The Rusetu Stud Farm in Buzau County has welcomed this week a rare set of healthy twin fillies of the Furioso North-Star breed, an unusual event that experts say can often involve serious post-birth complications, sometimes leading to the foals' death.

The birth took the stud's management, part of Romsilva's Horse Breeding, Exploitation and Improvement Directorate, by surprise.

'Twin fillies were born at the Rusetu Stud Farm, two healthy and energetic foals. A rare event, which does not happen often even in the most high-performing stud farms. Just shortly after birth, the two foals were already lively and curious. (...) They will grow up at Rusetu and will contribute, over time, to the development of the horse herd managed by Romsilva, a concrete step in our conservation and performance strategy,' the National Forestry Corporation Romsilva announced.

The Rusetu Stud Farm is known for the Furioso-North Star breed, a horse population originating in the Habsburg Empire and intended in the 19th century for light cavalry, now adapted for riding and light draft work. The Romanian Draft (Semigreul Romanesc) breed, intended for heavy traction, is also raised here.

The twin fillies will be closely monitored by veterinarians.

'It's a rare event, it's unprecedented. The birth took place two days ago, they are healthy. Often such a birth can cause problems, but they are two beautiful, healthy foals, and if they have passed the first phase they will reach maturity. We keep them here, we raise them, they reach the youth category and periodically, during the classifications, we select from the herd. They are the Furioso North-Stars; here at Rusetu we raise Furioso North-Star, Semigreu Romanesc de Baragan, Rusetu - which was also established here - and more recently the Trotter breed. Such an event very rarely happens in stud farms,' veterinarian Ovidiu Emilian, head of the Rusetu Stud, told AGERPRES.

Romsilva has been managing Romania's state stud farms for 21 years, through the Thoroughbred Horse Directorate, a structure dedicated to this activity, and coordinates 12 stud farms and 4 stallion depots, with over 3,000 horses from valuable breeds. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Florin Zafiu; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)