Rose's Story

Piney Rose was a full-term, tiny foal born on June 19, 2025. Her mother is Farmstead's Lily May Ledford, and her father is Farmstead's Cotton Top Mounts--both 27 3/4" tall. Knowing that this was also Lily's first foal at age 14, we expected a small foal. However, we weren't expecting that as Rose was being foaled, she had a front leg turned backwards, and when the vet arrived to assist in the delivery, Rose's nose, lips and tongue were turning blue from a lack of oxygen. This lack of oxygen resulted in her inability to find where she should nurse, and she was taken to the University of Tennessee Vet School the morning following her birth for transfusions and supportive care. Rose was on a feeding tube for nearly a month until she was finally able to drink from a pan, at which time the feeding tube was removed, and she was brought back to our farm for care. At birth, Rose weighed 8 lbs. and was 14" tall. At our farm, Rose began being fed a mixture of goat milk and mare milk replacer every 3 hours around the clock. As she gained weight, the number of feedings were decreased while the amount that she was fed each feeding was increased. Five months later, on November 19, 2025, the liquid feedings were discontinued as she had successfully transitioned over the prior months to grain, grass hay, and pasture grass. At 21" at her "weaning", Rose is still quite tiny, but she is also quite a feisty little girl! Her sassy attitude no doubt was a big factor in her survival that first month. Rose will be too small to show or to breed, but she is and will continue to be a great mascot for Appalachian Farmstead!