in a pen made of mesh fencing and the old trailer she was stuck under had been her shelter,” he said.

“There were numerous other trailers there, all 18” deep in muck.

“On arrival [at HorseWorld], her demeanour was that of a horse who had emotionally shut down.

“Her eyes were glazed and she would completely blank us if we spoke to her over the stable door.

“Her injuries were consistent with brutal training methods so it is not hard to see why, but it was utterly heart-breaking to see a horse with such broken spirit.”

Thankfully she has made a full recovery and staff at the charity report that she is “very trusting and sweet-natured”.

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Cheltenham record-breaker Quevega has given birth to a colt.

The six-time Mares’ Hurdle winner at the Cheltenham Festival safely delivered her second foal just before midnight on 6 March.

Both mare and foal, who is by Walk In The Park, are doing well at the Irish National Stud in County Kildare.

The colt was due on 6 February, but took “a little longer to cook”, arriving safe and well a month late weighing 51.5kg.

Employees mused that the mare may have held off due to the recent bad weather.

Walk In The Park has many successful racing progency, including National Hunt superstar group one winners Min and Douvan.

During his own racing career, Walk In The Park notched up £344,181 earnings on the track and finished second in the 2005 Epsom Derby to Motivator.

“He is a young sire but he is getting a lot of good mares and Quevega is the cream of the crop really,” said Patrick Diamond from the stud.

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Quevega is best known for her remarkable Cheltenham Festival record. The 16hh mare also won the Group One World Series Hurdle in Punchestown an astounding four times.

Bred in France by Pierre Rieves, she is by Robin Des Champs and out of Vega IV.

She ran in France six times, winning three races, before moving to Ireland and where she was put into training with Willie Mullins.

Her earnings from her racing career topped £749,000 and she retired from the track in 2014. Owned by the Hammer & Trowl Syndicate, her final race was at Punchestown in May that year, where she was beaten by a length and a quarter by Jetson.

Quevega gave birth to her first foal, a filly by Beat Hollow, in May 2015.

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It doesn't take a lot to have us a cooing over a fluffy foal, but there are some with stories so remarkable — and adorable — that they have really pulled at the heart strings...

Microdave

If we’re going to talk about foals that have melted our hearts, Microdave is a pretty good place to start. The American minature stood at just 12-inches-tall when he was pictured at three days old — and had a knack of nipping under the fence in the field and making a run for it. “I have to check people’s pockets as they leave to check they haven’t stolen him,” said his owner Jen Baldwin Murphy.

Daisy

The rare white-coloured mule foal Daisy caused a bit of a stir when she arrived at the Hertfordshire-based Greenacres Equestrian — her dam, a 13.2hh Connemara was bought for the riding school, with yard owners Di and Pennie Cornish not knowing she was in foal. “If I was paid a pound for every person at the riding school who has come and visited her, I would be a millionaire,” said Pennie.

Phoenix

Miniature foal Phoenix arrived in the spotlight when he was born in the middle of the day at Woodlands Family Theme Park, in Dartmouth, delighting crowds. “We have never had a foal born in the middle of the day,” said Michaela Newham, head keeper of the zoo farm. “He gave the crowd of visitors an amazing experience on their day out at Woodlands.”

Treve’s foal

Expectations are high for Treve’s foal who was born last month (1 February 2017) — the colt’s mother’s earnings topped £6 million during her racing career, including winning back-to-back victories in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2013 and 2014. “The next chapter to the story starts now, and we can only hope this colt [who is the son of Dubawi ] will be as fast as his parents!” said stud manager Benoy Jeffroy at Al Shaqab Racing’s Haras de Bouquetot stud in Normandy, France, where the foal was born.

Lowhouses Casper and Lowhouses Jasper

 “The more the merrier” was the moto at Lowhouses Dales Pony Stud in Mickleton-in-Teesdale when Dales pony colts Lowhouses Casper and Lowhouses Jasper arrived. “The smaller foal came out first and my husband said, ‘look at the size of this, there’s got to be another one’ and sure enough there was,” said Freda Longstaff, who owns the stud with her husband Richie.

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Princess Anna and Princess Elsa

Princess Anna and Princess Elsa (named after Disney’s Frozen characters) had a rough start in life — the two foals were both orphaned. But after being rescued by the RSPCA they swiftly became best buddies. “They have had such a terrible start in life, but have recovered well and it was a pleasure to watch them run and play in their new paddock,” said Liz Wood deputy manager at the RSPCA’s Millbrook Animal Centre in Surrey.

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The outstanding racing mare Treve has given birth to her first foal.

The French racehorse, who took back-to-back victories in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2013 and 2014, safely delivered a bay colt at noon yesterday (1 February).

Mare and foal, who is the son of Dubawi, are at Al Shaqab Racing’s Haras de Bouquetot stud in Normandy, France.

“Treve has produced a good first foal,” said stud manager Benoy Jeffroy.

“Everything went well and after being a few days overdue, she decided to foal at lunchtime.

“Treve and her foal are doing really well. The next chapter to the story starts now, and we can only hope this colt will be as fast as his parents!”

A statement from the stud added the seven-year-old mare is due to visit Haras de Bouquetot’s new stallion Shalaa this year.

Trained by Criquette Head-Maarek, Treve’s earnings topped £6 million during her racing career.

She won nine out of her 13 starts and in 2014 became the first dual winner of the Arc since Alleged in 1977/78.

Treve, who is by Motivator, was originally retired after her second Arc victory in 2014, but owner Sheikh Joaan al Thani then decided to go for a third shot in 2015, where she finished fourth.

“There is no disgrace in being beaten by Golden Horn [winner of the 2015 race]. He was the Derby winner and there are no excuses,” said trainer Criquette-Head at the time.

“She deserves to go to stud and enjoy herself now. She has been unforgettable.”

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The 15-year-old stallion Dubawi has sired dozens of Group One winners, including Postponed and Dodging Bullets.

In his career on the track, Dubawi was undefeated as a four-year-old and claimed victories at Goodwood and in Group races at Newmarket and Curragh.

Treve’s next match — multiple Group One winner Shalaa — is standing at stud for the first time this year.

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When an abnormal presentation cannot be corrected, assisted delivery or caesarean section under general anaesthesia may be required to save mare and foal

With any difficult foaling, time is of the essence.

