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.”
