Jody Harding’s brother Trent has twins, her other brother Lee has twins, her dad is a twin…and now it’s Jody’s turn! A couple of days ago Jody’s old mare Battler gave birth to healthy Beniah twins.
Jody’s mum bought Battler for her when she was a teenager, through the Rocky Quarter Horse Sale from Graham & Dawn Jackson. Graham sadly passed away just 2 weeks ago.
Battler was Jody’s first quarter horse and she describes her as “๐ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐”, as both she and Trent drafted her competitively and then beginners & kids would compete her and she would do the same old job.
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.
๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐จ ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐จ,
๐๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐…๐ช๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐!! ๐ฅ๐
“Imagine our shock to find that at 21 years of age, old Battler has given us a set of twins!! Iโd already decided this would be her last foal and hasnโt she gone out with a bang!
“It was completely unexpected, she carried them full term and she had them unassisted. My mum Barbara, is still learning how to breath again after being the one to find the foals, a colt and a filly. The filly wasnโt with Battler at the time so she had a big job by herself to get them back together.
“Can you believe it? Both foals are happy and healthy!
“Bill and I rushed home to take them to see the ladies at Clermont Veterinary for precautionary tests and a bit of extra collostrum. Thanks so much to the whole team there that take such good care of my pride and joys. Caroline Worsley Tessia Salmond.
“For those that donโt know, twins in horses are prevented to the best of everyoneโs ability because it is such a risky and dangerous thing. For starters the mare usually aborts them at some stage which has its own complications, they rarely carry them full term and are unlikely to birth them without major dramas. And if they are born alive it is incredibly rare to have both twins survive!!
๐โ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐!
“We struggled to hold condition on Battler throughout the year, little did we know back when she still had last seasons foal on her she was actually feeding 3 foals! A big job for an old girl.
“This will save the arguments between Bill and I as to who gets to ride the Battler foal by the great sire Beniah, now we get one each ๐ฅฐ
“This old horse has given me so much in her lifetime, sheโs touched many hearts and I know itโs not just me that loves her to bits. ๐”
