Poppiseed, SUNY Cobleskill’s first foal of 2017, was born at 7:55 p.m. on March 12 to dam Verse and sire Poppi. Thanks to the work and care of SUNY Cobleskill students, faculty, and staff, Poppiseed survived a difficult birth and is now healthy and growing fast.
“We literally had students living in the barn giving 24-hour care to this foal and mare,” said Lynn Dunn, Professor and Chair of Animal and Plant Science at SUNY Cobleskill. “We could have lost the mare and the foal through all this, but due to their great nursing care and attention, they’ve both survived. It was a tremendous learning experience.”
The birth was complicated by dystocia, with one of the foal’s legs improperly placed. What normally takes 20 to 30 minutes lasted about an hour and a half, jeopardizing the health of both foal and mare.
A handful of students stepped in to assist the SUNY Cobleskill Equestrian Center staff in providing intensive round-the-clock care in the days after the birth, even as blizzard Stella dropped more than a foot of snow on the region.
After a slow start, Poppiseed is now up to 180 pounds and gaining weight normally.
“He’s doing great,” Dunn said. “Just like a normal foal.”
Poppiseed’s mother, Verse, is a Quarter Horse. His father, Poppi, is a Thoroughbred. Poppiseed will likely be joined by two other foals this spring, all of whom will be raised in SUNY Cobleskill’s Equestrian Center.
