This week we had an equine vet come to preg check our horses.
The girls had a great time watching as the vet did ultrasounds on each of our mares. We have four that are bred and due to foal sometime next year.
The vet was very serious when she was talking to the girls, telling them about all the things that can go wrong with horses and that we needed to be prepared and that we needed to study up on how to handle things because she was an hour away, and by the time she got there, it would be too late to help with most situations, that it wasn’t easy and not just anyone could do it.
Julia spoke up and said that we’d already had a horse that had trouble with labor and that I’d noticed it was in distress and I’d been able to help it and we’d delivered a healthy foal.
I don’t think the vet was impressed, and by the time she left she promised to email us a (very large) file of all the things we’d need to know in order to deliver foals.
So, I guess if you read my books, plan on reading about horse deliveries, now that I have some new reading material. : )
I figured today I’d include the story about the horse that had trouble. This is from May 2020, not long after we moved to Virginia:
If you’ve seen me on Facebook, you know we have a new puppy (he’s adorable!). He was whining early Monday morning—around 4 a.m. I was going to sleep in, but I got up and went down and cuddled with him for a while as I listened to some chapters that Jay had sent overnight.
I’m a little behind on writing this next book, and I had every intention of buckling down and spending the day writing, but around six or so, Julia called me. She was out walking and saw that our miniature pony was in labor.
The other girls were up, so I told them what was happening, and we all went out to watch.
Now, I’ve never seen a horse foal before, so I was kind of excited, but as soon as I got out there, I could tell something was wrong.
When calves are born, they (should) present two front hooves first, with their nose lying between them. I’ve seen a lot of other presentations (and could tell you stories that would have us all crying, but I won’t), and they’re usually trouble.
When I looked at our horse—Misty—I could see a good eighteen inches of one front leg and the entire head of her foal. There was no second leg.
That was a problem.
My brain is a slow processor, so I stood and watched her through two contractions before I decided this wasn’t something that was going to resolve on its own. I slipped through the fence, and my youngest daughter and I walked over to Misty.
She’d been in labor for a while and was exhausted. She didn’t move at all as I knelt beside her.
I needed that second front leg.
Alright, I’ll spare the details (I didn’t have gloves for one), but the missing leg was twisted and crossed and had caught sideways in the birth canal. It was wedged tight. After I figured out what the issue was, I was able to gently twist and unwedge it and get it out with the first.
I’m thankful that Julia saw Misty, or we probably would have lost the foal and possibly her as well.
Misty was worn out, though, so I cleared the nose and mouth of her baby while waiting for the next contraction, then pulled gently with her pushing, and the little guy (it was a colt) slipped into the world.
Man, it doesn’t matter how many times you see it; birth is always a miracle that is awesome and humbling. (There is a pic in the Reader Chat of him with his mother—and you can see some of the wedding decorations in the background for the wedding that’s happening here Saturday night.)
Alright, I did manage to get some writing in, although we went to town and got new frames because one of our daughters broke her glasses (again, LOL, and superglue wasn’t working anymore).
Watson grilled hot sausage, and we had a “family” campfire with s’mores.
It was a little sad because we always grill with the boys and my parents on holidays, and Julia cried some because she missed her brothers, but we had a fluffy little snowball at our feet and a new (healthy) adorable palomino colt to laugh at and our blessings far outweigh any sorrows as we remembered with respect and gratefulness the sacrifices of so many that made our campfire possible.
Have a beautiful and blessed weekend!
Thanks for spending time with me today.
Hugs and love,
~Jessie 🌻
One Response
Jessie Gussman, you sound like an amazing, christian, lady. I appreciate your writing abilities and am truly one of your biggest fans! I simply love every book of yours that I can buy or receive on K U !!!!!! You are truly blessed with your imagination!! I also love ,love your stories about you and your family!!! I hope I get to come to one of your book signings some day!!!