Worth and Spirit: Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds Working Together
The horse industry tends to be incredibly busy yet horsemen and women still take the time to help each
other in times of need. The people involved in the Thoroughbred and Standardbred industries don’t often
cross paths but occasionally, an emergency during breeding season is answered by who can help
regardless of breed or background. This time of year holds so much excitement however the loss of a
mare or foal creates a difficult situation for all involved especially the owners, caretakers and
veterinarians.
On April 15th this year, Boe Stone rushed the eight year old Stone Ranches mare, Backside Belle, to Moore
& Company Vet in an attempt to save her from an aggressive bout of colic. Sadly, the mare was lost leaving
behind her Thoroughbred filly, Spirit, as a two month old orphan. Boe had to load Spirit into the trailer to
make the lonely trip back to Stone Ranches but within half an hour of pulling back into his own driveway,
a trailer appeared carrying the 16.3 hand Standardbred, Worth Avenue. Carl Archibald and Karen
Bannister from Meadowlark Farms & Training Centre near Airdrie were bringing the mare to introduce
her to Spirit as a nurse mare.
As Boe stated the following night, “Last eve at 5pm I didn’t know Karen and Carl but after a bout of colic
we lost Belle quickly and Jordan (Dr. Cook) leapt into action finding a nurse mare who had lost her
beautiful colt. Thanks Everyone. Let’s hope for continued success with this new relationship.”
The rapid speed of which a nurse mare was found was due to the persistent efforts of Dr. Jordan Cook
from Moore & Company Veterinary Clinic, along with the generous response of Carl and Karen. The
important question to be answered next was whether the two would be able to form a bond. The hope
was that the twenty year old Standardbred would quickly adopt the new filly, Spirit, as her own.
Successfully introducing a nurse mare to an orphan foal is not always an easy process, you cannot safely
just put the two together in a stall and hope for the best. Fortunately, in this situation with the expert
help of Dr. Cook, Worth Avenue accepted Spirit and the bond has only been getting stronger since.
Dr. Cook followed a certain protocol to ensure the best chance of a positive “bonding experience”
between Worth and Spirit. This initially included giving the mare medication to induce lactation and
oxytocin or “love hormones” and medication to trigger sweating. The sweat was then taken and rubbed
on the top of Spirit’s head and any areas that Worth would go to sniff or nuzzle to make the foal seem
familiar. Worth was kept in stocks at first for the safety of the handlers and foal while attempts at allowing
the foal to nurse were made. A gradual reduction in control of the mare was then allowed while Worth
and Spirit were walked down the aisle and allowed to be loose together in a stall watched closely by Dr.
Cook and the handlers for any signs of unhappiness. Fortunately, Dr. Cook found that Worth was “lovely
and easy to work with” and the mare’s happy ears and eyes indicators showed the ‘click” moment where
she thought “I’m alright with this and she (Worth) knows that the foal is hers.” The whole process took
about three hours before it was declared a success close to midnight and Worth and Spirit were left alone
together to continue the attachment process.
Karen Bannister of Meadowlark Farms notes that even though Worth had produced nine live foals before,
she had never been a nurse mare for another foal in the past. This year, unfortunately her colt was lost
due to complications from a breech birth leaving Worth ‘very distraught and then depressed after having
lost this year’s baby; especially because she was around other broodmares who had live foals.” Karen was
pretty sure the bonding would be successful though because, “If any of our broodmares would make a
good brood mare, it would be Worth! Mother Nature has a way of bringing joy to her creatures regardless
of the circumstances. Simply put: Worth loves being a mom!”
Dr. Cook has worked closely with the racetrack community and was the link between the Standardbred
and Thoroughbred farms in bringing the two together in the crisis. Karen has worked with Dr. Cook over
the past five years with Meadowlark Farms but this “is the first time we’ve worked with her with respect
to nurse mares or orphaned foals but are very glad it worked out well. Dr. Cook has developed a reputation
in the community as a great vet to work with, both at the racetrack and during breeding seasons and is
always available when needed –even if she’s not on duty. It was a great experience for both us and the
Stones and we’d do it again in a heartbeat if the circumstance arose.”
As Dr. Cook point out, it is a small community of breeders in the area and everyone is always reaching out
and willing to help regardless of breed, the race industry might be “competitive on the track but they are
always the first ones to have each other’s backs.”
Boe added that Worth and Spirit “are still closer than most of our mares and foals. Since they have been
brought together they have a special bond…you couldn’t write the script any better if you tried!”
Worth has been re-bred and is hopefully in foal for a Standardbred baby in 2023. Worth and Spirit will be
weaned around sale time this September and Worth will return to her regular life as a Standardbred
broodmare and Boe “wishes her the most success with that.” If you drive by Stone Ranches over the
summer, have a look for the big Standardbred mare in the pasture with her Thoroughbred foal and for
the Mor Spirit filly ‘Spirit’ next year in the 2023 CTHS Alberta Sale.
It is much more beneficial to take the time and effort to ensure the bond and use a nurse mare to raise
an orphaned foal. Bottle feeding an orphan foal is extremely time intensive and costly and bottle fed foals
can often develop unwanted behavioural issues. Orphans raised on a nurse mare are provided with the
best possible nutrition and learn normal equine social behaviours from a more natural environment.
Meadowlark Farms is located on the Northwest side of Airdrie, AB. Together owners Carl and Karen
have over 30 years of horse experience and provide quality care for performance horses, overseeing all
the daily operations.
We offer boarding and foaling of broodmares, yearlings, weanlings, turnouts, lay-ups and lay-overs.
Whether your need is long term, seasonal or short term, we are sure your horses would like to call
Meadowlark Farms home. We also provide sales prep and representation for yearling and mixed sales
throughout the year. Transportation is available upon request.