New arrival…

I always get kind of restless in the spring. I get bored with my routine, and I tend to look for the next new adventure… the next thing to immerse myself in. So, knowing that this happens to me in April or May every year, last year I planned for it (not really, but hey, I might as well have!)… and my new project arrived at 3 am on Sunday morning.

She doesn’t have a name yet… so if you have any suggestions, feel free to share!

Mama Rhapsody was showing some pretty good signs on Saturday afternoon, and I was pretty sure she was going to foal that night. So I ran home and got my swag (Australian waterproof sleeping bag of sorts), a camping chair, a couple blankets, and a stack of magazines. I set up camp in the barn and was real cozy. I didn’t get any sleep at first, listening to the mares munch on their hay (surprisingly loud!), rustle around the straw, slurp from the water bucket… but I did pass out for about an hour between 1 and 2. A few minutes after I woke up, I heard Rhapsody pee… only it kept going and going and going… so I knew it was her water breaking. Then I heard her lay down, and I got up to see where she was. Of course, she had laid down with her butt in the corner!  Not a good thing when you’re trying to push a foal out!

I immediately put a halter on her and tried to get her up, but at this point she’s pushing, the feet and nose are already sticking out, and mama doesn’t want to go anywhere. So, I texted then called the house, waking up my friends and trying to keep my panicked voice calm as I asked one of them to come help me move her. I was too anxious to wait, knowing that once they start to push, things move really fast. So I went back in the stall and tugged on her feet, hoping to piss her off enough to get her up. Then I proceeded to tug on her halter again as hard as I could (pulling my groin in the process, thank you very much), hollering as obnoxiously as I could, and finally she stood up. I led her to the large part of the stall, and she quickly laid back down.

Relieved, I left the stall and let her get down to business on her own. After a few small pushes, one large push got the shoulders out, and with that the sac broke and baby began to breathe. Another big push and her hindquarters emerged. At this point, with the back feet still inside, mama needed a break. She took a few big breaths, then she sat up and looked back. Baby was already sitting up at this point, taking her first few staggered breaths and looking around terrified. Mama nickered. And my heart melted. A little nicker exchange went on for the next few minutes as they checked each other out, and it was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.

Eventually, mama gave one last push and baby was completely out. Baby was ready to stretch out at this point, so she immediately began struggling to get up. She was still attached to mama though, and her feet were wrapped up in all that slimy stuff, so she wasn’t going anywhere quickly. After a short rest, mama eventually stood up, breaking the umbilical cord, and turned around to check out her baby. This was Rhapsody’s first foal, so I wasn’t real sure how she would react. Some mares reject their babies, but Rhapsody immediately fell in love and began cleaning her up.

After about an hour and a half, baby finally figured out how to maneuver those long legs of hers and got to her feet for the first time. I let her wander around for about 30 minutes, sucking on anything she got her mouth on but unable to find the right spot, until I finally stepped in and guided her. I helped her out a few times over the next few hours, until she finally figured it out and was able to find it on her own.

By 8:30, mama and baby were doing very well… 30 minute naps, followed by 10 minutes sucking had become their routine, and I was about as exhausted as I’ve ever been. Baby was, too…

What a night!

(Baby is about 12 hours old in these photos.)

So… name suggestions?