Hey guys

Happy New Year to you all.

I hope you all had a great Crimbo . I spent my New Year skiing in Italy. It was beautiful. There was due to be a big firework display on New Year's Eve but a massive snow storm was forecast, so we celebrated New Year's Eve on December 30 instead - singing Auld Lang Syne a day early was a bit weird!

Anyway, back at H+P HQ, I've received an email to cheer-away the winter blues. A lady who used to live in Kent, Gayle Lawie, and who emigrated to New Zealand, emailed to say that on Christmas Day her Thoroughbred mare gave birth to twin foals!

The reason this is a such a great story is that twin foals being born alive is very rare in horses! Isn’t that some good New Year news?

Proud mum Tarn has a colt called Rio and a filly called Holly. When they first arrived, Gayle nursed them both intensively with mum Tarn, making sure that they fed successfully. A week later the twins were well and causing mischief – a great result.

If you want to see a picture of the foals then click here:
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2009/01/010.shtml