Rare twin foals need your help
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Rare twin foals need your help. This is a story of beating the odds and endless love.
Last October, our family took in a Tennessee Walking Horse, Sephira, that was in desperate need of care and love. She was severely underweight and needed to be removed from the farm where she was living along with 10+ other Tennessee Walking Horses. We spent the Fall and Winter letting her graze in pasture and supplementing her with extra grain, alfalfa, and hay. In the Spring, we were so pleased with her weight gain, however, she seemed to be bloated so we called our amazing Vet, Dr. Cierra Dedeker, to come check her out. To our surprise, she informed us that she was pregnant and due any time. Horses are pregnant for 11 months and 11 days, so when we took her in we had no idea that she had been allowed to be in pasture with another stud. Being a first time horse owner, we knew that we needed expert care and called Michelle Michelsen owner of Bald Peak Foaling and Rehabilitation Center. After two weeks of waiting, we were in for yet another surprise, she was having twins!!
Born on May 6, the twins, Annabel and Oliver, are very rare. The chance of a mare successfully delivering twins is about one in 10,000, and even more unusual for them both to survive.
The birth was extremely difficult. Both the filly and colt emerged from the birth canal at the same time. When Michelle and her daughter, Kailee, saw 4 hoofs they knew this would be a traumatic delivery. The filly, Annabel, was not breathing when she came out and had to be resuscitated. Our foals would not have survived without the expert delivery assistance of Michelle Michelsen, owner of Bald Peak Foaling and Rehabilitation Center in Newberg and Dr. Cierra Dedeker, Practice Owner / Veterinarian of Peak Performance Equine PLLC.
Since horses rarely give birth to twins, their survival depends on 24/7 care in the equivalent of an equine newborn intensive care unit for the first month. The mare is not able to produce enough milk for both of her foals so we are supplementing with goats milk. We are so grateful for the Newberg and surrounding area horse community for responding to our immediate need of goats milk for Annabel and Oliver.
Our daughters Grace (7) and Sofie (5) are so in love with these mini miracles.We want to give these little foals the best fighting chance possible and would be grateful for any support you can provide!
KATU, Channel 2 News just posted this piece about our twin foals, Annabel and Oliver Rare-twin-horses-born
With deep gratitude,
Owners, Sabrina and Marc Stoffregen
Sherwood, Oregon
Last October, our family took in a Tennessee Walking Horse, Sephira, that was in desperate need of care and love. She was severely underweight and needed to be removed from the farm where she was living along with 10+ other Tennessee Walking Horses. We spent the Fall and Winter letting her graze in pasture and supplementing her with extra grain, alfalfa, and hay. In the Spring, we were so pleased with her weight gain, however, she seemed to be bloated so we called our amazing Vet, Dr. Cierra Dedeker, to come check her out. To our surprise, she informed us that she was pregnant and due any time. Horses are pregnant for 11 months and 11 days, so when we took her in we had no idea that she had been allowed to be in pasture with another stud. Being a first time horse owner, we knew that we needed expert care and called Michelle Michelsen owner of Bald Peak Foaling and Rehabilitation Center. After two weeks of waiting, we were in for yet another surprise, she was having twins!!
Born on May 6, the twins, Annabel and Oliver, are very rare. The chance of a mare successfully delivering twins is about one in 10,000, and even more unusual for them both to survive.
The birth was extremely difficult. Both the filly and colt emerged from the birth canal at the same time. When Michelle and her daughter, Kailee, saw 4 hoofs they knew this would be a traumatic delivery. The filly, Annabel, was not breathing when she came out and had to be resuscitated. Our foals would not have survived without the expert delivery assistance of Michelle Michelsen, owner of Bald Peak Foaling and Rehabilitation Center in Newberg and Dr. Cierra Dedeker, Practice Owner / Veterinarian of Peak Performance Equine PLLC.
Since horses rarely give birth to twins, their survival depends on 24/7 care in the equivalent of an equine newborn intensive care unit for the first month. The mare is not able to produce enough milk for both of her foals so we are supplementing with goats milk. We are so grateful for the Newberg and surrounding area horse community for responding to our immediate need of goats milk for Annabel and Oliver.
Our daughters Grace (7) and Sofie (5) are so in love with these mini miracles.We want to give these little foals the best fighting chance possible and would be grateful for any support you can provide!
KATU, Channel 2 News just posted this piece about our twin foals, Annabel and Oliver Rare-twin-horses-born
With deep gratitude,
Owners, Sabrina and Marc Stoffregen
Sherwood, Oregon
Organizer
Sabrina Lang Stoffregen
Organizer
Sherwood, OR