“The foal is usually delivered within around 20 minutes of the mare’s waters breaking,” says Jennie Henderson MRCVS of Newmarket Equine Hospital (NEH). “Foal survival rates are significantly affected if this is extended.”

When an abnormal presentation cannot be corrected and the foal delivered within 20 minutes, if the mare can be transported to an equine hospital for assisted delivery or caesarean section under general anaesthesia, this offers the best chance of a successful outcome for both mare and foal.

Prolonged and difficult attempts to deliver the foal vaginally can cause severe damage to the mare’s uterus and cervix, which can be life threatening and cause infertility.

Staff at a local thoroughbred stud acted immediately when a foal’s nose did not appear at the birth canal with his feet. Realising that his head was twisted back inside, they took the mare straight to the NEH where she was unloaded into the theatre suite and given a general anaesthetic.

When it proved impossible to correct the flexion of the foal’s head by manipulation, the mare went straight to the operating theatre for an emergency caesarean.

Jennie explains: “An incision was made through the underside of the mare’s abdomen and into her uterus. The foal was lifted out and passed to the resuscitation team, who checked for a heartbeat, clamped the umbilical cord, cleared his nose and rubbed him vigorously with towels to stimulate respiration.

“Fortunately, he started breathing spontaneously and did not need to be intubated or ventilated. A blood test showed that he had experienced a period of low oxygen during the complicated delivery, so oxygen was supplied through a nasal tube. His heartbeat remained regular and increased steadily as he became more active and tried to stand.

“The foal was up within an hour and had a good suckle reflex, which was encouraging. Foals that experience a difficult delivery sometimes suffer problems with brain, gut and kidney function, so he was given medication to try to reduce any damage to these vital organs.”

The foal was fed colostrum by stomach tube while his dam recovered from the anaesthetic. Her maternal instinct kicked in once she was back on her feet and she was soon nursing her new colt.

A very satisfying and successful outcome for all concerned.

Andrea Oakes talks to Lucy Brock MRCVS about when the broodmare's vital colostrum proves to be fatal for her offspring

The mare’s first milk, or colostrum, provides essential antibodies and is usually beneficial. In rare cases, however, this life-giver can prove toxic to her own foal.

The condition, termed neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI), can occur if a foal inherits the same blood type as his father. If his dam’s antibodies are directed against this blood type, the foal’s own red blood cells will be slowly destroyed as he ingests and absorbs colostrum.

He will quickly become pale and jaundiced, possibly suffering seizures and liver failure.

Lucy Brock MRCVS, of Twemlows Stud Farm in Shropshire, explains that broodmare Della Nossa’s foal died last year from NI.

“Once a mare has had one foal with NI, there’s a high chance of recurrence, especially if she goes back to the same stallion,” says Lucy. “We couldn’t risk her foal drinking her colostrum this time, so we muzzled him at birth and bottle-fed him another mare’s colostrum.

“We stripped colostrum from Della Nossa until we were sure that there was only milk coming out of all four quarters of her udder, which would not harm the foal.”

The process need not damage the mare-foal bond, adds Lucy.

“Stripping colostrum helps the mare produce oxytocin, the natural hormone that makes her protective towards her foal,” she explains. “The foal is driven by instinct to suck, so he latched onto the bottle readily yet was still drawn to his mother’s udder. The minute the muzzle came off he nursed — and he hasn’t looked back since.”

Predicting a potential case of NI is possible by blood testing the mare in the last two weeks of pregnancy, but the most practical measure is close observation of the newborn.

“Be alert for a normal foal who suckles but then goes downhill,” says Lucy. “His gums and the membranes under his eyelids should stay pink and moist, not pale or yellow. A weak, pale or jaundiced foal, perhaps with a temperature or tremor, could well have NI and needs urgent veterinary attention.

“Once a foal becomes sick, it can be difficult to save him. Treatment needs to be aggressive and may be expensive. Sadly, he could die in as little as 48 hours.”

When things do go wrong during the foaling process, quick and sometimes difficult decisions must be made. This was the case at Greenacres Stud in Derbyshire in May, when much-loved broodmare Coco couldn’t deliver her filly foal.

“The owners saw Coco start to foal on CCTV and I arrived soon after,” says Emilie Van Haesebrouck MRCVS of Pool House Veterinary Group. “Instead of normal presentation through the vagina, the foal was lodged out through Coco’s anus and the mare had suffered a deep rent in her rectum.

“There was no way we could save her, so we decided to perform an emergency caesarean in the stable in an attempt to rescue the foal.”

Coco was milked for colostrum and then induced and anaesthetised so that her foal could be cut free. The mare was then euthanased and the orphan foal resuscitated.

“The situation was very stressful for everyone,” says Emilie, who accidentally cut herself during the operation and had to go to A&E for stitches. “It’s such a sad story, but by working together we were lucky to end up with a foal.”

By the time Emilie returned to the yard from the hospital later that night, another filly had been delivered safely. The mare, Sissy (pictured top), had once reared twins, which gave the team an idea.

“We rubbed Cloudy, the orphan foal, with the other filly’s placenta,” explained Emilie. “Sissy never questioned it, accepting the orphan alongside her own foal.

“Sissy was producing a lot of milk, but was given domperidone to enhance production,” adds Emilie.

“The fillies were supplemented with milk every hour and then every two. When we ran tests after 12-18 hours to check their immune systems, their antibody levels were well above the minimum. Both were healthy and suckling happily.”

Their progress has been followed by Pool House clients. The story was “liked” more than 11,000 times on the practice’s Facebook page.

Timely intervention ensured the successful arrival of Dexter, one of 27 foals born at Mount St John stud in North Yorkshire this spring.

The mare, Aperta, had passed the bag (the whitish sac, or amnion, the first part of the placenta) and was straining when resident vet Kara Johnston MRCVS realised that something wasn’t right.

“No feet or head were visible, so I inserted my arm and found that the foal was upside down,” says Kara. “His legs were above his head, so Aperta was pushing his feet into her rectal wall.

“A foal stuck like this won’t be able to get out alone and can die through lack of oxygen,” Kara explains. “Without help, it’s bad news — and dangerous for the mare, too, as she can suffer a rectal or vagina perforation.

