For the last several years, Lovepatch Farms has been providing foaling services for outside mares - Each year has brought us many beautiful foals and many new friends. But as has been said many times on this forum, "breeding and foaling" are not for the faint of heart. This last foaling clearly proved that!
About a week ago, this little mare looked ready to go. Nice size bag, the foal had dropped, waxed teats, sticky fluid, and relaxed vulva. She was working on positioning the foal, rolling, stretching, etc. all night long. All systems a "go". We were keeping a careful eye on her on camera. Next morning, bag was smaller, and she almost looked like she had regressed a couple of steps. Oh, well, guess Mother Nature and the mare's hormones weren't quite in agreement as to her foaling date . . .
This regressed "status" went on for a week and this Monday, things changed. Bag was again large and all signs pointed to an eminent foaling. Monday night all she did was pace and stomp her back legs and kick at her belly. The strange thing is that she did not lay down once the entire night. She was totally miserable and I was starting to worry. This was not a maiden mare. This was to be her 5th foal. Her prior foaling history showed all easy text book deliveries. By all rights, this foal should just pop out. It should be an easy birth for this experienced mare. But it wasn't. My worries were well justified!
Tuesday morning she finally laid down around 6:30 am. We were out to the barn in a flash as we never went to bed and were still fully dressed. Her water never really broke, but she was down pushing hard and nothing was really happening. A couple of minutes later we saw one foot and leg start to emerge, but nothing more. I started to get a really bad feeling about how things were progressing and I decided not to wait any longer and went in to take a look, praying that I would feel the other leg and nose right there. Nope, all I felt was the one already exposed leg. I reached back in further past the pelvic rim and at first all I could feel was a big round lump - almost thought it was a breech presentation, but checking the exposed foot told me it was a front leg and so what I was feeling was the head, neck and left shoulder. The head was turned back and the right leg was all the way back, not just at the knee but all the way back and tucked under the right shoulder. I called my Vet and and a neighbor and left an urgent message on both their answering machines . . .
We really had our work cut out for us and time was ticking away. After a lot of effort I managed to get the right leg forward and and in normal birthing position. My plan was to be able to push the foal back in past the pelvic rim and see if I couldn't then grab the head and rotate it. I tried, God how I tried, my partner tried. My neighbor who has foaled out many horses and even teaches a class in equine reproduction tried. We all failed. So here we have an exhausted mare who is in total agony, with two legs out . My heart cried as I told her "I just can't get your baby out". I gave her 2cc's of Banamine for pain, and just then my Vet calls. He says, see if you can get her up and walking and I'll be there as quick as I can. 15-20 minutes later he is here. The clock is ticking and we are about out of time. It's now right about 8 am.
My vet checks the foal, syringes in two big syringes of J-Lube to help remoisturize the mare. He tries to reposition the head. Can't be done. It's time to use a chain to try and pull the foal as after this long most likely the foal is dead and our thought is to save the mare. I tell him please try to remove the foal as gently as possible to see if it is by some miracle still alive. He says he will try. Precious minutes pass and the hooks and chain work!! He is able to turn the head. Once this has been done the foal is quickly out.
The baby is on the grass, not looking alive. I start rubbing him all over with a dry towel. Briskly, briskly. Trying my best to stimulate him. I stop for a second, take a look and think I see a shudder and a quick breath. My God, I think he's alive!!! The Vet checks and sure enough, he feels a faint heartbeat. My Vet quickly breathes into the foal's little lungs to help them expand, once, twice . . . five times. His eyes are twitching and dialating. The Vet thinks he may be showing signs of oxygen deprivation. What to do???? If he is oxygen deprived, the best thing to do is put him down now. I say NO. He's made it this far, let's give this miracle baby a chance and see what happens. He gives him a sublingual injection to help stimulate his heart, and I keep rubbing him dry. The mare sees what is going on and nickers to him - he responds by trying to stand up! Can you believe it?????
It is now 8:30. This "birth" has taken two hours and this spunky little foal is ALIVE. The mare finally stands to see her new little one and we milk out 60cc's of colostrum. Tube the baby, put on a warm little blanket and bring him and Mom back to a clean dry foaling stall. We are all standing there looking at the little pair with our mouths open, hardly able to believe what has just happened. The Vet is just shaking his head. Even though he has worked with minis for years, he still can't believe the tenacity and heart of these tiny little horses . . . I give him a truly grateful hug and tell him . . . well Mark, miracles do happen and after all this is Lovepatch Farms"!
Well it's now 36 hours later - his grateful owners drove 2-1/2 hours each way to come and see their miracle baby, and both baby and Mom are doing fine. He is showing NO abnormal signs and eating well . . .
