Mama horse who lost baby adopts orphaned foal. This is so touching

One thing that unites the whole animal kingdom is the magic of parenthood. But heartbreakingly, for some unlucky animals, things just don't work out for the best. Miscarriages can be heartbreaking for animals to deal with - but one horse's owner came up with an inventive solution that has the internet feeling all of the feels.

When Queen Uniek, a Friesian horse in The Netherlands, delivered a stillborn foal, she was heartbroken. Owner Yvonne was really worried about her horse, so decided to see if she could heal her broken heart with an orphaned foal. The relationship that the two developed is just too sweet for words ...

Yvonne noticed something was wrong as soon as her horse went into labor. Queen Uniek was visibly distressed, walking in circles and making squeals of pain. Yvonne tried to keep her calm until the foal was delivered, when she discovered that it wasn't breathing.

The vets on hand tried everything to revive the foal, but to no avail. But Uniek was absolutely heartbroken, refusing to give up on her baby. She continued to lick the foal to try to wake it up and seemed absolutely devastated. Yvonne couldn't bear to see her horse in pain and decided to take an unusual step toward healing her broken heart.

A fellow Friesian horse owner reached out to Yvonne, to tell her there was an orphaned foal they were hoping to help find a mother. And although Yvonne didn't know for sure that Uniek would be able to love an adopted foal, she decided to try it out.

Both the foal and Uniek were in the same boat, having recently been struck down with grief. But Yvonne and the rest of the staff had hope that the two of them could help heal one another, and provide the love they'd so sadly lost.

Things were slow to start, with both Uniek and the foal feeling a little tentative toward each other. But quickly, Uniek let down her walls and appeared to claim the new foal as her own. “It was a very special moment. I never thought this would happen. We knew instantly that Queen Uniek accepted Rising Star,” Yvonne told The Dodo.

There was a truly happy ending to the story. The new foal, who Yvonne named Rising Star, formed a strong bond with Uniek. The two became inseparable, and enjoyed both frolicking in the field together and relaxing indoors. As Rising Star grows, Yvonne feels happy knowing that Uniek will always be watching out for him, as any mother would.