Twin horses don't happen often. When they do it's unusual that both are born alive. The double delivery of two chestnut foals this week came as a complete surprise to their owners, Sarah and Fintan Eagleton, of Ballinamorogue, near Castlebar, Co Mayo.
One foal is named Lady Jayne. Her smaller sister is Miss Mayo. Only one in every 10,000 horse conceptions are delivered twins. If they are conceived, the twins usually spontaneously abort. If they make it to full term, one or both of the foals, sometimes even the mare, die during birth.
Fintan knew their 11-year-old mare, Mayo Lady, had produced on the double around 10.30pm on the night of May 10th when he shone his torch in the field and spotted three sets of equine eyes glinting at him.
The twin foals were small and skinny. Fintan spent a number of nights in the shed with them to improve their chances of survival.
"We feel privileged that foals were born here on our farm," said Sara Eagleton. "They are the first horse twins in the area for almost 40 years." The Eagletons praised the veterinary team of Janine Down and George O'Malley for their support since the twins were born.
"We didn't even know the mare was carrying twins beforehand," Sara explained. "We thought it was one big foal." Mr O'Malley said the odds on the twins being born alive were one in 10,000.
The stallion involved was Ginger Holly, owned by Owen Hallinan of Killawalla.
With both foals thriving, the likelihood is that they will grow up to become elegant showjumping and hunting sports horses.
There could be an encore in future years for the Eagletons. Mares that have twinned previously may do it again.
Fintan said, however, that "caring for twin fillies is a tiring business even when you have such an excellent mother as Mayo Lady who has a wonderful, caring temperament."