ANSC Students Fundraise, Unite to Provide Quality Care for Foal
UMD’s mare, Noble, runs with her foal, Blue, at the Campus Farm. Blue, whose name is short for Out of the Blue, was born unexpectedly in December, so former equine reproductive management students stepped up to provide care and fundraise.
Image Credit: Stephanie S. Cordle
“Is there supposed to be a foal?”
That seemingly simple text from a student handling chores at the University of Maryland’s Campus Farm grabbed Assistant Manager Rose Cardinal’s attention on an ugly December morning.
“I was like, ‘What are you asking me right now? It’s 7 a.m.!’” Cardinal said. “Then he finally sent a picture of this little foal in the sand, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’”
The fuzzy filly that had appeared alongside UMD’s mare, Noble, was a gangly, four-legged surprise. Unbeknownst to the members of the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences who work at the farm, Noble had been pregnant when she came to campus as a lesson horse in March, and she’d given birth overnight.
Luckily for both mom and baby, four students from last spring’s equine reproductive management class hopped back in the proverbial saddle to make sure the horses were healthy, and now, a LaunchUMD campaign is raising funds to cover the unexpected vet bills and feed costs.