“Between her contractions, I pushed the foal further inside. I then grabbed his head and an ear and rotated him clockwise 180˚ into the correct position. This brings a small risk of uterus damage, but the foal needed turning.”

After a trouble-free delivery, the Dimaggio colt was on his feet within an hour and drinking within two.

Kara explains that a number of different foal presentations can occur and while it’s possible to have foal position scanned or checked manually three to four weeks before the due date, few people go to this trouble.

“The most difficult is breech [rump-first, with legs tucked underneath], which sometimes needs a caesarean section,” says Kara. “New mums can sometimes stop pushing sooner or panic if the presentation is wrong.

“What’s important is to be vigilant at the foaling. If the mare seems to be pushing but nothing is happening, call the vet.”

A foal has been born in the chaos of a fire, while bulls and horses ran loose on the yard.

The filly, aptly named Ember, was foaled during a blaze at a farm in Ryhill, South Yorkshire, on 21 June.

Sarah Scott, the owner of the dam, a 13.2hh coloured cob called Mica, only realised her pony was in foal two weeks prior to the birth, having recently bought the mare.

Sarah Hall, whose aunt owns the farm, had been helping with the birth.

“I had a call at 7.45pm saying she was about to foal,” Ms Hall told H&H.

“I shot over to the yard and went into the mare’s stable. A nose and two front feet were out.

“Then I heard shouting and screaming. I saw the smoke and knew there was something wrong.

“I jumped over the mare, ran around the corner and all I could see was a wall of flames.”

Ms Hall ran into the neighbouring barn to let out the nine bulls who were also kept on the farm.

She returned to the stable and found the foal on the floor.

“She was still stuck in her sack, so I got her out and freed her airways,” Ms Hall said.

“Meanwhile the stampede of bulls came out of the barn. A friend was herding them and one ended up in the stable.

“The mare was doing a fabulous job, she didn’t even react. The little baby was like, ‘What’s happening?’

“Next the bulls crashed into the horses’ paddock so they were released too.”

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Meanwhile, firefighters from six forces battled with the flames.

“Gas cylinders were exploding and machinery was crashing around,” Ms Hall said.

“There was a massive diesel tank on the front of the barn — if that had gone up we would have been annihilated.”

The fire destroyed buildings, machinery, hay and straw, but the farm’s 15 horses and nine bulls were not hurt.

“The next day we brought the mare and foal out,” added Ms Hall.

“Ember’s in perfect health and has become a bit of a celebrity and the mare has been superb throughout.”

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The equine placenta is a remarkable organ — a complex, highly convoluted, six-layered structure made up of foetal and maternal tissues.

For the first 40 or so days of pregnancy there is no stable attachment between the embryo and the uterus. A substance called histiotroph (sometimes termed uterine milk), produced by the uterine glands, bathes the embryo and sustains its development.

The placenta starts to develop at around 40 days and fills the whole uterus by 85-90 days. By 150 days it is fully established.

The area of contact between foetal and maternal tissues continues to increase up to birth. It allows exchange of nutrients, oxygen and hormones from mare to foetus, and passage of waste products and hormones from the foetus to mare.

The chorionic side of the equine placenta (fetal part) is closest to, and is a mirror image of, the lining of the mare’s uterus. Tiny microvilli (protrusions) link together with the mare’s uterine lining, giving this side a red, velvety appearance.

Endometrial cysts and scars, plus areas of fibrosis or where there has been poor contact between maternal and foetal tissues, lack this velvety appearance. Once the placenta has been passed, at birth, the chorionic side discolours rapidly.

The allantoic side of the equine placenta, in contact with the foetus, is a smooth, pinkish-grey colour. White blood vessels traverse its surface.

The amnion is the translucent, white sac that surrounds the foetus and attaches to the umbilical cord. This is the layer of membrane that you usually have to clear from the foal’s muzzle as he is delivered.

Studies suggest that the first pregnancy in effect “primes” the uterus for maximal placental development on subsequent pregnancies, which explains why first foals can sometimes be smaller.

Pre-birth problems

The area of normal, healthy contact between maternal and foetal placental tissues is the single biggest factor affecting foetal growth. The foal’s size can thus be compromised in the case of placental insufficiency — where the placenta has not developed and functioned normally.

Several things can affect placental size, including:

• The mare’s size. In general, a bigger mare has a bigger uterus.
• The mare’s age. Degenerative changes of the uterus associated with ageing can reduce the number of healthy uterine glands, in turn reducing uterine milk secretion. Cysts and fibrosis will also reduce the area for development of normal healthy placenta.
• Inadequate nutrition, particularly in the period of rapid placental development between 40-150 days. There may, however, be some increase in efficiency of the placenta to compensate for reduction in size. This may also compromise the placenta and in turn the foetus.
• Maternal illness.

Any problem that reduces the size or efficiency of the placenta results in intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) of the foal. These pregnancies can be prolonged. Foals affected by IUGR are small and have reduced muscle and fat, often suffering other developmental problems.

Another risk is placentitis, an infection that can develop in the placenta within the last three to four months of pregnancy. This is usually a result of bacteria entering the vagina and passing into the uterus, where they multiply rapidly.

The first signs of placentitis that most people notice are premature development of the mammary glands and a vaginal discharge or a sticky “mat” on the underside of the mare’s tail. In cases where the infection is localised in an area of the placenta called the cervical star, the condition is confirmed by a transrectal ultrasound examination. The degree of thickening of the placenta, the appearance of foetal fluids and placental separation can then be assessed.

Transabdominal ultrasound examination can be used to assess the size of the foetus and its heart rate, patterns of activity and sleep — all good indicators of wellbeing.

Sadly, placentitis is a difficult condition to treat and can frequently result in abortion. Treatment is based on the use of antibiotics and altrenogest (known under the brand name Regumate) and, in some cases, anti-inflammatories.

Is it equine placenta complete?

When the foal is delivered the umbilical cord breaks, causing collapse of the blood vessels on the foetal side of the placenta and separation of the placenta from the lining of the uterus.

Uterine contractions, stimulated by oxytocin release, spread from the tip of the uterine horns towards the cervix. This turns the equine placenta inside out and squeezes it out of the uterus.

As it passes out through the vulval lips, its weight hastens the process of expulsion. It is useful to tie up the placenta at this stage to stop the mare standing on it and tearing it.

