Foaling Season 2008 on the Baby Boomer's Arabian Horse Breeding Farm Part 3

Part 1 starts here

When I reached down with both hands and tore that thick sack open, the newborn Arabian horse began to stir. Just a little at first, a brief wobbly nod of the head but enough to sooth my fears the foal might be compromised from the bad position. I looked down at my watch it was only a quarter to 12. This awkward birth had not taken nearly as long as it seemed. Now it was time to get onto the business of introducing this foal to it's mother and other after foaling tasks.

I grabbed the foal by the front legs first pulling her free of the mare. The cord was still attached. I could see the blood pulsing through it. Being careful not to disturb that necessary connection, I moved the filly just enough to get her free from the sack.

I didn't want the cord to be broken before those last valuable ounces of blood were transferred into the foal. I also wanted to avoid undue strain on the placenta. I didn't want anything that might cause a premature separation and damage to the mare's uterus. Best to let Mother Nature do it her way.

Poor Lucy was exhausted. She just laid there trying to see her new baby but too tired and weak to rise. Once the pulsing of the cord stopped, I gently pulled the foal again to get her closer to the mare. I couldn't believe the resistance I was getting. This foal was huge and I was having problems moving it far on my own.

Again I called for Dave to help me. This time he jumped in but not before he asked me the sex of this foal. I had been so worried about the condition of this baby, I hadn't even bothered to look. So I carefully lifted up the tail looking for plumbing.

I'm usually not so reluctant to know but this time I really didn't want to hear that I had another colt. Dragging my feet was my way of avoiding the disappointment of being the first breeder to get a colt from this lovely Arabian mare.

Imagine my shock and surprise to find what looked like girl plumbing. Now I'm known for checking my boys about three times. I just don't seem to want to believe that it's a colt. But seeing girl parts hit me about the same. I rolled this poor filly onto her back and flipped her legs open to find a tiny little udder looking at me. I'm pretty sure that's when the grin hit my face.

I immediately rolled the filly back to her side. A bit embarrassed I'd subjected her to such a shoddy examination. Poor filly has a lunatic for a human mom! Then my mind immediately raced to cyberspace and how in the heck was I supposed to tell them IT"S A FILLY! I knew the whole Mare Stare crew was watching after all.

Lindsay was still in bed. She's my sign girl. But then maybe that was just for Bey Aana, she is after all, Lindsay's mare. Without Lindsay I wasn't sure what to do. I knew that the field goal score sign (two arms straight up in the air) means colt but I never quite understood the message for a filly. Guess I was pretty sure I wasn't getting one of those.

So first off I got Dave to help me pull this filly around to the front so the mare could nuzzle her. There's nothing more sweet to the ear of a horse breeder than that first soft nicker of recognition uttered by the mare. Lucy stretched out her neck reaching for her foal. My heart fluttered just a bit.

Then I immediately shifted gears and sent Dave into the house to get me warm water and to send a message to the Mare Stare chat room. Type "filly" in the box and push "enter" while MiKael did a mental jig in her head. I worked at drying off the foal and shooting pictures for the blog while Lucy visited with her filly and Dave spread the news.

Lucy stayed down for what seemed like a long time. Even when the filly decided she wanted to rise, the mare was content to lay down. It was clear this ordeal had taken a toll on poor Lucy.

The filly on the other hand was beginning to assert herself. It didn't take long to figure out we had a pistol on our hands. They say that chestnuts are hotter than other horses. I don't know about all chestnuts but I know it applies to mine. And not only chestnuts but the ones that carry the chestnut gene from their father. They, too, are fiery creatures! This filly isn't going to be an exception.

It was clear from the start this tiny Arabian horse wants to do this life on her terms. She doesn't want help nor interference. She pretty much thinks she should be in charge and no way is she looking for a leader. Attitudes don't get much bigger than this.

The problems came in because she didn't want help yet she didn't know what she was supposed to be doing. Putting her legs out in front of herself was not a thought in her brain yet she wanted to rise. Getting up to her knees and then bouncing up from there just wasn't going to happen. She was too wobbly and a bit weak........but there was nothing weak about her determination to do it HER WAY!

This filly had me laughing right from the start. She actually reminded me of another filly born on this farm A Baby Boomer Dreams of Arabian Horses - The Legacy Continues - Part 6 I can't even tell you how much I love this mare, now 9 years old and what she means to me. It tickles me to see a younger version of her here now in the form of this filly. It does my heart good in a not so good time.

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

Part 4

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