Finding a special bond
An orphaned calf has found comfort in an Australian Stock Horse mare who has “adopted” her young paddock friend.
It was not intentional that Jennifer Emanuel sought out a surrogate mother for the Charolais heifer calf, but Neilma was a natural.
“The Australian Stock Horse is known for being a breed for every need – this certainly shows the versatility and temperament of the stock horse,” she said.
Jennifer’s Darnum property is already home to two rescue alpacas, five heifers, some lambs and ewes and of course her Royal Melbourne Show winning Australian Stock Horses.
The latest addition – Bandy – has made her home on the property, nestling into the comfort of 11-yearold mare Cannibal Creek Neilma.
The young calf was a twin, born with bent front legs and rejected by her mother. Jennifer has taken on four orphan calves this year to raise, but Bandy was a little special with her crooked legs.
Bottle fed and stabled at night, Bandy is making great progress, with one leg straightened and the other coming good.
During the day, she is lively in the paddock, and has found comfort with Neilma who Jennifer said has “adopted her and letting her suckle.”
“There was shelter in the paddock so I put her (Bandy) in there with Neilma and from there she just mothered the calf.”
Jennifer said she was amazed to watch Neilma protect Bandy, who nestled in and suckled her like a foal.
Mares becoming surrogates for orphaned or abandoned foals is not unusual. A thoroughbred mare of Jennifer’s fostered a foal at a stud in Woodend – the foal is now three-years-old and due to race and the mare remains at the stud.
But fostering a calf is something of a novelty to the experienced equestrian breeder and competitor.
Neilma, named after Jennifer’s mother, has a record of winning at the Royal Melbourne Show where Jennifer has a long history of exhibiting and competing since she was 12-yearsold.
While she took a break from showing to pursue her career, she returned to the Royal Melbourne Show in 2011.
“I am very proud of our Australian Stock Horse breed,” she said.
In 2014, after 50 years of “wishing, dreaming and competing,” Jennifer finally won a coveted championship sash at a Royal with her eight-yearold heritage bred ASH gelding Cannibal Creek William.
That same year, at age 60, Jennifer was the oldest ever competitor to take on the prestigious Garryowen Equestrian Turnout, riding William. It was 31 years since she had last competed in the Garryowen and Jennifer was proud to be returning to the showring riding a horse she had bred and trained.
The Garryowen event is named after the show horse Garryowen who was killed in a stable fire in 1934. His owner Violet Murrell died trying to save him and other horses.