Never pull the placenta, as this can lead to tearing of the tissues, retention of the microvilli or haemorrhage — which can result in potentially life-threatening complications for the mare.

After the placenta has been passed it should be carefully laid out and checked for completeness, ideally in an area that can be hosed down and disinfected afterwards. There should be two “horns” (see image, below left) — a larger, pregnant horn, often with a thicker tip, and a non-pregnant horn, the tip of which is most commonly retained.

Both sides should be examined, although it is difficult to interpret changes in colour of the chorionic side as it can rapidly become discoloured with storage.

Keep the placenta and consult your vet immediately if you are concerned that a piece is missing or there is something unusual about it.

The placenta should be passed within three hours of foaling, usually within an hour. The incidence of placental retention exceeding three hours varies between breeds, occurring in around 5% of thoroughbreds, a quarter of heavy and draft mares and half of Friesians.

The high incidence of the condition in Friesians is thought to be influenced by in-breeding. If you are expecting a foal from a breed with a high incidence of placental retention, discuss the best way to manage the mare with your vet before she foals.

Retained placenta is treated with injections or infusions of oxytocin, along with systemic and intrauterine antibiotics and uterine lavage.

It is vital that the condition is treated without delay. Septic metritis (infection of the uterine wall) and accompanying laminitis can develop rapidly as a complication, threatening the mare’s life.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 14 April 2016

A miniature foal was the centre of attention after he was born in broad daylight at a zoo farm.

Staff and crowds at Woodlands Family Theme Park, in Dartmouth, could not believe their eyes when Tinker went into labour in the middle of the day on Friday (8 April).

Marketing executive Jessica Bennett told H&H that keepers were on hand to help and the pony’s field is big enough that she was well away from visitors.

“We have never had that happen before,” she said. “The crowd started off small, but became quite big.”

She added the palomino foal — named Phoenix — stands at just 60cm and is the “spitting image” of his miniature Shetland sire, Freddie.

“Tinker has had a couple of foals before, she is a lovely mum,” said Jessica.

The foaling went smoothly and both mare and foal are doing well.

“Phoenix is brilliant — he is up on his feet and having lots of cuddles with his mum,” she added. “He is adorable.”

Michaela Newham, head keeper of the zoo farm, said she was “extremely surprised” by the time of the birth.

“We have never had a foal born in the middle of the day, but I am very happy with how the little foal and mum are doing,” she said.

“He gave the crowd of visitors an amazing experience on their day out at Woodlands.”

Related articles:

• Test-tube foal marks successful return of technology
• Researchers determine sex of unborn foals with new test
• How much does it cost to breed a horse?

Celebrating new arrivals

Horse & Hound has put together a foal gallery to celebrate the second part of our sport horse special, which came out last week (7 April).

We asked you to send us photos of your foals and readers can vote for their favourite.

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Test-Tube technology has made a successful return with the birth of Twemlows Little ICSI — the first foal in many years conceived in the UK by Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).

ICSI was born at one of Britain’s foremost pioneering studs, Twemlows in Shropshire, the culmination of a three-year government-subsidised Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) aimed at establishing breeding methods previously only available abroad.

The process borrows from human medicine, and Twemlows collaborated with doctors as well as vets from Surrey and Liverpool universities.

Eggs were harvested from a donor mare euthanised 11 months ago. Fertilisation took place in a petri dish by injecting a single sperm into each egg. The embryo was then non-surgically transferred to a surrogate mare, Victoria, who carried the pregnancy to full term.

Twemlows’ Edward Matson said potential benefits included the facility to get foals from valuable mares with fertility problems or which had had to be euthanised unexpectedly, and from stallions with poor quality semen.

“It also has the potential to collect semen if you can get to the testes within a few hours of a stallion’s death, and to make the last few remaining straws go further,” he said.

The relative freshness of the embryo influences the success rate.

The importance of ICSI for rare breeds has been picked up by the BBC, which featured a young vet involved in the research, Niamh Lewis, in a recent edition of Countryfile.

Tom Beeston, chief executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, welcomed the developments in ICSI, stating: “Breeding numbers of all our native equine breeds continue to decline. If not halted soon our gene bank may be needed to reconstitute a breed, it really is that serious.”

Mr Matson said that the esteemed vet Professor “Twink” Allen trialled ICSI many years ago, but thereafter it was only available in Italy and the USA.

“Four years ago we decided to try for a KTP to look into it, as there are still mares you can’t get in foal.

“We had to provide a five-yearcash flow and show how the investment would make a difference to the bottom line. We have spent tens of thousands on equipment. Now the KTP has finished, we are still doing research and have got two other companies interested.

“Commercially, it will take a long time to get a return, but you have to keep pushing the boundaries.”

Little ICSI was sired by Twemlows’ jumping stallion Libra K, though his biological dam is unknown. For research purposes, large numbers of uteruses are required and have to be harvested from abbatoirs.

“Whatever his breeding, we hope ICSI will have a long life as a flagship for Twemlows,” said Mr Matson.

Twemlows has also used the KTP to advance embryo transfer techniques. In June, Twemlows Simba was born as a result of oocyte transfer, during which fertilisation took place in a surrogate mare herself, rather than a petri dish, with semen introduced to her uterus before the donor egg was in place.

Ref: H&H 8 October, 2015

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A distressed mare has been rescued after she was forced to give birth while tethered by the neck.

Bristol-based charity HorseWorld rescued the mare and foal, named Catena and Salisbury, in May.

“Tethering can be very dangerous and is not a practice we would recommend at the best of times,” said HorseWorld’s equine rescue manager Jerry Watkins

“Catena had to go through the pain and discomfort of giving birth while being restrained by a chain which prevented her from moving around freely and frequently entangled her legs.

“She was also left without shelter or water for long periods of time and was accompanied in the field by a stallion who had tried to attack her foal. She was restrained from protecting her own baby and was very distressed.”

Catena and Salisbury were seized under the animal welfare act and brought back to HorseWorld so the charity could begin their rehabilitation.

Catena’s hooves were very overgrown and split.

Her hinds had shoes on and her front feet still had nails in where the shoes had been pulled off as the hooves grew. The mare is now receiving specialist hoof care as part of her rehabilitation.

She is now running loose in a large field with Salisbury and is “enjoying the freedom”, according to the charity.

