In much of the animal kingdom, multiple births are quite normal. A cat, for example, might typically have four kittens in her litter. There are breeds of dogs that frequently have ten puppies in one go. Even for humans, who generally have only one baby at a time, twins are not a rarity. But with horses, it’s a very different story. A mare’s anatomy really isn’t able to accommodate more than one foal and not surprisingly, nature arranges things for horses such that it’s almost always one baby at a time. It’s quite unusual for a mare to be carrying twins and what’s flat-out rare is when everything goes well, with mom and both kids healthy and happy. In this case, it’s a special treat: a handsome and mighty draft horse gave birth to a pair of adorable foals.
The horses in question are Friesians, also known as Belgian blacks (even though Friesia is a long way away, in northern Holland). The breed dates back at least to the middle ages and Friesians were once highly prized war horses, being both large and strong enough to carry a knight clad in heavy armor. These days, Friesians are a lot more likely to be found at a dressage event or on a movie set than on a battlefield.
As you’ll see in the video posted below, mom and her babies, named Lisa and Fien, are doing splendidly just four days after they were born. Foals have the incredible ability to stand and nurse within an hour of being born and just a few hours after that, they’re already able to run along side their mom. Despite being so large and strong, Friesians are notably gentle and affectionate, as you can see by the way they readily accept pets from a little girl.
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