A Baby Boomer Dreams of Arabian Horses - The Third Foal Crop Part 4

Part One of the Baby Boomer Series

The Third Foal Crop Part 1

While I was working on resolving the issue with Bey Aana kicking at her foal, I also was still on foal watch. The first three mares due to foal had dues dates that stretched out evenly over a month's time. Yet all three mares began showing signs of foaling imminence in the same week!

The watch was on with Faye so I was still sleeping in the barn at nights, checking in from work during the day, trying to make sure I was available for the delivery. I hadn't caught the mare foaling with her first foal, last year. She had foaled in the early morning when I went to the house for a potty break.

The Arabian horse did the same thing this time. On April 10, 2001 at about 6 am the mare dropped her foal about the same time I dropped my pants in the house. I caught her down with the newborn foal about three minutes later.

The membrane was still over the foal's nose and the newborn was just beginning to stir. I crept in quietly and removed the slimy tissue from the foal's nostrils. Then I grabbed its two front feet and pulled it free of the mare. Faye was already talking to it and licking it so I left her briefly to get my "stuff." (towels and iodine)

It was another colt and from the first moment I saw him, I was concerned. Not about his health, but about this great huge white marking that seemed to cover his entire face. I know that foal's grow into their markings, but looking at the white on this nose, I remember thinking: "Oh my, some one's really going to have to take a chance on this one."

It's really the first emotional reaction I remember having after the death of the other colt. Odd, I know, but feelings can be weird sometimes. I guess I'm glad that I was feeling anything at all other than over whelming grief.

Despite being put off by the marking, I went in and dried this colt off. He didn't much like the towel on his face but running it down his neck, he almost purred. He arched that neck up high and pretty pressing back hard into my hands. His eyes opened wide and he blew. The attitude of the Legs boys was definitely there!

I cleaned the stall and blanketed the colt giving the mare some time to bond with her foal before I tried to help him stand and nurse. The colt was showing no indications of having any inclination to get up on his own.

By the time I finished the cleaning and cooked the mare a bran mash, the foal still was making no attempts to get up. With those trademark long legs, I knew it was going to be a chore.

The colt not only wasn't interested in getting himself up, he wasn't much interested in me getting him up either. As I tried to put his front legs into position, the little varmint struck at me and snorted a time or two. I actually laughed out loud at his antics.

The sound of that laugh almost scared me. I hadn't laughed in so long, I'd forgotten what my own laugh sounded like. But that wasn't going to be the last time I laughed. This colt turned out to be something of a character and there was no way I could help myself. I did a lot of laughing that day and for the days after.

But laughing wasn't the only thing I did. I finally managed to get him on his feet but no way could I get him to nurse. After four hours, I ended up calling the vet. I was worried about getting that valuable colostrum down this foal in time.

When the vet arrived, it wasn't my usual vet but someone who worked for him. A young woman who wasn't long out of vet school. It turned out not to be a pleasant experience.

Three different times we held that foal down so she could put a tube up his nose and down into his stomach. And three different times she told me she couldn't tell if it was in the right position or not.

The only places that tube can go are the stomach or the lung. Putting liquid into the lung is deadly. You can't be making any mistakes. To say I was frustrated would be kind.

So we pulled the tube out, yet again, and decided to give the colt a break before trying to insert it a fourth time. My mind was reeling trying to figure out what my options were. When suddenly, the colt rose to his feet and went straight over to the mare to nurse.

I couldn't believe my eyes after all of that. The foal was up and nursing on his own with no assistance. Just like he'd known how to do it all along. But talk about relief. I paid my $450 vet bill for something she couldn't even do. Then I couldn't get her off my place fast enough. Thank God! the foal had nursed and I didn't have to deal with that vet anymore.

Today, I never would have even called the vet. Over the years, I've learned if I'm having problems getting a foal to nurse, I milk the mare. Put it into a large dose syringe and hand feed the foal. That way I don't have to worry about colostrum getting ingested on time. It takes off some pressure and saves the foal going through a risky procedure.

Now, why don't the vets just tell owners to do that instead of putting a vulnerable foal through such a risky procedure?

To be continued..............

The Third Foal Crop - Part 5

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