Orphaned foal, mourning mare brought together with help of a Virginia Tech equine clinician

In the world of thoroughbred breeding, foaling season is often a time of excitement and hope, but it can also be marked by heartbreak. 

Recently, two breeders from different states, strangers until fate intervened, were brought together by a grieving mare who had lost her foal and an orphaned foal who had lost its mother.

Both breeders are long time clients of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, in Leesburg,  one of three animal healthcare facilities and teaching hospitals of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, based on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. 

One Saturday morning, a mare at O’Sullivan Farms, in Charles Town, West Virginia, tragically lost her newborn foal.

The following morning, a local veterinarian called the Equine Medical Center looking to purchase a feeding tube. Megan Marchitello, clinical instructor of equine medicine, answered the call and asked why it was needed. The veterinarian explained, with hesitation, that a mare had died suddenly, leaving behind a young foal. She hoped the foal would drink from a bucket but needed a feeding tube just in case an alternative plan needed to be put in place.

Marchitello, knowing the complications and risks that can accompany hand-rearing a foal, asked a simple but game-changing question: "I know of a lactating mare who has just lost a foal, would you like me to reach out to her owner?"

As it happened, Marchitello had previously treated the now-deceased mare and felt a personal connection to the unfolding situation. She contacted John Funkhouser at O’Sullivan Farms, whose mare was now grieving the loss of her foal. 

Both parties, one from West Virginia, the other Keith Harpster and his business partner Sarah Wingfield from The Stables at Mezza Luna, in Damascus, Maryland, quickly agreed to a plan.

Although they had never met before, they found common ground in their desire to give these two animals a second chance.

Later that same day, Marchitello received a message from Funkhouser: “The foal is coming to the farm this afternoon, would you like to be here?”

Moved by the moment, Marchitello went to Funkhouser’s farm in Charles Town, not as an attending veterinarian, but as a friend and a witness to what she hoped would be a new beginning for the two horses. Upon arrival, she was warmly greeted by Sara Wingfield from The Stables at Mezza Luna, whom she had met before, and explained her unique connection to both the mare and the foal.

Introducing a foal to a new mare is a delicate process. It requires precise handling, keen observation, and deep understanding of equine behavior. A misstep can be dangerous, even fatal, for the foal. 

Fortunately, this mare was a seasoned broodmare, and under the expert guidance of equine veterinarian Teresa Hopfgartner, and Funkhouser, the introduction was carried out with care and patience.

They needn’t have worried. The mare, perhaps sensing the foal’s desire to connect, and grieving her own tragic loss, welcomed the orphan almost immediately. She allowed the foal to nurse, watched over it protectively, and formed a bond that was as natural as if it were her own.

“The whole experience was extremely touching,” said Marchitello. “Foaling season can be incredibly fulfilling and joyous, but there are times when things do go wrong. To watch two animals that had experienced tragedy come together like that was powerful.”

The two breeders worked out a mutually beneficial plan to care for the mare and foal until it was time to wean the foal. Marchitello has since returned for a visit and reports that both mare and foal are thriving.

Within the thoroughbred breeding community, this story stands as a testament to the compassion, collaboration, and quick thinking that defines the best of the field. Veterinarians in the region often turn to the Equine Medical Center as a hub, not just for medical care, but for making connections when emergencies strike, whether it’s helping place an orphaned foal with a surrogate mare, or vice versa.

In this case, the orphaned foal had already received colostrum, the essential first milk, from its biological mother, a factor that gave it a strong start in life. But being raised by a mare provides much more than just nutrition; it helps teach the foal normal horse behavior and creates a far more natural upbringing.

Thanks to the thoughtfulness of two breeders, the insight of a dedicated veterinarian, and the nurturing instincts of a remarkable mare, a tragic beginning was rewritten into a story of resilience, connection, and a new bright future for a special foal!