This message is from: Karen McCarthy [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Just had to tell ya'll on the List about a litle surprise I discovered
last nite at about 11pm. My good old broodmare Jorunn, (aka Rosie) foaled
at about 10pm. Read on...
I didn't even know she was pregnant until early this Nov (just had enuf
time to franticlly fax Mike a breeding report for her!), as she just kept
getting fatter + fatter until I said thats it, I'm having her checked...
The vet said to expect our little surprise from late Jan thru early
Feb. Well, guess the vet was a bit off, but hey, things are groovy in
babyland, so who cares!
I almost had given up on Rosie producing any more foals, as she has
produced such a nice group of progeny. When she drew a blank 2 years
running, I kinda said, OK, BE a lawn ornament then! Well Sven
certainly thought she was QUITE the obliging lawn ornament, I am sure
:~)) Sven and Rosie have been married since 1990. They are inseparable.
The foal is a nice sized colt! Yippee, after like 5 fillies in a row, it
was time! Rosie gave me NO real warning, no waxing, a little bagging up,
and then POP! When I went out to do my obligatory pre-bedtime check on
her, Sven was standing at the gate, which was unusual, as Rosie always
seems to occupy that favored corral position. I thought to myself, this
is odd. Odder still is that Sven didn't do his usual annoying clanging on
the pipe fence when he sees me within 100' of their barn.Hmmm, somthin's
up, and when I peeked into Rosies stall, she stood stock still, didn't
give me the I'm starving, feed-me-my-late-night-snack nicker, she just
looked at me with her huge serene eyes, and then I saw a little ghost
drift behind her, and then I KNEW! A BABY!!NOW OMG, the stall wasn't
bedded deep enuf, my flashlite didn't work, and I kept thinking, I am
such a bad mom, not having stuff all ready. I had to make myself
breathe as I felt like I was going to start hyperventilating. Well Ms
Rosie had her afterbirth all neatly piled in the corner, and the baby
from the looks of it had allready nursed both teats and was quite content
except for the shivering which I remedied with warm towels out of the
drier. I dunked his umbilical in straight Betadine, added 2 bags of
shavings to the stall along w/ feed fresh warm water called it a
nite. I awoke at 5:30 am, instantly remembered Oh YEAH! there was A BABY
OUT THERE, and jumped into some sweats I had left beside the bed
hustled out to check on them. Of course they were fine, Rosie had
consumed the 5 gal.of water I had left her, and of course all her grass
hay. Lots of nice mare piles as well as some foal poop, so off to bed I
went, happy, happy, happy! When I woke again at 8:15, I made 3 phone
calls: to my best friend Robin, informing her that she was once again a
horse godmother, and would she bring 3 bags of shavings out w/ her; my
sister my nephew in California; and my mother who had just visited over
Christmas from her island home in British Columbia. At 10am I checked my
email, and there was one from my Mom informing me that she had consulted
w/ her Danish friend, and that the colts name was to be 'Januar'
(pronounced Jan-ewe-are), and that was it, SHE had spoken SHE was
naming him. OK, Mom, you got your wish!
Mercifully, the weather has been unseasonably warm, and last nite, the PM
temp was actually warmer then the daytime temp.I feared rain, but today
was idyllic, very few clouds, almost zero wind, and SUN! The little guy
is really filling out fluffing up, and is not as shy as some of his
sisters had been at this age. He really enjoys trotting around his mum in
the corral, tossing his head, movin' those big hocks!
**Just wondering Mike, is this the first NFHR Fjord foal of 2003?
Nite all, Kmac
Karen McCarthy, N. Nevada
MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*.
