Donna’s Bella

This is one of our latest blessings, I hope you enjoy Bella’s story.

 Foaling season in both wonderful and tiresome… Weeks waiting for the blessed event, nights of interrupted slumber, and sometimes of a rare and wonderful gift, and signs that without a doubt there is a higher power.

 Such was a Saturday this spring.

On Friday morning a lovely little foal was discovered in the pasture nursing with her dam. We try to be there for the foalings but sometimes the mares have different plans, and so was the case with Catriona and Cha-ching, but as the story unfolds you will see that that birth was just the beginning of the blessings to follow.

 My husband and I went into the field before he left for work, and he took pictures to share with his co-workers. One of whom had a wife who loved horses. So as a surprise for his wife Al arranged with my husband to bring his wife out to the farm the following day to see our new arrival. I had not had the pleasure of talking with spending time with them before the visit but we hit it off, playing with horses and eating a nice meal with our families.

As the day wore to a close, they followed us to the barn where they helped us feed. Each mare has a spot, and they lined up and waited for dinner. The mares were checked for full bags or other signs of an upcoming foaling, everything looked good. The mares were fed all appeared well, and we started to say our goodbyes to our guests, standing in the yard, Chatting…. It was another of our blessings, because my normal routine was to feed, check their bags and go inside for some relaxing until the evening when the mare were hayed and checked again.

As we stood there chatting, our mare Coragh went into the barn, I watched as the conversation flowed around me. Curious about what had her going in, I left the group and started walking to the barn; before I could get there she lay down.

I’m thinking to myself “What in world is she doing?” This mare never goes into the barn unless to get away from the heat, it was a cool spring evening… and She rarely lays down, so something wasn’t right.  I watch her labored breathing and realize she is going to foal, Strange as she was just checked and has no bag, an older broodmare, who has always preferred to foal outside if the chance is given, Only foaling inside if she was locked in. Yet she was in the barn, as I watched her….

I got her up, called my husband, and moved her to the foaling stall. My guest watched with mixed feelings… Al was ready to go home, his wife determined to stay, and their children happy to have more time to hang out with newly made friends.

We got her to the stall; Grabbed my clipboard to help me keep track of events…took a peak and quickly realized something wasn’t right… The sack was red, I called my vet immediately. Hurried instructions followed, “do you have a knife?”

“Yes” replied my husband

“Cut open the bag” a rush of blood followed. “Grab the foal and pull”

My husband’s hands slick with blood, he found the foal’s feet, pointing up, the foal was mis-presenting, the mare stood and laid down and was up again… this time the foal was in a better position, and he pulled with all his strength.

The foal was delivered! My vet expected the worse, and the next question was “Is she breathing?”

“Yes”

The vet asked “do you know how lucky you are?”

 She had NO IDEA! The foal was deprived of oxygen, but she was alive, could we keep her alive? She wasn’t suckling… hours passed, my vet wanted to come, and though she assisted by phone, she was staying with her dad in ICU, and couldn’t come out for a farm call.

Our Guests looked on; And Al’s wife cradled a wobbly foal in her arms, trying to help her nurse. She looked at the foal and called her “Bella” –Beautiful. You could see she was hooked. Al’s wife’s name was Donna, and it seemed like a sign.

The decision was made to take the mare and foal to the NC State clinic… On the frantic drive, John and I discussed the series of miracles that led to this foal’s live birth.

Had things gone differently we could have lost not just the foal, but our mare as well. Had Catriona not foaled first… Had we not had company… Had we not stood in the yard talking… Had the mare not gone in the barn... Had John not been there with a strong hand and a calm head. We still didn’t know if the foal would make it, but we decided that if Donna was willing to take the risk with us, we’d offer her a deal.

We’d sell her the foal at the cost of her medical bills, she would be Donna’s responsibility, if she lived or died… She required a lot of care, nights spent in the barn, Donna helped out on the weekends, and the foal had to be hand fed, bouts of diarrhea… but she grew strong, we delivered her to Donna last Saturday 4 October 2008… Her name is Belladonna Donna’s Bella… Sometimes things are meant to be!