Rare twin foals born in Central Florida defy the odds: Meet 'Lucky' and 'Charm'

Rare twin foals born in Central Florida defy the odds

A Central Florida mare is recovering alongside her two newborns after delivering an extremely rare set of twin foals ? a birth veterinarians say rarely results in three surviving horses.

OCALA, Fla. - A Central Florida mare is recovering alongside her two newborns after delivering an extremely rare set of twin foals — a birth veterinarians say almost never results in three surviving horses.

What we know:

A mare in Central Florida has given birth to twin foals — an extremely rare occurrence in the equine world. 

Born at just 50 and 35 pounds, "Lucky" and "Charm" were born on July 21. 

Within an hour of their birth, their owner, Kyra Malone, got them to the Equine Medical Center of Ocala (EMCO), where they have been receiving 24/7 care.

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Twins are an extremely rare instance in the horse world. Dr. Brittany Welch, internal medicine specialist at EMCO said there is a reason the number of successful examples are so low.

According to Dr. Welch, it’s even rarer that the mare, named Paris in this case, also survived twin pregnancy and birth.

The backstory:

Despite multiple veterinary checkups during the pregnancy, the twins were undetected until delivery. Owner Kyra Malone said everything appeared normal until the day of birth. Even a final ultrasound performed by a different vet suggested Paris was carrying only one foal.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear if the twins will develop without long-term complications. They are still unable to feed independently, and their joints are underdeveloped, requiring continued veterinary care and observation.

Big picture view:

Twin births in horses are so rare — and survival even more so — that many in the equine community are hailing this case as extraordinary. Dr. Brittany Welch, who is treating the foals, said fewer than 10% of twin pregnancies in horses result in two live births, and even fewer include a healthy mother.

Oftentimes, when a twin pregnancy is discovered in horses, veterinary staff take measures to step in to preserve the life of the mare.

What they're saying:

Owner Kyra Malone said the twins were a surprise. She was shocked by the news, especially since she said Paris had several check-ups with vets.

"We did a full ultrasound with a different vet, this vet said she looks great, she looks normal. And I was like, 'Alright, we’re going to have one baby. It’s going to be great, and that is not what happened!"

Lucky and Charm were born last week at less than half the weight of a typical foal and are now under intensive care at the EMCO.

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"Mares in general — their uterus is not designed to accommodate twins," said Dr. Brittany Welch, an internal medicine specialist at the facility. "Less than 10% of mares that have twins will end up with two live foals being born."

The mother, Paris, also beat the odds by surviving the delivery, which came as a surprise even after routine veterinary checks throughout the pregnancy.

Now a week old, Lucky and Charm remain too small to nurse on their own, and their joints are still developing. But doctors say they're encouraged by the progress so far.

We’re pretty happy with how they’re doing so far," Dr. Welch said. "They’ve got a ways to go yet, they’ve made it through the first week – which is a pretty huge deal."

What's next:

The foals are still too small to eat on their own, and their joints are underdeveloped. Dr. Welch said they are not out of the woods just yet.

Lucky, Charm and Paris will all stay at EMCO for at least another week while staff monitor their growth and development.