Customer Credits Mare’s Match Milk Replacer for Saving Young Filly

Jo-Ann Hill, from Stolen Heart Ranch in Ballard West Virginia, recently sent a letter to the Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Products team thanking them for developing Mare’s Match®, an animal milk replacer developed by Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Products and a product that she credits with saving the baby mare’s life earlier this year.

Earlier this year, the week before Easter, her husband Joe realized that their mini mare named Red was in foal and due to deliver any day. After they realized the mare was in distress, they called their veterinarian who determined that the foal was positioned with her right front leg over the back of her head, pushing her head downward, making birth nearly impossible. Even though the vet didn’t see any signs of life, she managed to unwrap the foal’s leg and bring it out straight with the left leg. After a challenging delivery, the filly was born alive and kicking with a twinkle in her eye.

Unfortunately, after this challenging birth, it turned out that Red, the filly’s mother, did not bond or want to nurse. That’s when the Hills turned to their local Southern States Co-op to purchase Mare’s Match® milk replacer. They nursed the filly on the bottle for weeks, nursing her through the night in shifts.

“Your product saved her life,” wrote Jo Ann Hill. “From the first bottle, she guzzled that milk for weeks and months. And we gave her the farm name Knickers as this is what she does every time she wants a bottle….We thank you profusely for your product development team and all employees who made our disaster, a true miracle.”

In gratitude, Jo-Anne and her husband Joe have been taking Knickers to visit nursing homes, VA hospitals and public events to share the story and promote Mare’s Match®, sharing their life-saving story.