A Red Bag Emergency

Usually, nature does a good job of doing things the correct way, but there are those times when it's necessary to step in.

Our next jenny due to foal was getting close to her time so we felt inclined to put her in a stall. That night I had a hard time getting to sleep and I didn't know why. Finally at 1:00 a.m. I decided to check the barn cam. It looked like Rain was in labor! I grabbed some towels and rushed out to the barn.

I like to keep things quiet and discreet and keep myself in a corner observing labor progress. Rain was to the pushing phase and I felt like it was taking a bit longer than usual. "Don't rush it. Don't panic." These are phrases I've had to remind myself. As I'm telling myself to calm down and waiting to see the milky white bubble that comes just before the foal, I take a closer look and notice red. Bad, bad, bad! I ran inside to get my husband reinforcement and back out to the barn in just seconds.

In a normal foaling, the bag that comes out should be a milky white color, followed by the front hooves and nose. Later the placenta, the life source for the baby while it was in the mom, is born. A red bag is a serious emergency which means the placenta has separated prematurely and the foal no longer has a source of oxygen. Time is of the essence.

As soon as I could see hooves, I took a strong hold and pulled. With a red bag, you are supposed to pull even when the mama is not contracting. The foal needs to get out as soon as possible if it's got any chance to survive. As soon as I saw the foal's nose, I ripped open the bag and started to stimulate the nose to breathe. It was extremely hard to pull this baby due to the fact that the placenta is also trying to be born at the same time and makes the area very congested. Finally we succeeded and the baby was alive and fairly alert! We rubbed her down pretty thoroughly making sure she was breathing well on her own.

This is a very traumatic experience for the foal, jenny, and the human assistants. It took the mama a bit of time before she was up on her feet and the same for the little foal. We waited and watched, wanting to make sure the baby had a sucking reflex and got the much needed colostrum. This situation can cause brain damage if the foal's oxygen supply is cut off for too long. We had one foal a few years ago (little Ginger Pye) that had brain damage and was unable to suck. It is very hard. Thankfully, this little gal was able to figure out her mama's knee didn't provide much nutrition and found the right source! She is now full of energy and running, jumping, and playing just like a little foal is supposed to do.

Miracle. That is her name because that is truly what she is. She is stunning and sweet and a huge blessing.