It's a Bay! I mean a Boy!

I went back to the barn, and Copy was still down and quietly laboring. Mom and I decided to wait it out. Within 10 minutes I checked her with a flashlight and was suprised to see the tell tale blue bubble already emerging. When I checked the clock it was 9:43.
Our girl seemed very tired, and not interested in pushing. One white hoof was showing and it looked like a normal presentation, but after 10 minutes she had not strained or made any progress. Mom went to call the vet to make sure he was available. By the time she got back, Copy was straining hard and had half a head out. Mom went in to hold traction to keep her from losing ground, and soon those big shoulders were out. It never seems like they will fit! Naturally everything else is all down hill from there.

Copy was nickering the whole time, yet showed no interest in getting to her feet. She was still in pain, and all tuckered out from her recent sleep deprivation. The colt was on his feet within 15 minutes. I've never seen a stronger more determined colt. Because we were drying at the time, we were able to steady him, and he made it on his first try. Amazing!

I was pretty sure I had a chestnut, but after we dried a bit and turned on the stall light, lo and behold he had turned bay! I had to call my sister back and make a correction. Of course he was beautiful no matter what shade of brown he had on. He has a roundish star, a faint snip like Mom, both front pastern and the left hind pastern white.

We didn't expect Copy up right away, and although she tried it a couple of times, she went right back down. We left her for an hour and a half. We had the colt dry and half trained by the time we decided he needed that first meal badly. He had been up and down several times, and was dozing on his feet. I went in and clipped a lead to Copy's halter, and she got right up as if she knew the plan and that there was work to be done.

Mom steadied the colt. He was investigating, but all his other attempts had been fruitless and he was losing heart. On the plus side, he had moved his bowels 6 times before he even got to nurse. That's the last time we'll be happy to see that! 12 minutes of trial and error, and he found the faucet. Copy spent the time nickering and smelling him. She had already talked to him each time he had wandered past her. I kept steering him in her direction, because as her interest grew in him, so did her resolve to get on her feet.

With a full belly, our boy made a couple of rounds of the stall trying to get up the nerve to let himself fall. Finally he crashed by accident and stretched out immediately for a much needed nap. Copy positioned herself over him and stood resolutely napping on her feet. Shortly I heard a big Plop, and she dropped the whole placenta (which we had tied up out of the way). 2 hours flat, foal fed, after birth out! Hooray. I sat down on a hay bale, and Mom went to the house for hot water.

After a half hours nap, Baby woke up and started looking around. I knew he was going to try getting up, and we stood back to watch . He got up in one try (he's a child prodigy) and came to the door looking for dinner. I slid it open and turned him around, shuttling him back to Copy's side where he found her teats immediately. After his second meal (and tenth poop) I unwrapped Copy's tail and took her halter off. We added some more straw gave her hay and she drank a pail of warm water. We left them both napping. It's now 1:00 am. I'll check on my way out, then Mom will be on foal watch periodically through the night. I'm headed home for some sleep. First, I'm a bit hungry myself.

Lamaze

Copy is lying down doing her Lamaze breathing and checking her side. She didn't get up when I peaked in so she is concentrating now, but doesn't appear to be sweating yet. When I got to the barn a little before 8:00 she was restless and pawing, so she has progressed quite quickly in a littleover an hour. We will check her again in about half an hour.

Later that evening

Copy is so nonchalant about all this. Yes, she is very waxed and her vulva is very relaxed and it looks like we're ready to go. The only difference in her behavior is Mom said she wanted to be back in her stall this morning, and she is nickering at all the other horses. On my lunch hour, I took her for a walk and we looked for some grass to pick, then she wanted to jog back to the barn. She doesn't seem crampy or anything. I've been watching for that since her previous owner, Kerry, said last time she had colicky symptoms for a couple of days prior to delivery. She's bright and happy, stood patiently for her grooming and asked for her carrots. I cleaned her up and dusted her off (again) and braided the switch of her tail so I can wrap it up later tonight. When I left she was learning to snap it like a lash whip.
Mom just emailed me to say Copy is very grumpy. She got confused when Mom walked her and called several times after returning to her stall. Her foal is very active. I am off to the barn. I hope this baby doesn't take until morning... but you never know!

Washed Waxed and Ready to Go

Copy's due date is tomorrow, and this morning we have wax. Mom is betting on tonight and has notified the vets.
I'll go and give her a good grooming today and we will see how she is progressing.

P.S. Thank heavens I've never had my own children. I'm already nervous.
Will everything go OK? Will the foal be healthy? Will we manage to raise it as a good citizen to adulthood through all it's formative years? Training it to stop for fences, lead and tie, stand for the farrier load and haul quietly....
Well, we have two full grown happy well adjusted horses standing in the barn to prove all can go well. And they are just the two latest examples of our many foals who turned out just fine. I remember the first foaling I watched. I was about 11 or 12 and it was my Mom's Quarter Horse mare. That foal was "Noble" the first horse I ever trained to ride. He went on to win many many blue ribbons, and that was so long ago he has since lived a productive life and died peacefully from old age. Obviously, this stuff doesn't get easier with practice!