So after all the elation and emotion my thought are these: I truly believe that the prayers we say on behalf of our little horses and the love and determination that they evoke in us as their caretakers touch all those we come in contact with and help make us and our world a better place. And, sometimes you have to go with your gut feelings and intuition, even though everyone else might not agree, because if we keep trying and don't give up whatever the task, sometimes WE DO WIN and it makes all the effort truly worthwhile :saludando:
About a week ago, this little mare looked ready to go. Nice size bag, the foal had dropped, waxed teats, sticky fluid, and relaxed vulva. She was working on positioning the foal, rolling, stretching, etc. all night long. All systems a "go". We were keeping a careful eye on her on camera. Next morning, bag was smaller, and she almost looked like she had regressed a couple of steps. Oh, well, guess Mother Nature and the mare's hormones weren't quite in agreement as to her foaling date . . .
This regressed "status" went on for a week and this Monday, things changed. Bag was again large and all signs pointed to an eminent foaling. Monday night all she did was pace and stomp her back legs and kick at her belly. The strange thing is that she did not lay down once the entire night. She was totally miserable and I was starting to worry. This was not a maiden mare. This was to be her 5th foal. Her prior foaling history showed all easy text book deliveries. By all rights, this foal should just pop out. It should be an easy birth for this experienced mare. But it wasn't. My worries were well justified!
Tuesday morning she finally laid down around 6:30 am. We were out to the barn in a flash as we never went to bed and were still fully dressed. Her water never really broke, but she was down pushing hard and nothing was really happening. A couple of minutes later we saw one foot and leg start to emerge, but nothing more. I started to get a really bad feeling about how things were progressing and I decided not to wait any longer and went in to take a look, praying that I would feel the other leg and nose right there. Nope, all I felt was the one already exposed leg. I reached back in further past the pelvic rim and at first all I could feel was a big round lump - almost thought it was a breech presentation, but checking the exposed foot told me it was a front leg and so what I was feeling was the head, neck and left shoulder. The head was turned back and the right leg was all the way back, not just at the knee but all the way back and tucked under the right shoulder. I called my Vet and and a neighbor and left an urgent message on both their answering machines . . .
We really had our work cut out for us and time was ticking away. After a lot of effort I managed to get the right leg forward and and in normal birthing position. My plan was to be able to push the foal back in past the pelvic rim and see if I couldn't then grab the head and rotate it. I tried, God how I tried, my partner tried. My neighbor who has foaled out many horses and even teaches a class in equine reproduction tried. We all failed. So here we have an exhausted mare who is in total agony, with two legs out . My heart cried as I told her "I just can't get your baby out". I gave her 2cc's of Banamine for pain, and just then my Vet calls. He says, see if you can get her up and walking and I'll be there as quick as I can. 15-20 minutes later he is here. The clock is ticking and we are about out of time. It's now right about 8 am.
My vet checks the foal, syringes in two big syringes of J-Lube to help remoisturize the mare. He tries to reposition the head. Can't be done. It's time to use a chain to try and pull the foal as after this long most likely the foal is dead and our thought is to save the mare. I tell him please try to remove the foal as gently as possible to see if it is by some miracle still alive. He says he will try. Precious minutes pass and the hooks and chain work!! He is able to turn the head. Once this has been done the foal is quickly out.
The baby is on the grass, not looking alive. I start rubbing him all over with a dry towel. Briskly, briskly. Trying my best to stimulate him. I stop for a second, take a look and think I see a shudder and a quick breath. My God, I think he's alive!!! The Vet checks and sure enough, he feels a faint heartbeat. My Vet quickly breathes into the foal's little lungs to help them expand, once, twice . . . five times. His eyes are twitching and dialating. The Vet thinks he may be showing signs of oxygen deprivation. What to do???? If he is oxygen deprived, the best thing to do is put him down now. I say NO. He's made it this far, let's give this miracle baby a chance and see what happens. He gives him a sublingual injection to help stimulate his heart, and I keep rubbing him dry. The mare sees what is going on and nickers to him - he responds by trying to stand up! Can you believe it?????
It is now 8:30. This "birth" has taken two hours and this spunky little foal is ALIVE. The mare finally stands to see her new little one and we milk out 60cc's of colostrum. Tube the baby, put on a warm little blanket and bring him and Mom back to a clean dry foaling stall. We are all standing there looking at the little pair with our mouths open, hardly able to believe what has just happened. The Vet is just shaking his head. Even though he has worked with minis for years, he still can't believe the tenacity and heart of these tiny little horses . . . I give him a truly grateful hug and tell him . . . well Mark, miracles do happen and after all this is Lovepatch Farms"!
Well it's now 36 hours later - his grateful owners drove 2-1/2 hours each way to come and see their miracle baby, and both baby and Mom are doing fine. He is showing NO abnormal signs and eating well . . .
So after all the elation and emotion my thought are these: I truly believe that the prayers we say on behalf of our little horses and the love and determination that they evoke in us as their caretakers touch all those we come in contact with and help make us and our world a better place. And, sometimes you have to go with your gut feelings and intuition, even though everyone else might not agree, because if we keep trying and don't give up whatever the task, sometimes WE DO WIN and it makes all the effort truly worthwhile :saludando:
