A Hard Loss

Life on a farm can be so rewarding. Whenever someone asks if we just love the farm life, I usually take a moment's pause before answering yes. It is a lot of hard work. Among the joys that come with cute babies, hugs from your donkeys, and smiles from your kids as they run and play with the animals, there are plenty of heart rending experiences as well.

Ella was the first foal to survive on our farm. We lost two other foals the year she was born. She has been loved and pampered ever since. I guess it's times like these that help us truly appreciate the good times.

Ella was due in mid May with her first foal. We were eagerly waiting for the day of arrival to see what this beautiful spotted girl would produce. I was outside in the yard, when I noticed Ella laying on her side in the barn - definitely unusual. I went to see what was going on and I knew right away that she was in labor. I prepped her stall and guided her in. I was not feeling confident in her labor pattern, as she was rolling onto her side. This is almost always a sign that the foal is mal-positioned.

Finally, she lay down and started pushing. Shortly, a bag began to emerge but it was red - a red bag delivery. The bag should be a milky white color and if it's red it's an emergency situation that means the placenta has separated prematurely and the foal is not receiving oxygen. If possible, you must take hold of the legs and pull the foal as quickly as you can. The problem for us was that there were no legs to pull. We had to figure out what was going on and reached in to see if we could figure out the foal's position. We found the front legs but the head was bent back. This is called dystocia and is a very complicated problem.

Poor Ella was getting tired out so we drove her to the vet. It took three grown adults, thirty minutes trying to pull the foal. It was stuck! After the massive ordeal and losing the foal, we were just hoping that Ella would survive. They immediately hooked her up to IV's and began running fluids and antibiotics. We left her at the vet overnight.

The next morning, they called with the good news that she was doing well and we could pick her up. We brought her home and for the next ten days gave her pain meds and antibiotics morning and night.

She is now doing great and preparing to be shown in our county fair. We are grateful that she has survived though her days as a breeding jenny are done. We are so grateful for the times when the foals arrive complication free and recognize the true miraculous event that this is.