An orphan colt whose mother died shortly after giving birth has a new mom – a mare that had tragically lost her foal – thanks to the generosity of strangers and Washington State University veterinarians playing matchmaker.
Pairing an orphan foal and a nursing mare is a challenging task and one that commonly ends with failure. In this case, the connection was instantaneous.
“The mare had only been without a foal for about 24 hours,” Dr. Lisbeth Matthews, an equine medicine and surgery intern, said. “We walked her into the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and past him. He made a noise, and she went, ‘oh, there’s my foal,’ and started making noises back at him.”
It was a surprise to everyone how quickly the mare, named Shelly but affectionally called Mama by her owners, Roy and Faye Lions, accepted the colt. Equine veterinarian Jenifer Gold, who was helping to care for the foal and to supervise its introduction to the mare, said nursing mares frequently reject orphan foals, and when they don’t, the pairing process often takes days.
“She walked in and started nickering at him like it was her own baby – it was unbelievable,” Gold said. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I have never seen it happen that way.”
The foal, which has been named Laredo, was admitted to the teaching hospital by his owner, Spokane resident Rachel Williams, just days after he was born when he started showing troubling digestive issues. Shortly after the colt arrived in Pullman, Faye Lions placed a call to WSU to see if the equine team was aware of any orphan colts needing a nursing mare.
“Our foal was dead, and nothing was going to bring it back, so we were hoping we could help someone else,” Faye Lions said. “It just so happened there was a foal there.”
A day later, the colt and Shelly were introduced.
“For them to be so willing to basically hand over their animal to a complete stranger after experiencing their own tragedy was pretty phenomenal,” Williams said. “I feel like in this scenario it was the worst of the worst for everybody, but there was a little bit of silver lining to the story.”
Williams is also grateful for the care and treatment she and her foal received at WSU.
“I just can’t even find words to say how great the veterinarians at WSU were,” she said. “They went above and beyond. I am just happy I ended up at WSU. I am so glad we were able to match those two up – it is kind of a miracle.”
Shelly will live with Williams until the colt is ready to be weaned, likely in six months, before she will return to her home in Kamiah, Idaho.
“It will be tough to say goodbye because you just naturally start to bond with animals, and she has kind of been my lifesaver,” Williams said. “It will be bittersweet for sure, but I am sure her owners will be happy to have her back.”
During the spring, the equine team at WSU typically sees at least a handful of orphan foals. Equine medicine specialist Dr. Macarena Sanz said orphan foals can be fed a powdered milk formula designed for horses, but those raised by humans typically develop behavioral issues that can become problematic as the animal matures.
“They turn out to be socially weird, have no understanding of personal space, and they are more difficult to train,” WSU equine veterinarian Macarena Sanz said. “The fact that this orphan foal has a mare is really going to make a difference.”
Sanz strongly encourages owners to immediately call their veterinarian if a foal is orphaned, as early care is critical to the animal’s survival.
Emergency services rush to 89-year-old Brigette Bardot’s aid… prayers needed
Brigitte Bardot is perhaps one of the most well-known names in the world. She started her career as a model in the 1950s, and today she works as an activist. The 88-year-old former actress and model resides in the South of France.
According to recent reports, emergency services rushed to her home to aid her…
Birgitte Bardot first gained notoriety as an actress and a model beginning in 1952. She soon became an icon and turned into one of the most iconic pop culture sex symbols of the ’50s and ’60s.
She was known for playing roles that showcased sexually liberated women who lived on the wild side.
The actress, however, retired from acting and modeling in 1973 and focused her energies instead on becoming an activist. Her main area of activism is animal protection and welfare. She, however, came under fire for racist remarks and homophobic comments she made in her own autobiography.
The 88-year-old French film icon is married to husband Bernard d’Ormale. It was her husband d’Ormale who spoke to the media and confirmed the health scare Bardot suffered.
“It was around 9 a.m. when Brigitte had trouble breathing,” d’Ormale said. “It was harder than usual but she didn’t lose consciousness. Let’s call it a moment of respiratory distraction.”
He explained, “The firefighters arrived, gave her oxygen to breathe and stayed for a moment to watch her.” He told the outlet the firefighters arrival was slightly delayed because they had initially went to the wrong address before arriving at the correct one.
The reason behind her breathing issues according to d’Ormale was the heat. He said, “Like all people of a certain age, she can no longer bear the heat.”
“It happens at 88, she must not make unnecessary efforts,” he continued. “Her pulse is fine, her heart too and her blood pressure is good, but things remain fragile.”
The actress apparently has been complaining of the heat in their home and that the airconditioning is not enough. Her husband said their air conditioning “is not very strong at home.”
We are glad to know that Brigette Bardot is doing well. Share this piece with other fans of the former actress so they can know she is doing better as well.
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