A Colt is Born

This morning started with a phone call from Arkansas. Alan, the man we rent our pasture from was on the other end telling me that a foal had just been born to Anastacia. We knew it was coming but had no idea the date otherwise I certainly would not have been in Boston on a business trip. Deb spent all night with her, which turned out to be a good thing as it was a difficult labor and her assistance was needed.

As soon as I hung up the phone I noticed that I had a text message. It contained this photo. It is really hard to see anything but the big white blaze on his nose, but this is the colt moments after he was born. All of the information here is secondhand, having been relayed to me by Deb during the course of the day.

I did eventually get to speak with Deb though the sun had come up before that happened. She had been busy making sure that mother and baby were doing well, and doing what it is that they are supposed to do. While we were on the phone she burst into laughter and had to hang up so she could take some photos of the little one attempting to get to his feet for the first time. All these shots are taken with camera on her cell phone.

Unfortunately there had been quite a rainstorm during the night so the pen has gotten a bit muddy. This did not deter the little guy though no doubt it made his job a bit harder.

He worked at it and made it up pretty quickly. Deb remarked that he is a very strong baby, and pretty mature. He is definitely full term if not possibly a bit past due.

The next order of business was getting a meal. This presented a big challenge as Anastacia, who is a first time mother, wanted nothing to do with the colt trying to suckle her. She made all the right motions in terms of bonding, licking him and cooing and trying to keep him constantly in sight, but every time he tried to latch on to a teat, she would turn and move away. This went on for awhile, and eventually Deb had to intervene. The foal was tiring out and he really needed that meal. Deb haltered Anastacia and held her still while the little guy got his meal.

He was pretty hungry. This is the most important part of nursing as he will receive colostrum in the first day or so, which is vital to the health of all babies.

After all that hard work it was time for a nap in the sun. One big blessing of the day was that it was sunny and dry.

He didn't sleep too long as there was a lot of nursing to be done. According to our vet he needs to consume about 20% of his body weight in milk in the first day.

With encouragement, Anastacia gradually understood that he needed to nurse frequently and by mid afternoon, there was no longer an issue. Of course, by that point Deb had been at the pasture for well over 24 hours and was just exhausted.

Knowing that Alan would check on them when he got home from work, and that Anastacia was doing all the right things, including introducing her baby to shelter so there wouldn't be a problem if some rainy weather rolls through, Deb headed home to get some well deserved rest.

Thankfully the weather is supposed to remain clear and warm through the evening, so I'm thinking that momma and child will also be resting comfortably.