Premature foal twins return home

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A pair of rare twin foals have defied the odds by returning home after being given a clean bill of health from an equine clinic in Devon.

Colts Leo and Colby were born two weeks prematurely at a farm near Taunton, Somerset, last week.

They were taken immediately to the Western Counties Equine Clinic in Cullompton with mother Georgie Girl.

The chance of a mare giving birth to live twins is 5,000-to-one, and in only 20% of these cases do both survive.

Owner Becky Passmore said she had no idea Georgie Girl was carrying twins.

'Surprising everyone'

"I opened the door in the morning and all of these legs flew at me - I looked and saw one foal, and then I turned around and saw another," she said.

"They had to go into intensive care, and a friend came to the rescue to pick the foals up and to take them to the clinic.

"It was a bit of a shock and it's just starting to sink in that they're here."

Clinic vet Anja Walker said the foals will take some time to gain their full strength.

"It'll be a couple of months before they are fighting fit," she said.

But the foals are now being looked after at home, and Ms Passmore said they are "excellent".

"One's slightly wobbly on his legs but they're both quite good and starting to do things on their own," she said. "They're surprising everyone."