Shelby Lockhart is a boutique owner, a Utah hairstylist, and a horse owner. Mamba was raised by Shelby and was her “heart horse.” Mamba gave birth to an adorable foal, but was taken two weeks later with a brain aneurysm. Shelby was left with a broken heart and the little orphaned foal. After Mamba’s death, Shelby attempted to bottle-feed the foal. The orphaned foal steadfastly refused any milk replacer. They knew they had to do something fast. Sadly, another mare had recently lost her baby. Because the mare was still lactating, they brought the orphaned foal to her. @shelbylockhart when I tell you I cried like a baby watching this #horses #foal #slyebydesign ♬ Good Horses (feat. Miranda Lambert) – Lainey Wilson After a slight hesitation, the foal began nursing from the mare. The fostering was a success. The mare has a new baby to care for, and the orphaned foal has a new Mom. They will remain together until the foal is weaned. @shelbylockhart Replying to @Diane Karcher It’s like watching a miracle unfold. Two innocent animals facing heartbreak and tragedy, but finding each other and expressing nothing but love #horses #foal #slyebydesign ♬ I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Madison Malone The process of introducing an orphaned foal to a grieving mare is known as grafting. It isn’t always so straightforward and can sometimes take weeks for the two foster animals to bond. Successful grafting can be aided by employing techniques developed by an equine theriogenologist. Although Shelby’s foal was orphaned due to the death of her mother, Mamba, not all orphans are created by death. There are cases where a mother may reject a foal or experience an inability to lactate. A foal can be orphaned if the mother develops an illness, is injured, or is separated during an emergency. In all cases, attempting a grafting is preferable to hand-raising. If you would like to keep track of this adoption story, please follow Shelby on TikTok. If the video taken after 24 hours is an indication, the mare and foal have already formed a bond. Please share. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post The Moment This Orphaned Foal Is Accepted By A Foster Mom Will Bring You To Tears appeared first on InspireMore.