Baby Rose

Baby Rose

Friday the 7 th of June started out like any other day of the week here at the sanctuary but by nightfall we had experienced a very dramatic day indeed! The story starts some months back with the arrival of heavily pregnant rescue mare Daisy who had suffered horrendous neglect and abuse.

That morning we unexpectedly heard loud and excited braying in one of the paddocks around 11-30am. We went to check out what was happening to be met by the sight of a tiny newborn foal being tossed about between two mares who were fighting over her.

Sadly Mum Daisy had given birth and immediately rejected the foal. As Mum had walked as far away as possible from her, two of our mares, Millie and Jenny, had decided to make it their own but had begun to fight over it. We had to quickly intervene for the safety of the little one as neither meant to harm the foal but she had brought out their maternal instincts.

Little Rose was brought into one of the stables and we set about getting the first milk or colostrum from Daisy. This first milk provides antibodies which give the foal its immunity to disease. Bottle rearing a foal is no easy task but Rose was on her feet and ready to have her bottle from the beginning which was a huge relief as the first weeks in a rejected foals life are very challenging. Sometimes they just don’t have the will to fight to survive and just give up so we held our breathe to see what sort of character this tiny grey bundle was.

Several attempts were made on that first day to reintroduce mother and daughter in the hope that Daisy would have settled down after the birth but unfortunately this was not to be. Daisy continued to lash out violently at Rose and would have killed her given half a chance.

Bottle feeding will continue for at least 12 weeks with the introduction of milk pellets after two weeks to begin the weaning process. Feeding happens every 3 or 4 hours, 24 hours a day. Little Rose loves her cuddles and seeks comfort by sucking on your fingers or nuzzling on your clothes. She just needs the reassurance that you are there so many hours are spent in her stable both night and day.

We soon discovered that behind the spindly little legs and vulnerable body was a tough and resilient little soul. She has battled to survive from day one and as we go to press with this newsletter she is gaining in weight and strength every day. She has a cheeky, bold and confident personality which has served her well in having such a tough start in life. Her story has travelled around the globe with the help of social media and she has legions of admirers from every corner of the world who await her daily updates with great excitement. She has become such a major part of everyday life here at the sanctuary that we find it hard to believe that she has only been in the world a few short weeks. Visitors and well wishers have spoken of how her photos and updates have cheered them up and brightened their days since her arrival. She has touched so many hearts and is destined to be very special.