A Shire horse who gave birth to a stillborn foal is healing from heartbreak by fostering two orphaned foals as her own.
“Mouse was born very small and undernourished, and ... initially, her dam did not look after her,” Ms. Westwood, 31, told The Epoch Times. “Mouse was not able to feed without assistance.”
Mouse was born on March 28, and elsewhere on the same day, thoroughbred foal Tracey was born to a breeder. Sadly, her mother hemorrhaged after giving birth. Tracey’s owner, Rosemary Pease, called Ms. Westwood for help.
“I offered to feed Tracey alongside Mouse,” Ms. Westwood said. “Two orphans are better together as they help each other. ... I didn’t actually try to find a foster mare, as the likelihood of finding two mares at the same time was very unrealistic.”
Yet, ten days later, Sammy the Shire gave birth to a stillborn foal in Leicestershire, three hours away. Her owner, Cath Pegg, offered her up as a foster mom on social media so as not to let Sammy’s milk go to waste, and to help the Shire heal after losing her baby.
Ms. Westwood, who was bottle-feeding Mouse and Tracey round the clock, saw the post and rushed to collect Sammy and bring her back to Molland Ridge.
The tiny foals’ combined weight equaled that of Sammy’s stillborn, meaning the mare was perfectly able to feed both hungry youngsters at once.
“If any type of horse could look after two thoroughbreds, it would be a Shire or Clydesdale, as they have lots of milk and have the most kind nature,” Ms. Westwood said. “They are also naturally more laid-back than thoroughbreds, which makes it less risky introducing them to orphans. Cath was very much up for giving Sammy a go at fostering the pair.”
Ms. Westwood brought back some of the straw Sammy had foaled on since it held traces of placenta. She rubbed the straw on both foals so they smelled like Sammy’s own baby, and her vet gave Sammy a mild sedative to help her relax.
What happened next was pure magic.
“We introduced Tracey, the slightly bigger foal,” Ms. Westwood said. “Sammy’s eyes lit up, and we knew straight away that she was going to accept her. Tracey went straight to the milk bar and thought it was an all-you-can-eat!
“Then we swiftly introduced Mouse, who was more hesitant due to her real dam being tricky. But Sammy was very good with her, and after a few hours of watching Tracey at the milk bar, she started to follow suit and realized Sammy was not going to hurt her.”
The trio quickly became inseparable. Sammy even took special care to see that the smaller Mouse was well-fed, and tip-toed around her two tiny stablemates with her “giant dinner plate hooves.”
Ms. Westwood said that it was a sight to behold, the first time the trio went out in the field.
“Sammy looked fairly taken aback that she had produced such quick foals galloping around her,” Ms. Westwood said. “They are now enjoying being out by night when the weather is cool, and in during the day where they chill in the coop stables.”
Thanks to Sammy’s nutritious milk, Tracey has reached 321 pounds (146 kilograms) at the time of writing. After navigating a few health issues, Mouse has reached 227 pounds (103 kilograms). Ms. Westwood hopes the smaller foal will “catch up eventually,” and the pair will be weaned from their foster mom around the six-month mark. Both are future Molland Ridge racehorses and will not be sold.
A former jump jockey, Ms. Westwood set up Molland Ridge Stud and Rehabilitation after five years spent training National Hunt racehorses. The center breeds mares for the first five months of the year, while they break and educate young racehorses for entry to the training yard, nicknamed “The Ritz” by Ms. Westwood for its fancy facilities.
Molland Ridge also runs a rehab program for injured and post-op horses. Ms. Westwood is focused on quality over quantity and is passionate about educating the next generation of responsible horse breeders. Sammy and her foster foals are an example of what’s possible with the proper love and care.
“You can achieve anything if you are prepared to put in the work,” she said.
