An orphan colt whose mother died shortly after giving birth has a new mom – a mare that had tragically lost her foal – thanks to the generosity of strangers and Washington State University veterinarians playing matchmaker.
Pairing an orphan foal and a nursing mare is a challenging task and one that commonly ends with failure. In this case, the connection was instantaneous.
“The mare had only been without a foal for about 24 hours,” Dr. Lisbeth Matthews, an equine medicine and surgery intern, said. “We walked her into the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and past him. He made a noise, and she went, ‘oh, there’s my foal,’ and started making noises back at him.”
It was a surprise to everyone how quickly the mare, named Shelly but affectionally called Mama by her owners, Roy and Faye Lions, accepted the colt. Equine veterinarian Jenifer Gold, who was helping to care for the foal and to supervise its introduction to the mare, said nursing mares frequently reject orphan foals, and when they don’t, the pairing process often takes days.
“She walked in and started nickering at him like it was her own baby – it was unbelievable,” Gold said. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I have never seen it happen that way.”
The foal, which has been named Laredo, was admitted to the teaching hospital by his owner, Spokane resident Rachel Williams, just days after he was born when he started showing troubling digestive issues. Shortly after the colt arrived in Pullman, Faye Lions placed a call to WSU to see if the equine team was aware of any orphan colts needing a nursing mare.
“Our foal was dead, and nothing was going to bring it back, so we were hoping we could help someone else,” Faye Lions said. “It just so happened there was a foal there.”
A day later, the colt and Shelly were introduced.
“For them to be so willing to basically hand over their animal to a complete stranger after experiencing their own tragedy was pretty phenomenal,” Williams said. “I feel like in this scenario it was the worst of the worst for everybody, but there was a little bit of silver lining to the story.”
Williams is also grateful for the care and treatment she and her foal received at WSU.
“I just can’t even find words to say how great the veterinarians at WSU were,” she said. “They went above and beyond. I am just happy I ended up at WSU. I am so glad we were able to match those two up – it is kind of a miracle.”
Shelly will live with Williams until the colt is ready to be weaned, likely in six months, before she will return to her home in Kamiah, Idaho.
“It will be tough to say goodbye because you just naturally start to bond with animals, and she has kind of been my lifesaver,” Williams said. “It will be bittersweet for sure, but I am sure her owners will be happy to have her back.”
During the spring, the equine team at WSU typically sees at least a handful of orphan foals. Equine medicine specialist Dr. Macarena Sanz said orphan foals can be fed a powdered milk formula designed for horses, but those raised by humans typically develop behavioral issues that can become problematic as the animal matures.
“They turn out to be socially weird, have no understanding of personal space, and they are more difficult to train,” WSU equine veterinarian Macarena Sanz said. “The fact that this orphan foal has a mare is really going to make a difference.”
Sanz strongly encourages owners to immediately call their veterinarian if a foal is orphaned, as early care is critical to the animal’s survival.
If you can guess, you’re too good
Some riddles challenge your logic, while others test how quickly you can make connections between images and words. The visual puzzle above falls into the second category, presenting a simple yet tricky brain teaser. If you can figure it out within five seconds, you’re definitely sharp!
Let’s break down the clues, explore common mistakes, and guide you through solving this clever riddle.
What Do You See in the Puzzle?
The image consists of two main elements:
- A water droplet 💧
- A white t-shirt 👕
At first glance, these seem unrelated, but together, they hint at the name of a country. The challenge is simple: can you decipher it?
Common Mistakes People Make
Before we reveal the answer, let’s discuss a few common mistakes that make this puzzle tricky:
- Overcomplicating the Clues – Some people try to analyze the meaning of the objects too deeply, looking for complex wordplay when the answer is actually straightforward.
- Ignoring Phonetics – The key to solving this riddle lies in how the words sound, rather than what they literally represent.
- Thinking in Literal Terms – Instead of seeing the water droplet and t-shirt as direct objects, it’s important to break them down into the sounds they represent.
Now, let’s solve this step by step.
Video : Guess the Country by its Scrambled Name
Step-by-Step Guide to Solving the Riddle
Step 1: Breaking Down the First Symbol – The Water Droplet
A droplet of water can be linked to the word “Thai”. In some contexts, “Thai” is associated with water, such as in traditional Thai culture where water festivals like Songkran play a significant role.
However, the most important clue here is phonetics. The word “Thai” sounds like the beginning of the name of a well-known country.
Step 2: Decoding the Second Symbol – The T-Shirt
A t-shirt is a piece of clothing, but in this case, we focus on how it sounds.
- The word “shirt” doesn’t quite fit, but if we shorten it to just “T”, it leads us in the right direction.
- Instead, the “land” part in “t-shirt” is what we need to focus on.
- Many countries end in “land” (e.g., Finland, Ireland, and of course, the correct answer: Thailand).
Step 3: Combining the Clues
Now that we have:
- Thai from the water droplet
- Land from the t-shirt
We get Thailand! 
Why This Riddle Is So Clever
This puzzle is a great example of visual and phonetic wordplay. Instead of relying on direct translations or meanings, it challenges the brain to think in sounds and combine simple clues to form a more complex answer.
It’s also effective because it uses common objects in an unexpected way, making it fun and engaging for all ages.
Video : Can You Guess the Country by Emoji? 🌎🚩
How Quickly Did You Solve It?
If you guessed Thailand within five seconds, congratulations! You have a sharp eye for patterns and quick thinking skills. If it took you longer, don’t worry—this puzzle tricks a lot of people because it requires thinking outside the box.
Share the Fun!
Now that you know the answer, challenge your friends and family! Send them the image and see how long it takes them to figure it out.
Leave a comment with how quickly you solved it, and let us know if you want more fun riddles like this! Who knows? Maybe you’re a puzzle-solving genius in the making!
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