ëMissyí the foal turns out to be a good surprise
Posted 8/15/02

By DAWN SLADE
Mille Lacs County Times

When Debbie and Dale Rothstein purchased their mare, Shez A Black Te, last year, they obviously werenít anticipating a surprise this past month. But they certainly got one.

Unbeknownst to them, their newly purchased mare was pregnant, and on July 4, a little foal was born.

Her name is Teís Miss America, more commonly referred to as "Missy."

The seller had told the Rothsteins that if they ever decided to breed the mare, better known as "Te," they should have colostrum on hand as the mare has never produced milk.

Colostrum is milk that is secreted for a few days after birth, which is high in protein and antibodies.

So when the Rothsteinís riding trainer mentioned to them that she thought the horse might be pregnant, they had the vet confirm it.

It was just four weeks before Te gave birth when the Rothsteinís found out not only would they have a foal on their hands, they would need colostrum.

The University of Minnesota Veterinarian School has a network of people who have colostrum on hand. The people in the colostrum network raise horses and obtain the colostrum from the brood mares, then freeze it for those in need.

The Rothsteins, who live just west of Princeton, were able to utilize the network and purchase two 16 ounce bags of colostrum, at $100 each, from a family in St. Michael.

On the 4th of July, Missy was born. And Debbie was right there when it happened.

"Everything went really well. Sheís a very calm mother," Debbie said of Te.

"She was walking within an hour of being born," Debbie said of Missy.

And that $200 worth of colostrum the Rothsteinís purchased was just enough for Missy. She was able to get the antibodies she needed.

This is Teís fourth foal. The first two never made it, so without the colostrum, Missy likely would have died, too.

But they still needed to provide Missy with milk. So, the Rothsteinís located a couple of goat farmers in the area, the Collins and the Luedkes, to purchase milk for their little filly.

Missy is a thirsty little girl, drinking roughly two and one half gallons of goatís milk each day. Theyíve been purchasing over $100 week in goatís milk, and their freezer is full.

Theyíve been stockpiling it because the goatís milk production will be going down soon as the goats enter the breeding season.

The Rothsteins currently bottle feed Missy every three hours, which is a lot less than the hourly feedings when she was first born.

"Sheís a lot cuter now than she is at 3 a.m.," Debbie jokes.

Though a lot of visitors have come to offer their assistance in bottle-feeding Missy, none have shown up for that 3 a.m. feeding yet.

But, the entire family participates in caring for the young horse, including 13-year-old Emily and 17-year-old Ben.

Debbie and Dale typically cover the night feedings and Emily takes care of the daytime feedings.

Emily is also keeping a scrapbook on Missyís young life so far and will be entering it in the Mille Lacs County Fair through the Silver Lakers 4-H Club.

Missy is an extremely friendly and calm little foal. Itís hard to know if her temperament is such because her mother is so calm, or if itís from all the attention sheís been given in just one month.

Even though Te canít produce milk, it doesnít make her any less of a mother. Sheís very nurturing and protective of her little one.

The Rothsteins donít plan on selling Missy, theyíve become quite attached to the little lady.

"Sheís priceless right now. But the first time she kicks me or bites me that might change," Debbie adds with a laugh.

The vet says Missy is doing just fine. Her coat is shiny and she frolics around the pasture like a young horse should.

The only obstacle now is trying to locate the sire, so the Rothsteins can obtain some family history on Missy.

"Itís been a lesson in life," Debbie said of the experience.