Stories of Miniature Horse Mothers

I am always amazed when people insist that animals do not feel love like humans do. I always think to myself people that make statements like that must not have very much experience with animals.

Just like humans, a mother's love is all encompassing even in animals. There is no stronger pull than the need to protect and care for our young.

A few years ago one of my Miniature horse mares went into labor and had a still born foal. I left the dead foal with the mare for about 30 minutes so that she would understand that the foal was dead. She kept trying to make the foal get up and would not stop pawing at him. I finally took the dead foal away to bury it and when I came back to her stall, she literally ran to me frantically looking for her baby. She kept looking at my hands and circling my body while making noises to call her foal. My heart broke and the tears streamed down my face. She was so sure I was bringing her baby back to her, and there was nothing I could do. Although horses cannot cry like humans, this mare was crying. I petted her, tried to distract her with food, but nothing worked. I finally had to give her a sedative to calm her down.

Last week I was in the house working on the computer when I heard a mare screaming. Just as a mother can tell when her kids shrieks mean they are just playing or hurt, the minute I heard the scream I knew something was wrong.

I jumped from my chair and glanced out the window. One of my mares was running to each end of the barn and back while screaming at the same time. I quickly noticed her week old foal was no where to be seen. This mare was so upset that she couldn't find her foal, that her entire body was covered in sweat.

I got my boots on and ran outside. The mare looked at me as if to say "please find my baby!"

I ran into the barn and there was her foal visibly shaken and crying for his mother. I had to pick him up (thank goodness Miniature horses are small) and take him back out to his mother. The look of relief on that mare's face is something I will never forget. I could almost hear her sigh of relief.

It brought back memories of being at a store with my three children when they were young, and one disappeared. I remember my heart beating so hard it felt like it would jump out of my chest. The feeling of sheer panic and terror at not being able to find my child was exactly what my mare had just gone through. Thankfully both stories had a happy ending.