Orphaned Baby Horse Adopted by Loving Nanny Goat (PHOTOS)

One of the best things about animals is how much they can teach us about our limitless capacity to love. This is especially true for mother animals, who often go above and beyond when it comes to caring for their young. So when an orphaned foal needed a wet nurse to suckle after her mother died suddenly, it was Buttercup the goat who came to the rescue!

Meet Priest Welsh Ruby Legacy, who is a lucky little lady that everyone calls “Legacy” for short. This fancy little foal was the firstborn to beloved horses Priest Valley Ruby Jubilee and Welsh’s Titan Prince at Priest Welsh’s Clydesdales in Northern Ireland. After an easy birth sometime around 2am, the family was shocked to discover Ruby Jubilee was showing signs of distress the following morning. They quickly called in a veterinarian, who, after attempting several treatments, made the difficult decision to euthanize the horse at 4pm, leaving her healthy foal behind.

Poor Legacy was only 14 hours old and her mother passed away. The Welsh’s knew that even though she could be bottle fed, she would need a long-term source of milk and a little extra love if she were to survive. It was somewhat if a longshot to pair an orphaned horse with a dairy goat, but for Legacy’s sake the Welsh’s had to give it a try.

They set out to find her a furry friend and decided to try a dairy goat from the large farm down the road. Buttercup the goat was one of 400 animals and the poor thing was nervous as she reached the uncertainty of her new home.

Buttercup had recently given birth, but her little one was taken away. She still fostered a strong maternal instinct, however, and happily adopted Legacy as her own. 

It has been five months since Buttercup and Legacy first met and the two have since become inseparable, proving once again that love and compassion between species is happening every day.

All image source: Emily Welsh/Facebook