45 – Lace is going to be a Mum

 My pony was broken, but I get to have a baby Lace!  That is the bonus of mares, they have a retirement plan available.  There are only so many broken down geldings one needs!  I already had George… 

This was a little bit scary as well as exciting, having never done this before I knew absolutely nothing about breeding.  Except for guinea pigs and mice as a kid I had diligently avoided any of my animals breeding, always doing the responsible thing and getting cats and dogs fixed up at the appropriate time. And then there was Lace herself…  Lace doesn’t do things by halves, either she would be a fantastic mum or it could be a disaster!  There was no way of knowing. 

I also had never really paid much attention to discussions on breeding – breeders get really in to it and know so much and then tend to rattle off names of people and horses until I end up feeling slightly glazed… oops!  Now I needed to choose a stallion and knew absolutely nothing. But I did know – actually Kerry had bred a few and she knew – that first foals tend to be small.  So, as Lace is not big herself (14-3 hh) it made sense to go for a tall stallion for a first baby.  So I asked around, hoping someone who knew more than me (not hard) would have an opinion.  It turns out not everyone likes the responsibility of giving advice on something so important, but one friend was happy to have an opinion and knew Lace well enough to recommend a few stallions that would suit.   I was pretty sure I knew which stallion I was going to choose, but then I had another offer.  I could have some frozen semen that a friend had been given for the cost of the storage if I took over the cost of the storage myself.  Storage was not expensive and the stallion was Castlebar Gulfstream…. An Aussie horse.  I looked him up online – nice bay, decent height, did endurance himself and done at least one 160 – pretty good effort for a working stallion, and his full sister seemed pretty good too. 

Ok, we’ll give it a go with AI.  The semen was at Matamata and they did AI so I contacted them and set about organising vaccinations for Lace and multiple trips to Matamata.  But to no avail, about $1500 and not in foal.  There was enough semen left for one more try, but they recommended using fresh semen and saving the frozen for another try next year.  Well if you’re going to use fresh semen you might as well take the mare to the stallion.   So I contacted the owners and oraganised Lace a sex holiday with Night at the Opera (NATO to his friends). 

Epic road trip down with Kerry and again with Mum a couple of months later to pick Lace up again.  The horse was out the back of beyond in the Ruahine ranges and at one point you drive along a cliff above the river, one lane with  rock slides, it’s ok I kept telling myself, they bring their truck along here!  I’ve seen it on TV on Country Calendar! 

Now there was the big wait.  By the time Lace got lame in November, then failed at AI, then went to the stallion, was  served at the end of January, the foal wasn’t due until around New Year.  It already had a name, by Night at the Opera it was going to be Song and Dance.  

Away for Kuratau ride mid December – fat pony still fat when we got back. 

Boxing day (December 26), slow morning, I was planning to ride Tigger later in the morning, all ponies out to grass behind the house first thing.  Lace as usual taking the lead, George and Tigs follow.  A bit later I look out the window, all is normal but Tigger is standing weirdly, head up looking tense… “You weirdo Tigger, what are you doing, dickhead!”  Breakfast then out to catch Tigs who is now away from the grass in the little area I gave them so they could get back to the shade of their favourite tree, George is eating, Lace is by herself… is there something on the grass? 

Start running.  Yes, definitely something there. Baby horse on the ground!!!

I don’t have my camera! Quick decision, run back flat out, grab camera, sprint back.

I decide I should get George out of the way so quickly catch him and put him with Tigger, shut the gate. 

The placenta had not come out, and was hanging down to the ground near her back legs, which apparently Lace had not noticed.  Then she did notice, got a huge fright and leapt forward, barely missing the foal and me.  I quickly wrapped my arms around Lace’s neck, holding her back away from the foal, she was still very panicky, where did I put that halter?!!  Oh crap I left it back by the gate when I let George go, the 30m between us might as well have been a mile. “It’s ok Lace, good girl, it’s ok”, still hugging my pony somewhat desperately.  I had already rung Kerry to tell her about the foal, Boxing day so they were all at the beach at Kerry’s parents place.  Now I rang her again, what to do?  Could she get me the vets number?  Awesome, not only Sunday but Boxing day to boot and I need a vet! 

After a while Lace relaxed enough that I could tie the placenta up out of the way as the vet had recommended, and quickly grab the halter, phew! And then Dancer stood up.  I don’t know what George and Tigger had been thinking about the whole thing up until then – clearly when I had looked out earlier Tigger had been on alert, “Lace is acting weird”, but the looks of utter astonishment on their faces was absolutely comical, “Oh my god, it’s a horse!!! Where did that come from?????”  I don’t think either of them had ever seen a foal before. 

The vet came, everything was soon sorted.  Dancer got her tetanus injection etc. and they both moved closer to the house.  All was well and Lace was utterly besotted with her baby.  She did not want to lead with me despite my assurances that she should not worry as I assured her the baby would follow her, she did not need to follow it!  Luckily being an endurance pony and used to camping Lace did not mind me shining a torch at her a few times during the night.