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SHOWING OFF

TENDER MOMENTS

BEST BUDS

GET YOUR

HANDS ON

A MINI

A GIFT FROM GOD

It is just past midnight and Stormy has been restless. Here she is fighting to remain standing even as the contractions have pushed the foal into the birth canal.

Stormy finally lies down and thankfully she is in the middle of the stall with her rear end away from the stall walls. She is bedded on fresh, clean straw and delivery is just minutes away.

Finally lying flat on her side, Stormy has begun to push. You can see the bulge under her tail just before the birth sac first becomes visible. Will everything turn out all right? You pray it will.

There it is, the opaque amniotic sac in which the fetus has been wrapped for 11 long months. It is still too early to tell if the foal is in the correct position. (If you see something red at this time you have big trouble)

Please note that Stormy has stood up and repositioned herself. Also notice her engorged udder and well developed teats. You can see the first hoof emerge. She is pushing quite hard now.

I say a quick "thank You God" as I see the 2nd front leg and the tiny muzzle in the exact right position. This is the hardest part of the labor as the foal's shoulders are passing thru the mare's pelvis. Just another hard push.

Sorry, I had to put the camera down to tear open the sac and make sure the foal was breathing. I pulled the foal around so Stormy could see it. The foals hind legs are still inside the mare and it is still attached by the umbilical cord.

Stormy touches muzzles for the first time with her new foal and nickers a soft "welcome to the world little one". This is the beginning of the mare/foal bonding process.

After remaining down for about 15 minutes, Stormy finally rises and continues the imprinting process. The sense of smell is of most importance. Note the foals legs still in the birth sac.

It is best to not disturb the bonding process at this point. However, note that the placenta has passed and needs to be removed from the stall so it can be carefully examined.

Already, the foal, a lovely filly, is trying to get up on her long, wobbly legs. Her mama is giving her encouragement. After a couple failed attempts, the foal will be successful in defying gravity.

The little filly is now on her feet and she is already looking for her first meal. Notice this experience mama has positioned herself to help the baby find the milk bar easily.

Just a few days old, Blueprints Dandy Dahlia, Dally for short, is all unfolded and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. The filly quickly learned to follow her mama and at this age does not stray too far from her.

My, how quickly they grow. Already 11 months old in this photo, Dally is posing and showing everyone how beautiful she is. And naturally, she loves to have her picture taken.

Dally is a rare silver dapple roan. Shortly after this photo was taken, Dally went to live with 2 young ladies who have trained her to pull a cart. She is very happy in her new home.