Tethering is not illegal, but the charity feels the practice denies the horse the freedom to behave naturally.

“A frightened horse is denied the ability to run, the most basic instinct of a prey animal. If tethered to or near a tree, the horse can become entangled and injure itself. If tethered in open ground, it has no shelter from sun, wind, rain or flies,” said a spokesman for the charity.

“Any grazing a tethered horse has access to will quickly become poached or fouled with droppings as the horse cannot walk more than a few metres.

“A tethered horse cannot interact with other horses, it cannot engage in mutual grooming or other social interactions. The provision of water that cannot be knocked over, become a tangle risk or be a water source that the horse can fall into is virtually impossible.”

The charity is now appealing for information on the public’s view on the practice.

“We would like to know people’s opinions on tethering” said HorseWorld’s communications officer, Amy Williams.

“We have set up an online poll which you can take part in quickly and easily on the HorseWorld website news page.”

For more information visit: www.horseworld.org.uk

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A Grade A showjumping mare has adopted an orphaned foal.

Edward Royale, of MX Sport Horses, had returned his mare Skyline, with a foal at foot, to Meadow Stud in Birdwood, Glos, for AI.

Sadly, the mare, by Caretino, suffered from colic and had to be put down on Tuesday, leaving behind her six-week-old foal Del Boy.

However, first-time mum Loughnatousa Raven, who was in the field with her own filly, took pity on the motherless colt and adopted him as her own.

Edward said they went out to catch Del Boy, who is by Cornetto King, the following morning and he was inseparable from the pair.

They brought the trio inside and went to fetch a mare they had in mind as a foster mare, only to find the orphan suckling from his chosen foster mum.

“It is a bit rare for a mare and an orphan foal to take,” Edward told H&H.

The 17-year-old black mare now has her hooves full with her own seven-week-old filly by Cash Point and her adopted colt.

The trio are doing well and Loughnatousa Raven’s owner Sharon Baldwin, who runs the stud, said the foals look like twins walking round the field.

“They are doing absolutely brilliantly,” said Sharon.

“She has been doing fantastically considering she has her first foal at foot.

“Mother nature is a wonderful thing.”

Before retiring to stud, Loughnatousa Raven, by Coille Mor Hill, was ridden by Fiona Beecher, John Crippen and Geoff Luckett.

During her career, she competed in the Hickstead Derby, puissance at Hartpury and notched up numerous wins and placings.

These include a win in the 1.30m at the Royal International at Hickstead in 2010, second in a 1.40m class at Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2008 and fourth in the Foxhunter Final at Horse of the Year Show in 2006.

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A piebald mare named Nanny McPhee has proved she is maternal in nature as well as name.

The 11-year-old part-bred Irish draught has fostered two youngsters, including a Clydesdale, despite not having had a foal herself for three years.

Teresa Basher bought Nanny McPhee in 2011 in a very poor condition. Two weeks later she found out the mare was eight months in foal.

“Sadly due to the mare’s poor condition the foal was born brain damaged and died within 24 hours,” Teresa told H&H.

However, three years later, in July 2014, the mare came into milk again after seeing a foal while she was out on a hack.

She then came to the aid of a five-day-old Arab filly in Wales after her owners had appealed for help online.

“This foal travelled from Denbighshire to be with her in Gloucestershire and she adopted her straight away.”

Teresa kept the Arab and was weaning her from Nanny McPhee, but her milk would not dry up.

“I think she knew another foal needed her,” continued Teresa. “Two months ago there was a post on Facebook for Blackstone Clydesdales about a 20-day-old foal needing a foster mare.

“Her mother had no milk and she would not take milk from a bottle or a bucket.”

Nanny McPhee travelled from Gloucestershire to Blackstone Clydesdales in Ayrshire, Scotland.

The foal, Wee Fighter, was struggling to stand up when she arrived.

“She was tired when we got there and the foal stood there swaying, in another one or two hours it would have died,” said Teresa.

“But she kept the foal going until they found a bigger horse as Nanny McPhee is only 15.2hh. They were really grateful.”

At the end of last month (April) a Cleveland bay took over as foster mare for Wee Fighter (pictured right) and Nanny McPhee returned home.

“It’s extremely rare that they will not have a foal for three years and then fully feed a foal that’s not theirs and adopt them as their own,” added Teresa

“She’s very maternal to other horses. I’ve never known a mare like it.”

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Swift action was called for when champion American racehorse Rachel Alexandra developed life-threatening complications after foaling. Andrea Oakes finds out how both mare and foal were saved

Rachel Alexandra rocketed into the record books during a short but extraordinary track career. After storming to a 20-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks, she became the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness Stakes — earning worldwide admiration and the title of America’s Horse of the Year 2009.

Yet last year the indomitable bay mare faced her toughest battle yet. During labour, Rachel suffered an intestinal injury that threatened her very survival — and that of her one-day-old filly. The story starts at Stonestreet Farm in Kentucky, after the uneventful delivery of Rachel’s second foal…

12 February 2013

Both Rachel and her foal, a bay filly by Bernardini, appear to be doing well. Stonestreet staff and vets from Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital observe the pair closely.

13 February 2013

Early in the afternoon, a change is noticed in Rachel’s demeanour. The mare has become unusually quiet and vets spot excess fluid pooling in her abdominal cavity — usually an indication of infection. She is rushed to the Rood & Riddle hospital for investigation and exploratory surgery.

The cause of the infection is found to be a devitalised (damaged) section of the small colon, which has lost its blood supply due to an injury while foaling. The rupture has released bacteria into the abdomen and caused secondary peritonitis, which can lead to inflammation, shock and death if untreated.

“In Rachel’s case, the location of the devitalised intestine was difficult to access,” says Dr Brett Woodie, who performed the “technically demanding” 6hr surgery.

“We removed this portion and connected the healthy ends of the intestine, before performing extensive abdominal lavage [flushing out] to remove inflammatory cells and bacteria.”

Fighting to recover, Rachel can no longer nurse her foal. The filly is hand-fed until she can be introduced to a nurse mare, a quarter horse called Miss Beutiful Ojos who is known as being sweet-natured with a good milk supply. The bonding process is carefully monitored.

Within 12hr of separation from her dam, Rachel’s filly is suckling happily from her surrogate mum. Miss Beutiful Ojos had stayed with her own foal until the filly had received the first colostrum. The youngster was then removed to be hand-reared with another foal.

