The Miracle of Life - Clover Arrives

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, my day began as any other day in which I have to arise at 4:25 am in order to be ready to begin performing my life saving x-rays at the Trauma Center. Mid-morning, which for me is about 9 am seeing that I wake so early, I received a text message from our barn owner stating that she did not need her glasses in order to see that Shiloh was dripping milk. Excitement filled me as I realized that our long wait for the impending birth of our foal was soon to be over. With that excitement also came the fear and feelings of hope. The greatest fears that had entered my mind in the final days and weeks leading up to the birth of our foal, was fear that we would not make it out for the birth and knowing with near certainty that Shiloh is a maiden mare at nearly 14. This fear stems from knowing that Shiloh was a performance horse who did hunter/jumper work for most of her adult career and had most likely never been around other mothers and babies. I feared that she would go into labor with no one around and once delivering the foal she would become frightened of the new being in her stall and not know what to do but in turn would step on him or not allow him to nurse thus ending up with a dead baby. This fear, I realized was the most realistic of all bad scenarios that I played through my mind. I did all the reading about what to do if and when the foal does not present in the "diver's position" (that is front feet and nose first) and quickly realized that those situations are few and far between. Although it is good to be armed with the knowledge of the worst case scenario, I was also realistic knowing that a breech baby or any other variation was highly unlikely. The realistic fear, however, of Shiloh being alone and fearing the baby and the baby dying because of her fear was of great concern to me. This caused me to have great emotional and physical stress, including bad dreams.

In days leading up to the birth, while I was tenderly grooming my very pregnant mare, I would speak to her softly. I would plead with her to have the baby soon. I told her over and over that I knew she was scared. I told her that she did not have to have this baby alone. I have written in past entries of the connection that Shiloh and I have...I truly feel that through her pregnancy our bond and connection has grown stronger than I ever thought it would. When I speak to her...if she's listening, she understands the words that I say to her. I told her more than once that she would not have to be alone during her labor or delivery. I know in my heart that she believed me and she wanted me to be there with her.

