Sunny & Angel - Frequently Asked Questions

The Family

Mom: The mom’s name is Lena. Lena is a 9-year-old, maiden, registered Quarter Horse.

Sunny: Lena’s first born was Sunny, a male horse, also called a colt. Sunny has a star and snip, on his forehead. He is also a bit bigger than his sister.

Angel: Lena’s daughter, who was born second. Angel is a female, also called a filly. You can tell her apart from her brother by the blaze on her forehead and nose. Angel is smaller than her brother.

Dad: Sunny and Angel’s dad is an Arabian, making the siblings half Quarterhorse and half Arabian.

Birth Information

Lena gave birth to Sunny and Angel on Sunday, March 28th, at 5:00am. Lena’s owner did not know she was giving birth to twins until it happened! After that, the horse family was transported to Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Equine Hospital, where they could be monitored for state of the art, around the clock care.

Why is this so special?

Twin birth for horses is so rare that it’s hard to find accurate statistics. It is believed that the chance of a mare and both foals surviving birth is around 1 in 10,000. Sunny and Angel are doing well, but in most cases there is a 1 in 15,000 chance of twin foals surviving the first two weeks.

The Humans

Lena, Sunny, and Angel receive 24/7 care from our Equine Hospital staff. Because our staff is with them day and night, you will occasionally see some humans in there with them.

Dr. Vazquez is the family’s veterinarian. He visits the family daily to oversee their health and progress.

If you see someone with scrubs on, that is most likely Christen, the Equine Hospital Manager. She also is with the family often, checking vitals and ensuring Lena, Sunny, and Angel are receiving the care they need.

What is Helen Woodward Animal Center?

Helen Woodward Animal Center is a unique, private, non-profit organization in San Diego County that, for over 30 years, has been committed to the philosophy of people helping animals and animals helping people. Located on 12 acres, in Rancho Santa Fe, our nationally recognized Center provides a variety of services that benefit the community through educational and therapeutic programs for people, and humane care and adoption for animals.
We are a no-kill facility that receives no government funding and relies heavily on tax-deductible contributions from private donors to continue our life-saving mission.
For more information about the Center, please visit www.animalcenter.org to learn about us and our programs.

Equine Hospital Information

Our Equine Hospital is one of the most advanced equine hospitals in the United States. Our mission is to provide an exceptional facility for the use of accredited veterinarians, enabling them to provide high-quality veterinary care for the health and welfare of the community horse population and to provide a resource for education of the public and equine professionals in matters of the health and welfare of horses.

Can I come see the foals?

Unfortunately, we cannot allow any visitors to see Lena, Sunny, and Angel. Lena needs her rest and the babies do, too.

Are you scheduling events on Ustream?

We are planning events. Please stay tuned for more information!

More questions? email your questions to SunnyAndAngel@animalcenter.org and we will try to answer them for you!