14 February 2013

Rachel remains in a critical condition and continues to receive intravenous (IV) antibiotics, fluids and nutrition. She is also given anti-inflammatory agents, along with medication to counteract the effects of bacterial toxins and help prevent scar tissue in the abdominal cavity.

Several times a day, sterile fluids are infused through a fixed internal tube placed in Rachel’s abdomen before being allowed to drain and flush out bacteria, debris and inflammatory material.

It’s too early to give an accurate prognosis, but Dr Woodie reports that Rachel is doing “the best that can be expected”.

15 February 2013

While her condition remains serious but stable, signs are promising that Rachel’s surgery has been a success. She is brighter and more alert today.

“Rachel is a determined fighter,” says her owner Barbara Ranke, reporting that the mare has accepted a mint.

Back at Stonestreet, Rachel’s filly has adjusted well to her nurse mare and has been out in the paddock for the first time.

18 February 2013

Rachel receives a small amount of feed in addition to her IV fluids and nutrition. While she remains under close observation, she is well enough to go for a short walk outside for a bite of grass.

20 February 2013

The Rood & Riddle vets are pleased with Rachel’s progress, which has included several short walks a day.

Dr Woodie confirms that her gastro-intestinal function is returning, along with her “feisty” attitude. The course of postsurgery lavages is now complete and the drains in Rachel’s abdomen are removed.

23 February 2013

Rachel can now come off IV fluids and nutrition. She enjoys longer walks each day and grazes in-hand, under the watchful eye of medical technician Brent Comer.

7 March 2013

Vets detect an abscess adjacent to Rachel’s reproductive tract and rectum, which is confirmed by palpation and ultrasound. Rachel undergoes standing surgery to drain the abscess and quickly regains her appetite afterwards.

While this type of hurdle is not unexpected, it indicates that the mare still has some way to go before her recovery is complete.

26 March 2013

6 weeks after she almost died, Rachel can finally leave hospital and return to Stonestreet for the next stage of her recuperation. She will be monitored around the clock.

After a few days of gentle handgrazing, Rachel is transferred to a stall-sized pen that can be slowly extended as she grows stronger.

16 April 2013

Rachel is now enjoying 2hr turnout a day and continues to make good progress.

February 2014

A year later, Rachel and her filly are fit and well at Stonestreet. It is hoped that Rachel can breed again from next year. What is certain is that prompt and expert treatment prevented a double tragedy.

How rejected foals cope

Dealing with an orphaned or rejected foal requires plenty of expertise and patience, as Sarah Stoneham MRCVS explains

A newborn foal’s urgent need is colostrum, which should be ingested within 3hr of birth. The process by which the all-important immunoglobulins and other immune components pass directly into the foal’s bloodstream is very temporary — by 18-24hr, this route is closed.

The decision to separate a mare and foal should not be taken lightly, but is sometimes necessary if the mare dies or becomes seriously ill as in Rachel Alexandra’s case. Occasionally, milk production fails and cannot be resolved by medical treatment. Very rarely, a mare savages her foal and he must be removed for his own safety.

Emergency arrangements

If the foal’s natural mother cannot raise him herself, emergency arrangements must be made. In the meantime the young foal should be fed every 1-2hr with mare’s milk replacer, otherwise he will rapidly become hypoglycaemic and dehydrated.

The ideal solution is a nurse mare, who should be introduced very carefully to ensure the safety of the foal. It’s vital to have an adequate number of experienced people on hand for this familiarisation process and the new partnership should be under constant supervision for up to 48hr.

Selection of an appropriate nurse mare will depend upon temperament, her stage of lactation and the age of the foal. If she is in mid-lactation and a newborn foal is fostered on to her, it will be necessary to supplement the foal with the correct balance of minerals and trace elements.

Provided an appropriate foster mum is chosen, experience suggests that orphan foals reared on nurse mares do as well as their peers and have no behavioural problems. It is important to monitor the orphan’s weight and height as you would do with any foal to ensure correct growth. Nutritionists and stud vets can advise you about this.

Hand-rearing challenges

Unless the process takes place at a professional stud, I would strongly advise against bottle-feeding or bucket-rearing an orphan foal. Milk powder is expensive and a foal will drink up to 10-12 litres per day, depending upon size, for 3 months.

More worryingly, foals that are not reared with appropriate equine company from the start or not handled properly can develop severe and lifelong behavioural problems.

A nurse mare’s own foal will, of course, need rearing. When the offspring of “professional” nurse mares are hand-reared properly in groups and well socialised by expert handlers, however, there is every chance that they will grow up to become normal, healthy horses.

A technique for inducing lactation in mares that are barren but have previously had foals has recently been developed in Belgium. Mares of excellent temperament and mothering ability are prepared over 7-10 days before taking on a nurse mare role. I may have the opportunity to trial this technique this year — it could prove a useful solution in the case of orphaned foals.

A project to transmit the birth of a shire foal at the National Trust’s Wimpole Farm over the internet has ended sadly, with the death of the foal.

Queenie went into labour yesterday (12 July) and gave birth to a filly at 11.45pm.

But the foal was not breathing and despite efforts to save her she died a few minutes after birth.

Farmer manager Richard Morris said: “As you can imagine, we are all devastated by this awful and unexpected outcome.

“Although watchers of the foaling on the webcam saw the true, grim realities of animal husbandry this in no way belittles the personal sense of tragedy and loss we are all feeling.

“This bitter disappointment is tempered only with the fact that the filly foal did not suffer at all.”

The National Trust’s MyFarm project, which started in May, aims to reconnect people with the realities of life on a working, commercial farm.

Richard continued: “It was a huge decision for us to do a live broadcast of the birth.

“There was never a guarantee that the foaling would be straight forward and unfortunately, this proved to be the case.

“But we didn’t want to hide the risks involved from people.”

This morning, Queenie is doing well. She has been turned out into her paddock and the farm is speaking to the vet to find out the best way to stop her milk production.

They hope to take her back to the stallion in approximately three weeks to see if she can become pregnant once more.

There is no reason to believe that Queenie won’t foal successfully in the future, they said.

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The birth of a Shire foal will be broadcast live over the internet as part of a National Trust experiment.

