Thargomindah pollocrosse horse adopts bull calf

In an extraordinary event that has to be seen to be believed a polocrosse horse has become the mother of an orphaned Angus cross calf.

Thargomindah graziers Anthony and Gerda Glasson, Piccarilli Station couldn’t believe their eyes on Tuesday when they came back from an Easter break to find the bull calf following their mare Moonshine.

The couple, who own a large sheep and cattle property, had moved cows and calves out of a small holding paddock recently and were sure they had mothered all the babies.

But when they came home to check the horses they were surprised to find one of the calves sucking the mare.

Mr Glasson said the horse wasn’t lactating and so they were bottle feeding the calf but Moonshine still considered it one of her own.

“She is quite protective of it and if any other animals or horses come near it she pins her ears back and chases it away,” he said.

Moonshine’s natural mothering skills have also surprised the family given the horse lost her only foal years ago.

The special bond will have to come to an end sometime though as Mr Glasson said it would be a funny sight dragging the calf to polocrosse tournaments.

“My father made a funny comment and said maybe we can break it in and it might be a good polocrosse cow,” he said. 

While the calf hasn’t been given a name yet, Pony or Horse are at the top of the list.