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.
900-Pound Horse Trapped in Mud – Owner Stays by His Side for Three Grueling Hours
A Mother’s Love and Determination Save a 900-Pound Horse from a Muddy Trap
How far would you go for someone you love? For Nicole Graham from Melbourne, Australia, the answer was clear: as far as it takes.
Nicole, an experienced horse owner with 10 horses, was out for an afternoon ride with her daughter Paris when their peaceful outing took a terrifying turn. Both horses unexpectedly became trapped in thick mud. Nicole managed to free her daughter’s horse, but Astro, her 900-pound, 17-year-old companion, remained hopelessly stuck.
As Astro struggled to free himself, he sank even deeper. With no other option, Nicole stayed by his side, keeping him calm and comforting him as they waited for help. For over three exhausting hours, Nicole clung to Astro, refusing to leave him alone in his distress.
When rescue teams finally arrived, a veterinarian administered sedatives to Astro, allowing the team to attach a harness and carefully pull him out using a tractor. After an intense effort, Astro was finally freed.
Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Nicole told The Geelong Advertiser: “It was terrifying. It was heartbreaking to see my horse exhausted and struggling. I’ve been riding here for 20 years and never had an issue. I never realized it was so boggy.”
One firefighter described the mud as behaving like quicksand, highlighting the dangerous conditions. Veterinarian Stacey Sullivan, who treated Astro for dehydration and sore muscles, praised Nicole’s dedication: “A lot of horses don’t make it in situations like this. Without the owner’s presence, the chances of survival would have been much lower.”
This heart-stopping story is a testament to the unbreakable bond between humans and animals—and the lengths we’ll go to protect those we love.
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