Foaling in the Field: A Natural Nativity

 

Our grandest plans were subverted.

 We waited eleven months for the exciting event, but we were surprised. We had every intention of bringing our beloved warmblood mare inside to a cozy breeding stall, softly bedded with fresh hay, when her time arrived for foaling.

 Of course, the mare had another plan altogether. In fact, she had a completely different timetable than the rest of us.

 According to the calendar, she was not due to foal for another few weeks. So much for modern science!

 

NOTE: Written by this author, this copyrighted material originally appeared on another publisher’s site. That site no longer exists. This author holds all rights to this content. No republication is allowed without permission.

 

Surprise in the Pasture!

 A friend went out to the pasture around 11 a.m. to collect her quiet gelding. He refused to exit through the gate with her. Instead, he practically dragged her to the three-sided shelter, across the pasture. There, she saw an amazing sight.

 Inside the lean-to, she found the entire herd. About a dozen horses huddled inside the shed, guarding and watching the mare and her perfect newborn filly, like an equine nativity scene.

 An hour earlier, the mare had been peacefully grazing outside. When she was ready, she simply entered the shelter and delivered her offspring on her own. Her pasture mates gathered and observed.

 Perhaps they were protecting the blessed event, or possibly, they were simply curious.

 My friend left her own horse in the field and bounded over the fence to herald the news to the barn staff. All hands came running to collect the horses from the pasture. When the coast was clear, they led the mare and her brand-new, full-term, bouncing filly into the barn.

 

That’s where we came in.

 Around noon, my kids and I drove through the barn gate and noticed the parade, headed for the foaling barn. We leapt out of the car and raced to the stall.

 Usually, a mare will guard her newborn foal attentively. She will place her own body between others and her offspring, making herself the physical boundary to keep others away.

 However, this time, it was somehow different. We’ve been together nearly ten years, and this was her third foal. The sweet chestnut mom quietly stepped behind her baby and welcomed us into their world. It was as if she wanted to tell us, “C’mon in. I trust you. Share our happy moment. Look what I have!”

 

“Please allow me to introduce my pride and joy.”

 A sturdy fawn-colored face, with a huge, crooked white stripe, fairly grinned up at me and my children. The friendly filly accepted our attentions eagerly, as her mom nuzzled her own baby and my human children as well.

 In that moment, I caught a glimpse of what it must feel like to become a flesh-and-blood grandmother, to watch your own daughter deliver a child. Pride and affection, adrenaline and tenderness, all mixed together.

The vet arrived several hours later and pronounced everyone exceptional.

 

What a day!

 

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Image/s: LAN photo – All rights reserved.

Equestrian terms: What is a brand?

Speaking of horses, what is a brand?

First, equine brands and breeds are very different things, although non-horsey folks often confuse the two.

A brand is a man-made marking, placed upon the body of a horse for identification purposes.

The word “breed” pertains to the type of horse one is discussing, such as Appaloosa, Bashkir Curly, Connemara, Dartmoor, Exmoor, or Falabella.

Often, young horses are branded at breed inspections, so that they bear the official logo of the equine breed to which they have been approved. For example, a horse may be branded to  identify him or her as an approved Haflinger, Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Irish Sport Horse, Oldenburg, Rheinland Pfalz-Sarr, Selle-Francais, Shagya-Arab, Trakehner, Warmblood or other breed. Some horses may receive extra branding elements to indicate preferred status, as with certain Freesians.

This article originally appeared on another publisher’s site, which is no longer open. All rights reverted to the author, so it appears here with full permission.

Horse breeders may brand horses with their own trademarks as well. Individual equine breeding operations may register their own logo brands for identification purposes.

Equine branding is usually performed with a hot iron, which burns through the horse’s fur (usually on the hip or shoulder) to the skin, leaving a permanent marking. This process is much like that used to mark cattle and other livestock. In fact, livestock owners have branded their animals since ancient times.

Horses may also be freeze-branded. This process is commonly used in wild horse management and as an anti-theft safeguard for horse owners. Freeze-branded horses are usually marked with registered codes identifying them for ownership, even as racehorses may be tattooed for identification purposes. This type of equine branding is frequently performed upon the animal’s neck.

Image/s:

Freeze-Branded Mustang –

Branded Palomino Quarter Horse –

Close-Up Mustang with Freeze Brand –

Creative Commons Licensing Photos

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