Queenie, the only Shire horse mare at Wimpole Home Farm in Cambridgeshire, is due to give birth to her foal this month. She has had two healthy foals in the past, but has lost her last two foals.

Richard Morris, farm manager, said: “There’s no guarantee the birth will be straight forward, particularly as Queenie had a miscarriage last year and a previous foal had to be put down due to a deformity.”

Queenie is being carefully monitored by Wimpole Horse Manager Emma Warner.

“Queenie’s temperature rose this morning — which is the first sign of a horse getting ready to have her foal,” said Emma. “We weren’t expecting her to be ready to give birth until at least the middle of this month, so we are just now making sure she is comfortable and is kept calm, well fed and watered, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly.”

A webcam has been installed in Queenie’s stable and viewers will be able to watch the birth as it unfolds, live on the National Trust’s MyFarm website. Infrared lighting is being installed to ensure that people can see the birth, even at night.

To watch the foaling, visit www.my-farm.org.uk and click on the ‘webcam live’ starburst on the right-hand side.

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A Shire mare has stepped into the breach to foster a purebred Lusitano colt foal, orphaned shortly after birth.

Generoso, bred by Roger Barnett and Sherene Rahmatallah of Sussex Lusitanos, was born on 2 March in Loxwood, West Sussex.

But his dam Jaca died suddenly 12 hours after his birth, of a suspected ruptured artery.

Roger contacted Johanna Vardon of The National Foaling Bank who found a foster dam — a six-year-old Shire mare called Barley Mimms Lady Sarah.

Owned and bred by John Perkins of Manchester, Lady Sarah had given birth to a shire foal that died within hours of Jaca dying so she was an ideal match for Generoso.

Debbie Dunger, who runs DD Horse Transport at Pulborough, was called in to help and drove through the night to collect Lady and bring her to Sussex.

And within 24 hours, with the help of vets, Lady Sarah and Generoso were carefully introduced to one another.

This was initially done in-hand and with 24-hour surveillance. Within days, the mare and foal had naturally bonded and Lady Sarah had accepted Generoso as her foal.

“Before they bonded we were really concerned that she would accidentally step on the foal and kill him, the size of her hooves is amazing, but she is a lovely mare and they are very happy now,” said Mrs Rahmatallah.

“As a thank you to Mr Perkins we will send Lady Sarah back to him in foal to our stallion, Numerario. He has become very interested in the breed,” she added.

Pictures by www.horsedreamsart.co.uk

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A bay shire horse foal stands almost as tall as her thoroughbred ex-racehorse foster mare, Candy. They make an unlikely duo but the pair are now inseparable.

It is a delightful outcome after almost three weeks of worry about the foal, who is nicknamed Baby, and whose own mare died from a twisted gut two days after her birth at the Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre, near Tarporley, Cheshire.

Owner of the centre, Alistair King, 63, who has been breeding shires for 40 years, even slept in his car next to the orphaned foal so he could feed her on equine formula milk every two hours through the night.

Just a week ago however a surrogate mare was identified through the National Foaling Bank. Eleven-year-old Candy owned by Caroline Basnett, from Congleton, had lost a foal. Within three days surrogate mare and foal had bonded well.

Mr King said: “The mare is feeding Baby and they are together night and day. In fact the mare is ultra-protective — more than a mare is normally with her foal — and she will circle Baby all the time to keep others away.”

Three other foals were born at the centre in recent weeks. Visitors to the centre are being asked to suggest names for them on condition fillies are named after a Scottish loch and colts after a Scottish mountain.

Mr King was extremely grateful to the National Foaling Bank, based near Newport, Shropshire, which since its establishment by Johanna Vardon in 1965 has united some 17,000 foster mares with orphaned foals.

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Johanna Vardon, the founder and owner of the National Foaling Bank, has been recognised for her outstanding services to the British sport horse breeding industry.

Johanna was hailed as a “good Samaritan for the breeding industry” on Saturday evening as she was awarded the Merial Meritoire.

The award was the finale of the British Breeding Breeders dinner and awards ceremony in London, at which 25 individuals and studs were recognised for their achievements in furthering the British-bred horse over the past year.

Founder of the National Foaling Bank in Shropshire 43 years ago, Johanna has been responsible for nearly 19,000 adoptions and has taken over 71,000 calls for help.

The bank provides an adoption service for orphan foals by matching them with a suitable foster mare which has lost its own foal, and takes on a range of problems from mares with foaling difficulties to foals that need 24-hour nursing.

“Johanna has helped everyone large thoroughbred studs to the one-horse breeder,” said Mike Tucker, compere for the evening. “But her great skills are in her vast knowledge of animal husbandry and dealing with distraught mare owners — she is one of life’s great heroes.”

As well as founding the National Foaling Bank, Johanna has also bred 500 horses from one foundation mare.

“Everything started from one little pony that appeared in my kitchen when I was a child,” she explained. “From her I went on to breed 500 horses from the same family — the smallest at 12.2hh the largest at 18hh.”

Chairman of the Supporters of British Breeding, Desi Dillingham, was also honoured as “supporter of the first decade” of British Sport Horse Evening.

British Breeding awards ceremony results

Racehorses to Riding Horses Performance Championships sponsored by South Essex Insurance Brokers

• Combined unaffil: Jabulani
• Endurance: Alderney Prince (USA)
• Showing: Blue Streak
• Dressage: King’s Piper
• Show jumping: Midnight Royal
• Eventing: Native Caption

