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.
A Passenger Is Surprised by a Couple Getting Too Cozy on Flight: “Can’t Believe”
“Can’t believe my view on the plane. It was like this the whole four-hour flight,” X user captioned the pics. A plane passenger named Flea was surprised to witness two of his fellow travelers getting extremely cozy on a recent flight. He took to social media to share his frustration, posting pictures of the couple’s intimate display across a row of seats. The duo, barefoot and entwined in a spooning position, had their feet sticking out into the aisle, much to Flea’s horror.
This incident stirred the airplane etiquette debate, following others like feet on seats and seatbelts around ankles.
Flea shared three photos online showing a couple lying across three seats on a plane. The woman had her legs wrapped around her partner, with her bare foot on the tray table. In another photo, they were making a heart shape with their hands. The third picture showed the man with one bare foot on the floor while the woman rested on top of him.
Many people commented online, expressing their disapproval of the couple’s behavior, especially being barefoot and taking up multiple seats. Some questioned why the flight attendant didn’t intervene, while others were specifically bothered by the bare feet.
People started a heated debate.
One user wrote, “I would have stared at his feet the whole time.” Another user on X commented, “This isn’t even safe.”
Another commenter remarked, “Breaking up in two months.” Someone else shared, “I hated these types of couples in high school, all in the hall, slowing you down.”
This incident isn’t the first time airplane passengers have sparked debates over etiquette. Just a few weeks ago, there was an uproar when a frequent flier demonstrated a risky travel hack of wearing her seatbelt around her ankles to sit more “comfortably” during the flight.
Air travel brings people together despite occasional etiquette lapses, emphasizing diversity and mutual respect.
Despite the debates and occasional lapses in etiquette, air travel continues to connect people from all walks of life. These incidents, while they may cause frustration or amusement, also highlight the diverse experiences and perspectives we encounter during our journeys.
Ultimately, the shared experience of flying brings us together, reminding us of the importance of mutual respect and understanding in our interconnected world. What’s your take on this situation?
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