Chat
07-29-2018, 07:21 PM
A few memories from the night Jet was born. He was two weeks overdue and I was a wreck, so I slung a hammock in the spare stall and slept in the barn with my new baby goat, Cuzco. Sometime around 1:00 in the morning, my mare, Easter, came bursting in from the pasture, stuck her nose through the stall bars and screamed at me. I had been sound asleep and the blast scared me to death. Then I heard the sound of rushing water. Easter was in active labor, and she'd come racing in from the pasture to fetch me for the event! That was a wonderful feeling. Most horses hide their labor so they can avoid human company. But not my gal Easter.
I went into her stall just as the little hooves began to appear. Shortly after, the nose came, and with it a terrific shock when I tore open the sac and saw a bluish-purple tongue sticking out at me! I was sure the foal was in trouble. I ran to the house and called the farm manager down the road and fetched a bucket of hot water. When I got back out to Easter's side a few minutes later, it was obvious she hadn't pushed at all while I was gone. The foal had made no progress. It was not until I came back to her side that she started pushing again. The farm manager, Jo-Anne, showed up shortly after and reassured me that all was well with the colt. Blue tongues are quite normal, and this little guy was alive and kicking. Jo-Anne and I pulled Jet into the world a little before 2:00 a.m. on June 24th. He was a large, strong, healthy colt and was already too tall to walk under his mother.
My first photo of Jet, still wet and wondering what to think of this big, new world he'd just entered.
Me and Jet's first photo together.
His glossy black coat inspired the name Jet, along with the fact that, once I showed up on the scene, Easter pushed him out in one massive contraction that shot him straight into the wall. It was a good thing Jo-Anne and I were standing there to cushion his entrance.
Easter was extremely proud of her new colt and not the least bit nervous about sharing him with people.
Jet needed a little help finding the teat at first. In fact, it took several hours before he really and truly "got it". I had to milk his mom out and feed him from a tablespoon a few times to help him gather his strength for another try.
Phil and Jet hit it off right from the start. But Phil said Jet was so soft it made his teeth hurt, so he didn't pet the foal much those first few days. I, on the other hand, had a hard time keeping my hands off him.
I went into her stall just as the little hooves began to appear. Shortly after, the nose came, and with it a terrific shock when I tore open the sac and saw a bluish-purple tongue sticking out at me! I was sure the foal was in trouble. I ran to the house and called the farm manager down the road and fetched a bucket of hot water. When I got back out to Easter's side a few minutes later, it was obvious she hadn't pushed at all while I was gone. The foal had made no progress. It was not until I came back to her side that she started pushing again. The farm manager, Jo-Anne, showed up shortly after and reassured me that all was well with the colt. Blue tongues are quite normal, and this little guy was alive and kicking. Jo-Anne and I pulled Jet into the world a little before 2:00 a.m. on June 24th. He was a large, strong, healthy colt and was already too tall to walk under his mother.
My first photo of Jet, still wet and wondering what to think of this big, new world he'd just entered.
Me and Jet's first photo together.
His glossy black coat inspired the name Jet, along with the fact that, once I showed up on the scene, Easter pushed him out in one massive contraction that shot him straight into the wall. It was a good thing Jo-Anne and I were standing there to cushion his entrance.
Easter was extremely proud of her new colt and not the least bit nervous about sharing him with people.
Jet needed a little help finding the teat at first. In fact, it took several hours before he really and truly "got it". I had to milk his mom out and feed him from a tablespoon a few times to help him gather his strength for another try.
Phil and Jet hit it off right from the start. But Phil said Jet was so soft it made his teeth hurt, so he didn't pet the foal much those first few days. I, on the other hand, had a hard time keeping my hands off him.