CHAPTER 1
Miracle of Birth
The big, beautiful, gray Arabian mare circled in her stall; her waters had already broken. She had lain down once already to position the foal. Her contractions were closer together now. She lay down again and started that one big push. There’s the amnion followed by one foot and then the nose. She sat up nervously looking around as another contraction pushed the second little foot out. Then push, push again until that which had been inside her was emerging with the tongue sticking out all blue. The pushes became harder. Then she got up, moved around more, and lay back down. Then the final big push came with the appearance of the baby’s shoulder, and finally, the foal slipped out with a big splash.
The foal took a big gasp of air for the first time. The mare lay there panting, out of breath. Resting, the foal began breathing regularly now. As both mother and newborn son rested, Mom sat up, looked around, and saw the little body that just emerged from her, thrashing around a little bit, making movement, massaging his lungs for the first time, the umbilical cord attached pumping that final blood into his body. A soft nicker came from Mom as she instinctively recognized that smell, the amniotic fluid, which so long protected her baby, was wafting through the air. The baby was struggling to get up on his feet. Not quite yet, said Mom. This baby is special. He got up quickly on big strong legs. The umbilical cord broke separating the intimate connection to his Momma.
He fell right on his face and rolled over. Concerned, Mom looked over at him. Carefully rising to her feet, Momma gently reached out lovingly welcoming her new foal, licking him. She softly guided him as he maneuvered his way to his feet again. He fell onto his side. His next attempt, with his mother patiently waiting by his side, was successful as he teetered, weaving back and forth. Another whinny from Momma prompted his little mouth to begin suckling, which is so natural for newborn foals. Momma decided to lay down one more time to rest. The afterbirth, still hanging, has done its job.
This was a big bay colt with long legs. There was a beautiful star on his forehead. He had one white sock on his right front foot and another sock on his left hind foot with big expressive eyes, a wide forehead, tippy ears pointing inwards, and a short exotic Arabian head. Nostrils flaring and breathing hard, he struggled to his feet. My pride was busting out all over. I was watching her give birth for the first time. We have struggled for so long to get this pregnancy right. I whispered a prayer to my heavenly Father and thanked Him for this special event. A small voice, within me, was telling me that this was meant to be. Have courage and be kind, such a familiar thought that I had come to cherish these past twenty years.
My mind began to wander back to a special time in my life…