Around 4:40 in the afternoon, Shiloh went down and rolled in the pasture, got up and ran to the gate. While at the gate she stared Corrine down and put her nose to her belly...as if to say, "Corrine, you need to call my moms. Something's going on here and I need them." Corrine brought her in and immediately sent both Amy and I text messages about what had happened. I spoke with Amy and we determined that Shiloh was in labor and that Amy should head straight for the barn and that I would leave work as soon as possible. We had traumas getting ready to roll in at the Center and I thought I could get through them but my whole being was nervous and filled with fear...I HAD to leave...my mare needed me. So I left work and walked the 2 and 1/2 blocks to my car faster than I ever have before and sped (as quickly as rush hour traffic would let me) out of downtown. On my way out to the barn, Amy called saying that she had arrived and that she thought Shiloh was definitely in labor but nothing much was happening right then. She said she did have what appeared to be amniotic fluid trickling down the insides of her hind legs and that her vulva was open. I then decided to stop and pick up a disposable camera and some Subway for us for dinner seeing that nothing was imminent. Even with both stops, I made it out to the barn within an hour where I could see for my very own eyes that yes my mare was definitely in labor. Upon arriving at the barn, Shiloh could hear my car pull up and was expectantly waiting, watching out her stall window for sight of me. Her look told me that she had been waiting for me to get there so that we could do this together. I spoke with our vet shortly after seeing for my own eyes the fluid that was trickling and her vulva was open. She was also groaning as she contracted. I could feel her pain. Our vet assured me that things would most likely be fine and not to hesitate to call him with any questions or emergency. I asked him how long I should wait seeing that I felt she was leaking amniotic fluid...he said a no more than a couple of hours and then call him back. Around 6:45, after Amy and I had eaten, Alan and Corrine began bringing the other horses in for the evening. With lots of commotion, Shiloh held onto that baby and held off her labor until everyone was settled and eating their evening hay quietly. Meanwhile, she nibbled at her own hay in order to calm her nerves. Around 7:15, Amy went out back with Snazzy for a grooming session since things were not moving along very quickly, leaving just Shiloh and myself in the barn. By 7:30 I was reading quietly outside her stall and listening to her movements. At 7:30 she began contracting regularly. Contractions were coming every 7-8 minutes. She would begin each contraction with a groan and then she would circle. She would lie down, groan and get back up again and circle. This would last 3-4 minutes. Then she would settle back into nibbling on her hay while waiting for the next contraction to begin. Just before 8 o'clock Amy came back in the barn and I quietly told her what had been going on...that's when we heard it...a gushing sound as she laid down and knew that her water had broken. Shiloh laid in straw manger with her back to us groaning and pushing. This is when we could see the first sign of her bag with a tiny hoof pressing through. Amy quickly called Alan and Corrine to let them know that it was time. We all stood watching quietly as Momma groaned and pushed and then got up and circled in order to lay back down to push some more. For what seemed like an eternity, Shiloh only had one hoof sticking out and we started to panic thinking that we may have an emergency on our hands. Amy quickly called the vet and while on the phone with him we finally saw another hoof and a nose. Thank goodness! A little relief settled into my brain and my heart was beginning to fill with hope. This baby was going to come out the correct way...one small fear defeated. Shiloh had once again repositioned herself in her stall and was again pushing but having trouble it seemed. Amy and I then decided that we would quietly enter her stall and see if she trusted us enough to help her deliver this baby. She only looked relieved as we entered and knelt down to assist her. We took turns applying a gentle pulling to the baby's front legs as Shiloh contracted and pushed. Within a few minutes of assisting, we were able to help her get the baby's shoulder out and I was able to remove the sac from his face. I then moved behind her to stroke her head and neck and give her soft and encouraging words as she pushed the rest of her baby out. Once he was on the ground, at 8:20, Amy and I removed the rest of the sac from his body and we began drying him with a towel. It was amazing to hear his first gurgley breaths as his body switched from breathing amniotic fluid to breathing air. He was amazing and beautiful and big. Once he was on the ground and breathing, Shiloh softly nickered to her colt. It was as if she knew in that moment that he was hers. Momma took several minutes to rest and catch her breath before carefully getting up. I was so proud of my mare as she ever so carefully stood for the first time...so careful not to step on her baby...softly nickering to him and pressing her nose to his. They were beautiful moments to witness. While he was lying on the ground, still in shock of being born, he was suckling on any part of mom that he could reach...mostly just her ankles. By 9 pm he was trying to stand...having trouble getting his long wobbly legs underneath him. Watching him take his first steps was like watching Bambi...wobbly and uncoordinated and amazing. By 9:30, he was taking wobbly steps all over the stall and Shiloh was trying to position herself for him to nurse but he wasn't getting it and we were all getting frustrated with me leading him around the stall suckling my fingers to lead him to Shiloh's udder. I was able to get him to latch on only one time and only for about 10 or 15 seconds. By this time the fear that had originally settled into my mind regarding Shiloh being afraid of her own baby had waned and a new fear had settled in...would our baby get the hang of nursing before he became too weak. By 10, our friend Julia had arrived with much more foaling experience than we had and helped get him positioned under Shiloh and put her teet in his mouth...he latched on again and drank that all important colostrum. We stood back and watched him in wonder as he staggered around the stall. He soon wanted and needed to nurse again but was once again having a hard time finding Shiloh's udder. Shiloh kept circling, trying to position herself so that he could nurse but he wasn't getting it. Eventually, we had to halter and hold her while we held the baby under her and once again got him to latch on. This was the point when I knew my mare was scared...every muscle in her body shook and she had a petrified look in her eye as we held her for her baby to nurse. I could also see the pain in her eyes as her uterus continued to contract with each nursing. Quickly she relaxed as she realized that what was happening was supposed to happen and this is why she wanted and needed us there for her. Soon we were able to let her go and she stood quietly with her leg cocked so her colt could nurse at will. Although I could see the tension in her muscles as she nursed him, she knew it was what needed to happen to keep her baby alive and healthy.

I am not sure everyone understands the great bond between a human and their horse but I feel it and it runs deeper in my soul than words can explain. It is a relationship that is greater than love. Shiloh believed me when I told her that she would not have to go through this alone. She believed me when I told her that we would be there for her and in turn she gave the signs and called us when she needed us most. It is a relationship that is unconditional and trusting...I am amazed at the miracles that it has presented, including the hope of a new life. The miracle of the birth of her colt, Clover.