Samantha was the fourth, and the last, of the mating of Clarion and Rebecca. It was a good cross and we had planned to keep doing it, but such was not to be. As the foaling date got closer and Rebecca started to show signs, she was moved to the barn and given free run of the arena. Early one morning, just getting light enough to be able to see outside some, I saw that she had a foal just born. Within 20 minutes the filly was up and nursing heartily. Rebecca happily started eating and all looked well. Later that morning I left for work and asked a friend to keep an eye on the pair. I got home that afternoon to hear from my friend that she felt that something was wrong. There was nothing overt, but Rebecca just seemed a bit dull. The afterbirth had long passed that morning before I had left and she was not showing any actual signs of pain or distress. But something was off. I checked her vital signs and saw that her gums were a bit pale and her heart rate was a bit elevated. So I called my vet.
By the time he arrived, Rebecca was showing signs of pain. After an exam, the vet decided she had experienced an uterine hemmorage. This is usally fatal to the mare. However, he felt that hers had stabilized, likely forming a clot in the ligament and stopping the bleeding. He advised giving her Banamine and keeping her quiet in the stall for 5 days. Poor Samantha had to be locked up in the stall with her mom for her first five days of life.
Finally, on day six, we allowed them into the small pen attached to the stall, and then into the arena where Samantha promptly showed her love of running. Rebecca declined to run with her and was content to watch her from the hay pile. Rebecca went on to be just fine but I was unwilling to risk her life for another foal, so Samantha was the last. Rebecca became my riding horse for a while before moving on to another family to trail ride and ride in parades. Samantha went thru a sand eating stage, but that is another story.
