In the last post I mentioned we had lost our senior mare, Stouts Ladybird.
Later than evening, I'm out telling the pregnant mares about Lady passing, and mention (yes I talk to my horses!) that the next one to have a filly will have our new 'Lady' in remembrance.
I guess that got them all in the mood as we had three foals born that night!
She's looked ready for two to three weeks, but apparently the moon and planets were aligned correctly for her, so when I went to check the mares about 1:30 a.m., I see a silver-something foal running laps around Java in her side of the shelter. I thought Twila's daughter, Surprise had got in somehow and was half curious as to why Twila wasn't having a total wingding, but when I got to the shelter its a newly born, soaking wet colt. This one is all stallion from his first minutes of life - he's pawing the ground, lifting his upper lip (flemen), very loudly announcing he's here and acting like he was a few days old not freshly minted!
Now is the fun with Miss Java. She thinks I'm evil as either I'm going to steal her baby or stick something in her or in her mouth that is not pleasant. Mind you I've owned this mare since she was four months old (she's nine now), BUT she is Jazz Jubilee's little pistol daughter (Jazz is half sister to Cajun my mare with her own broomstick!), Java definitely takes beyatch lessons from Auntie Cajun! I finally get him caught and treated; dried off and blanketed; then back with very angry Java!
Picking up all my paraphernalia, I head towards the house, half way there I look back to see Chiclet release a huge pile of manure - oh no - that was a clean the bowels out poop! She circles twice and down she goes.
I ran and grabbed more supplies and clean towels/blanket returning just in time for her foal to be born - sac has broken half the foal out, so I lift her up onto a clean towel, drying what's emerging. Chiclet is up immediately (very clean deliver - I love old stretchy mares!), breaks the cord, so I treat that, check equipment - filly yea!
Chiclet won the Lady contest.
Her daughter is another lively one, solid black with a huge forehead covering blotch of white. I barely have her dried and blanketed and she's talking and wanting to get up! Very insistent our new little Lady she was up and standing within 10 minutes. Clean up everything and waiting for Chiclet to pass the placenta when Jamaica laid down and said me me - my turn!!!!
You must be @#%% kidding!
I checked her, yep a nose and one foot facing the wrong direction a bit of an angle and up not down, the leg almost up to its knee is out. An oh crap moment!
I start yelling for the kids (at 3:15 in the a.m. - so glad we have so few neighbors!). While I'm waiting on them, I get her haltered and up and try to check - being less than 28" and a maiden there isn't hardly room for a finger, so I tell Maxim get the van ready, hand Anya the lead to walk her out to the van and go in to call UC Davis.
We drag miserable Jamaica to the van, keeping her up - still no progress on the foal. We load her unhappily in, leaving her loose.
Anya and I leave, with Jamaica stomping around the back of the van, terribly unthrilled with this new experience. Fortunately, we're only 15-20 minutes to UCD, we're almost there when I hear distinct foal sounds. Anya says no that's Jamaica in pain, that's why it sounds different. I hear it again and said that's a baby! Of course no street lights on the country roads, and being well equipped no flashlight on us, so we keep driving to UCD. Anya goes to let them know we're there, I check to see Jamaica standing with her new daughter sprawled underneath her screaming like a banshee - definitely very much alive.
Jamaica had delivered her and the placenta (still attached), so we figure we're at UCD and they had awoke the emergency surgery team (the vet and I had thought this was a c-section for sure), so one vet grabs the foal. We attached the ramp, lead Jamaica down and into the emergency room. They check both and everything seems in order, considering the presentation I had, Jamaica was tear/bruise free which I thought was surprising. I'd really like to know if she had Vanna with a leg back or her rolling and farting in the van just gave her some extra room!
Jamaica all of a sudden realizes that the little stranger trying to stand unsteadily is hers, and starts calling her. I'm so thrilled as often I've seen the maidens want to exam the new invader but don't seem to have that instant bond. She takes to the I'm a mom immediately - yeah!
UCD was fairly gracious, one vet was trying to lecture me that as this was a dystocia I was likely to face a dummy foal and I should leave her there for 48 hours as a precaution. I wanted to say it wasn't much of a dystocia if she had it on her own in the van! She proceeds to tell me it was abnormal for the placenta to be delivered so quickly after the foal was born (or at the same time). I calmly told her in the 150+ minis I've delivered, I've found it to be relatively common. She then stated that minis are at a much higher risk for retained placenta. I repeated to her again 150+ .... only one retained placenta. I really wanted to say let the ink dry on your diploma, deliver a few hundred mini's then call me, okay! I didn't though - but it was tempting!! I'd love to know who writes their educational books. Most of the vets are fantastic at UCD, but every new class there is always one . . .
We've been very delayed on the whole naming foals this year as nothing seems to be coming to me (a rarity!), except for Jamaica's foal. As she was born in our white van we're toying with the name Vanna White! (hey it sounded really funny at 5 a.m. on the drive home!) Vanna has stuck for her ranch name at least, but I'll likely 'pretty up the Vanna White part - LOL!
So all three mothers/foals are doing well today. Missy is on deck with Val and Cajun not far behind. May 17th is my ending date - so only a couple more weeks, then I'm off foaling duty until 2011 or 2012! It will be weird after 10 years of this to not be foaling out mares next year, but I think I just might enjoy the sleep!
