Happy ending for foal who lost its mother within days of being born
An orphaned foal has been given a second chance by the International League for the Protection of Horses after losing his dam shortly after being born.
The mare, who had suffered a prolapsed uterus following the birth, was found collapsed and suffering from extreme pain, while her son was tottering around the field with a twisted leg.
Chrissie Foley, head groom at the ILPH’s Cherry Tree Farm in Surrey, explained: “The owner contacted us when he found the mare and I went down to the field with our vet. The mare was in real distress and had to be put to sleep.
“The foal is surprisingly strong considering the lack of early attention he received. We think he managed to get some colostrum from his mother before she went down. His slightly twisted leg has improved considerable since arriving at Cherry Tree Farm.”
The owner signed the foal over to the ILPH as he felt unable to care for it and Chrissie has become Geronimo’s surregate mother.
“He is proving to be quite a boisterous little fellow and has taken well to being hand-reared. Geronimo is now drinking from a bucket, but I still haveto get up every two hours as he needs regular feeds,” said Chrissie, who hopes to take the colt on loan when he becomes older.
