Tragedy has struck at a tourist attraction close to Huddersfield.
A horse has died at Cannon Hall Farm after giving birth to a massive foal.
Poppy, 12, was put to sleep on the farm last night (Thursday) as she was unable to stand up after birthing.
Her baby Chester weighs over 100 kilos and already stands over 5ft tall.
Farmer Robert Nicholson, whose family have run the tourist attraction since the 1980s, made the agonising decision to have the new mum put to sleep.
The 73-year-old said: “Poppy laid down to give birth and unfortunately was never able to get back up. She gave her baby the best possible chance and we tried to do the same for her.
“We were turning her to keep her circulation going, feeding her and we were so hopeful for a positive outcome.
“We had amazing support from Churchfields Vets and we had South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue come out with harnesses so that we could try to get her to her feet.
“And she tried, bless her. She was the loveliest thing and she tried her best.
“She has let us milk her, she had some time with her baby but unfortunately she was in pain last night and her breathing had got much worse when the vet came out we just had to decide to do what was best for her.”
Poppy, a Shire horse, had welcomed the farm’s biggest ever foal just two days earlier after suffering complications during late pregnancy and being two weeks overdue.
Chester is now being hand-reared on a special formula milk while the farmers search desperately for a foster mare.
Robert said: “We’ve never seen a foal as big as Chester – his legs are so long that he’s had trouble co-ordinating them so we’ve had to spend two days teaching him how to walk.
“He’s got all the signs of being an amazing horse though and a credit to Poppy, who will be sorely missed.”
