Meet the “One in a Million” Twin Foals Born in Central New York

Johnny Walker and Millie have already accomplished a great deal, and they're only two weeks old!

The Welsh pony foals and their mom, Indy, beat incredible odds and are now living their best life at Hunter Hack Farms, LLC, in Boonville.

While it's not uncommon for horses to have twins, it is extremely and incredibly rare where both babies and the mother survive. It's estimated only 9% of twin foals are carried to term and of that nine percent, just 14.5% of them are born alive, per data from Extension.

But, the odds of both twins surviving to adulthood are even slimmer, with Chrissy Southwick, owner of Hunter Hack Farms, LLC, saying it's more like "one in a million."

For little Millie, who was born hours after her big brother Johnny Walker, she had a tough journey ahead - but she proved to be a fighter.

Southwick told WIBX, "We were 100% certain she was not going to survive. We actually thought she was stillborn. After a couple of hours [...] she just kept getting stronger and stronger."

Millie was about 20 pounds when she was born, which is way below the weight of what newborn Welsh ponies should be. Despite this, Southwick and her team of dedicated friends, family, and her veterinarian, worked around the clock to provide Millie the best chance at life.

"Some of the biggest help was just making meals for us, keeping us fed and we couldn't leave the stall. We couldn't even leave to go to the bathroom without someone else replacing one of us," she described.

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The foal needed to be fed every hour and needed to be held up in order to nurse because she was too small to reach on her own. Keeping Millie warm was also important, but she was so tiny, even the smallest blanket meant for a foal didn't fit. So Southwick used a winter coat that her old pug wore - and that fit like a glove.

Now that Millie is well on her way to living a normal life, she is not entirely out of the woods. Due to the circumstances of her birth, she "had no immunity" so she is still quarantined to her stall and cannot interact with other horses until her immune system is strong enough.

In addition, because she shared a womb with her full-sized brother, she still has a lot of growing to do. "Her knees are not fully grown," Southwick explained, so the bones need some time to fully form and heal. Until then, she must remain on strict stall rest and limit her activity.

Southwick looks forward to the day Millie can join her brother and mom out in the pasture.

As for how Millie earned her moniker, it's an adorable story. Southwick explained that the foals were supposed to continue the theme of their father's name, which is Crown Royal. Here's a photo of the proud dad.

"The original names were Johnny Walker and Irish Creme," she revealed. Then a better idea came along from Indy's owner, Chrissie Earl. Since Millie is truly a "one in a million" horse, it was best her name proudly showed it.

Earl also noted her grandmother was also named Millie, making the name even more sentimental.

So how is Indy enjoying being a mother of two? Southwick said, "I wouldn't pick any other horse in the barn to have twins except her."

Indy's shining to motherhood is also a sweet story. She had been rejected by her own mother and relied on the kindness of her human owners to survive. Now she is paying it forward by being Hunter Hack Farms' #1 mom.

Southwick joked that Indy loves being a mom so much, she will gladly watch over foals that aren't even hers.

Those interested in visiting Southwick and her horses can find Hunter Hack Farms at 10748 Webster Hill Rd in Boonville. The barn offers riding lessons and picturesque carriage rides through most of the year. (Author's recommendation, try the sunset carriage ride - it's spectacular and magical.)

You can also keep up to date with Johnny and Millie through their own Facebook page.

Scroll through the photos below to see more of Indy, Johnny, and Millie!

Welsh ponies are known for being intelligent, easily trainable, and extremely friendly. These horses will absolutely charm you and win your heart.

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