BEF Futurity sponsored by Baileys Horse Feeds

• Foal: Classic Prada (BHHS) s: Classic Juan d: Bella Benz (s: Benz) Breeder: Katy Holder Vale of Witcham House Farm
• Yearling: Knockleith Eureka (SHBGB) s: Shingle Hall Senator d: Shawhill Subrina (s: Feraree) Breeder: Mandy Quinn of Knockleith
• Two-year-old: Craigmancie Cracker (SSH) s: Welton Double Cracker d: Faerie Sing Song (s: Ben Faerie) Breeder: Alexandra Middler of Craigmancie Stud
• Three-year-old: Classictop Notch (AES) s: Lauriston d: Fools Pride (s: Renkum Eireann) Breeder: Jane Townshend of Crowborough, Wilts
• Stallion: Woodcroft Garuda K (WBB-UK) s: Munchhausen d: Gladness B (s: Angard) Bred in Germany, owned by Tim Harris & Bernadette O’ Sullivan of Woodcroft Stud
• Mare: Sandrina (Hann) s: Sandro Z d: Natuschka (ds: Nordlicht) Bred in Germany, owned by Lynn Al-Redha of Bridgwater, Somerset
• Top Pony Sire of Performance Ponies sponsored by Sports Pony Studbook Society Machno Carwyn s. Carregcoch Bleddyn SecD d. Machno Ceridwen (s: Tylan Danny) Breeder: Meirion Jones of Pen Machno, Conwy; owned by Family Schoch, Switzerland
• Top British Bred Horse at Olympics sponsored by British Equestrian Federation Miner’s Frolic s. Miner’s Lamp d. Mighty Frolic (s. Oats) Breeder: Mr Maurice Pinto; owned by Mr & Mrs Nicolas & Valda Embiricos & Mrs Sarah Pelham; ridden by Kristina Cook

Top British Bred BE Breeding Championships sponsored by British Eventing

• Four-year-old: Coopers Law (SHB(GB)) s. Mill Law m. Miss Cooper (s. Kildalton Gold (RID)) Breeder: Miss Nicola Dickson; Owners: Nicola Dickson & Sally Williams; Rider: Emilie Chandler
• Five-year-old: Newmiln Dakota (Scottish sport horse) s. Newmiln Landini d. Newmiln Pauline Velocia. Breeder: Mrs Elaine McFarlane; Owners: Jane & Katherine Kirkland; Rider: Caroline Moore
• Six-year-old: Cotton King SHB(GB) s. Mill Law d. Royal Gem II (s. Sovereign King) Breeder: Hazel Bramley; owner: Mrs RC Boucher; Rider: Rodney Powell

Top British Bred Dressage Horses sponsored by British Dressage

• Four-year-old: Half Moon Dynasty s. Di Maggio m. Leandra (s. Laptop) Breeder/owner: Jon & Julie Deverill; Rider: Tim Sillevis
• Five-year-old: Headmore Delegate s. Di Maggio m. Allerliebst (s. Akut) Breeder/owner: Sarah Oppenheimer; Rider: Alice Oppenheimer
• Six-year-old: Woodlander Dornroeschen s. Di Maggio d. Claire (s. Caprimond) Breeder: Karin & Manfred Hoerner; owner: Lynne Crowden; rider: Michael Eilberg

Top British Bred Show Jumping Horses sponsored by BSJA

• Five-year-old: Sorceress (AES) s. Cabri d’Elle d. Amanda Leah (s. Accord 11) Breeder/owner: Mr M J Dawson, Allerthorpe Farm Stud; rider: Jackson Reed-Stephenson
• Six-year-old: Jumping Mac Flash (AES) s. Kannan (KWPN) d. Beauville. Breeder: Mr P J Doyle, Brooklands; Owner/rider: Robert Snaddon
• Seven-year-old: Billy Congo (AES) s. Vechta d. Billy Autumn (s.Animo). Breeder: Donal Barnwell; Owner: Billy Stud; Rider: William Funnell
• Outstanding Mare Award Sponsored by British Horse Foundation: Amber Du Montois s. Abdullah (Trak.) d. Katy du Montois (SF) (s. Digne Espoir) Breeder & owner: Denise Stamp; Rider: William Funnell.

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An Australian tourist got more than she bargained for recently when a walk in the woods turned into an emergency foal delivery.

Neroli Jones, a racehorse breeder from New South Wales, was visiting the Puzzle Wood Estate in the Forest of Dean as part of her three-week trip to England, but while walking in the wood on 11 June she noticed a pony in distress.

Neroli immediately rushed to help Tara, a three-year-old miniature Shetland pony, and sent her friend to call a vet.

Freda Pritchard, the coffee shop manager at Puzzle Wood helped Neroli deliver the foal before the vet arrived.

Freda told H&H: “It was a total surprise — we didn’t even know Tara was in foal.

“Neroli’s friend Marcia ran to get me from the teashop and we called the vet, but there wasn’t much time. She told me she couldn’t pull the foal out by herself so we both put the gloves on and delivered it.

The vet has since visited and both mother and foal are doing well.

Freda added: “It is such a wonderful foal. I don’t know where we would have been without Neroli, I’m just the coffee shop manager — I’d never done anything like that before!

“Tara has taken to the little foal so well, it is fantastic and thankfully it has all turned out wonderfully.”

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A study revealing a rise in complications in Thoroughbred foaling has won an award presented by the Royal Agricultural Society of England and drug company Merial.

Austrian-born Soraya Morscher, 26, studied foaling patterns at Kildare Stud in Ireland as part of her masters in equine science at Limerick University.

With her thesis, An Analysis of Peri-Parturient and Postnatal Events in Thoroughbreds, Soraya triumphed over four other finalists to win the Eqvalan Duo Equine Thesis Award.

“Considering the economic value of Thoroughbred foals there is precious little information about what are considered normal foalings,” said Soraya.

Her thesis is based on reports from Kildare Stud, where nearly 1,300 foalings were analysed over 13 years. Her work included far more samples than previous projects, and her results differed from the most comprehensive data collected before, in 1967.

She found that birthing problems, such as the premature separation of the placenta or the difficult positioning of the unborn foal, seem to be directly related to the age of the mare and the weight of the foal.

“The rise in birthing complications needs monitoring and further study, and further investigation is required on the effect of these events on subsequent foal health,” said Soraya.

The student examined foaling processes closely, in conjunction with husbandry and management practices. She discovered that 83% of foaling took place during the night, of which the average duration was 34min. More than 90% of births were completed within an hour.

She also logged any factors affecting either the mare or foal that might, in turn, affect the birth. For example, the interval from birth to nursing averaged 92min, but it was longer for first-time foaling mares and for colt foals rather than fillies.

Soraya has 18 months left of her masters before deciding on a career. She said she was overwhelmed to win the award and delighted her thesis had been so highly recommended by the judges, including British Breeding’s Graham Suggett and Merial’s Dr Emma Batson.

Second-placed thesis was Hannah Snart’s study of injuries to dressage horses on different training surfaces. Among Hannah’s findings was that sand held the greatest injury risk.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (22 November, ’07)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now