The cow became a foster mother for a foal

Photo from horseandhound.com

In England, County Wexford, an unusual animal family appeared – the cow Rusty became the mother of the newly born foal Thomas.

Dairy farmer and part-time horse breeder Des Devereaux told the beginning of this story.

“When the mare foaled, everything was fine. The foal was born healthy. But after eight days the mare began to bleed and she fell. We realized that we needed to find a foster mother for Thomas.

Almost immediately we found a suitable mare, but after two or three days it became clear that everything was in vain – she did not accept the foal. We continued to search and soon found a mother for Thomas again, but the situation repeated itself, ”says the farmer.

Desa’s eight-year-old son offered to breed a foal with a cow. Charlie. It was necessary to act quickly, so the breeder decided to try. Rusty and Thomas bonded quickly.

“Everything turned out to be so easy! The foal did not have any digestive problems due to the other milk. Unfortunately the other mares didn’t accept him and we had to go to extreme lengths to keep him alive,” Das added.

The breeder, whose horses are successful in hunting tournaments on both sides of the Irish Sea, admits that he has never tried this practice before.

The farmer noted that he had never lost a mare at such a late stage and thanks God that everything worked out and Thomas grows up healthy.

True, there is one small unpleasant nuance in that Thomas’ adoptive mother is a cow, not a horse …

“The biggest problem is that when Thomas lies in cow patties, he is covered in brown spots and with a characteristic smell!” Des laughs. “But he feels good, grows, gets milk, and this is the most important thing!”