Horses in particular are incredibly secretive about birth and I assumed my broodmare Nena would be no different. I told myself as long as I had a healthy mare and foal by the middle of May, I would be happy. I certainly didn't expect to be lucky eno
ugh to see Nena foal.
Throughout April I watched for signs that Nena might foal. Her udder began to swell and 48 hours after waxing, she began running milk.
I started checking her several times a night – not an easy occupation when I don't live at the stables and I have an extreme fondness for the cosiness of my bed at night!
Nena's previous owner had suggested that she was likely to foal about two days after starting to run milk.
Three nights later, I was fairly shattered, with even more coffee than usual being drunk in the surgery. I also turned my attention to the vets who were on call each night.
Horse vet Vicky Robertson popped into Belvedere as I was checking the rotas.
"I see you're on call on Tuesday night," I joked flippantly. "I'll tell Nena that she can foal then." Vicky just laughed. What is it they say about words said in jest?
That evening I went to bring the horses in from the field. Nena was by the gate, pawing the air with her hooves– not her usual, calm self at all. As the clouds gathered above us and torrential rain set in, she became increasingly unsettled, circling the stable impatiently, ignoring food and water.
I knew something was up so I left Andrea, who runs the stables, in charge while I dashed home to wrap up against the elements and bring back coffee, whisky and chocolate to assist my watch.
Continuing with 15 minute checks on an increasingly restless and uncomfortable mare, I'd just finished a check at 10.55pm when Andrea called me back out, saying that she thought Nena was lying down. We raced back to the stable – this was it!
In the past she had had straightforward foalings so I hadn't anticipated a complication. Suddenly Nena stood up: Something was wrong. Only one tiny hoof had appeared from Nena's vulva.
I was straight on the phone to the out-of-hours service asking for Vicky. Andrea, meanwhile, started searching for the other hoof, aware that this was an emergency.
My heart was in my mouth– was I about to lose not only the foal but my mare too?
Thankfully Andrea was able to locate the hoof, which was hooked back behind the foal's head inside the womb, gently pulling it forward to correct the foal's position.
Nena was now able to lie down again and continue the birthing process.
