So, this has been a long week, and I have been on-the-go all week. I have, to a certain degree, been tethered to the house. I have had to check on the pregnant horses and feed them every couple of hours. Ever heard the expression "hungry as a horse?" I think that was talking about an expectant horse. Boy, did Fetty and Bunny eat! Both are pregnant, but Fetty was overdue. Her due date was March 5th.
The reason Rheba was especially concerned with Fetty's pregnancy is that Fetty is completely blind. Both eyes have been removed, one because of an abscess and one because of an ulcer. This was not Fetty's first pregnancy, but it was her first since she has been completely blind.
Now, while I am a farm girl, we never had horses growing up. My first experience with horses, while visiting my aunt and uncle's house in Morriston when i was probably 10 years old, was not a good one. Their son had put us on a horse and led us around. He then put my brother Justin on the horses back and told me to lead it. I don't remember what happened to the horse (who was supposed to be childproof), but he reared, my brother fell off and the horse accidentally stepped on the middle of Justin's back. He had a big bruise for about a month. So much for my first experience with horses!
Fast-forward twenty something years, and I had married someone who loved horses. His old horse still resided at his mother's house, but wasn't ridden anymore. Aleta was just a toddler, and Jackie decided she could ride Tiny. He was holding Aleta on Tiny' back and "letting her ride." Once again, I don't know what happened, but Tiny reared, Aleta went tumbling down Tiny's rump and got kicked in the eye. Her first and only black eye. Boy, was I mad, and it didn't help my fear of horses!
Later, Jackie insisted on buying Aleta a horse. So Valiant came to live at our house. I didn't have daily contact with him because Jackie took care of the animals. Valiant threw Aleta off, and ended her cowgirl career. So much for the "climb right back on" theory.
So, for several years, I didn't have to worry about horses…
Then arrived Rheba, Jackie's child in most every way. She begged for a horse. so of course, Jackie found her one. Jackie's friend, Buck Long, thought that his horse, Lacey, would make Rheba a good horse. For a while, we didn't have a saddle, so Rheba would just go out in the field and visit the horse. It was so cute to just watch Rheba in the field, talking to the horse while leading it.
But Jackie decided this time, to do it right. So, we took Rheba every week to Mrs. Donna Sharp for lessons. I got a little more comfortable with horses, but still had a healthy respect for them.
Needless to say, through Rheba's rodeos and barrel races, I have seen her fall off and get back on. I've had a lot of heart-stopping moments.
All this to say, I'm still timid around horses. Last summer, after Fetty had her second eye removed, she accidentally stepped on my foot and broke my toe.
Bunny, the other pregnant horse, is Fetty's guide horse. She has finally taken her role seriously. One night, recently, Rheba found Bunny on one side of Fetty, and Moose across the fence on the other side of Fetty. They had Fetty hemmed between them as the coyotes were howling in the pines behind their field. Bunny has gotten very protective.
So, there we were Saturday, 13 days overdue. Aleta and I had been to Gainesville, back home, then to a birthday party for Z, then to Bronson to visit my Aunt. Coming home, after our long day, Aleta and I discussed our plans for getting home, putting on pajamas, and watching "Murder, She Wrote."
Rheba had been home most of the day, but had left to go visit her boyfriend. As we rounded the corner, coming home, Aleta noted that Fetty was lying on the ground (a good sign that she could be in labor). As we parked and looked, she was standing up. I went inside to get a drink, then decided to go back outside to check on her, she was down again.
As things progressed, we called Rheba, who said that someone should be out there talking to Fetty. Now as we had come up, Bunny had been out there with her, but was now in the barn. Rheba has experience with her horses having babies. But… "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies, Ms. Fetty!"
Aleta and I traipse out to the back of the field,with our flashlights, a towel, and a phone with Rheba on the other end. Talking to Fetty as the front feet and head emerged, encouraging as the body rolls out and finally the back feet. I really can't imagine what Rheba was going through on the other end of the line, knowing that two novices were birthing that baby! She was wonderful talking us through it, and keeping us calm.
I was especially worried of what the blind horse would do after the birth. Rheba told me to wipe the foal down with the towel. Fetty stayed down while we cleaned up the foal and told her what a good job she had done. She eventually stood and stepped over to the foal and then stepped back, letting us deal with the baby. Rheba had prepared a halter with jingle bells on it for the foal. Aleta went back to the barn and got that. We managed to get it on the foal before it stood up. The baby stood up 23 minutes after it was born, which is amazing. Aleta and I didn't have time to record times of birth or standing up, but Rheba did that while on the phone with us. Twenty three minutes tells you how fast everything was happening.
Rheba talks about how imprinting is so important, and imprint we did. We loved on that baby, rubbed him and shook his halter so Fetty could hear the bells and get used to them. We were no longer on the phone with Rheba, because she was already headed home.
We had a few terrifying moments…Once, all of a sudden, Bunny returned and her protective instincts kicked in, and she decided to charge at us. We backed off, talking and calming Bunny. Then, the foal ran to Bunny, who tried to move away, only to kick the baby. The baby squealed, Bunny darted, the baby kept trying to follow her and Fetty went crazy trying to find her baby. We got the baby separated from Bunny, but couldn't calm Fetty down as she circled and circled. We tried ringing the bells, but she wouldn't calm down. It seemed like 20 or 30 minutes before we could reunite mother and baby. During that time, the baby stuck close to Aleta and I, chewing on our clothes. Again, we got to love on it. Needless to say, we are in love.
Rheba got home and got the baby to nurse and all was well. I got back into the house at 11:30 p.m., realized that we had been out there since about 6:30. I had not eaten supper. I was dead on my feet. I took a quick shower and fell into bed around midnight.
Sunday morning, when I woke up at 10 a.m. (missed church) and went outside, there was Fetty and the foal, walking in the field. The foal was right by her side, almost touching as they walked. I have a great confidence that these two will be just fine.
So, my claim that "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies" went unheeded. Fetty didn't care. She did the birthing work, but…just like the old Shake and Bake commercial…I'm gonna claim "and I helped!!" I guess I can add another skill to my resume!
By the way, it's a boy!!!
Until next week,
Cynthia Kay
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