Praying For Marika

I got home from work today and believe Marika is in the first stages of labor. She is not wanting to eat and wanting to lay down. She is also passing small amounts of manure and urine.  Her stall has now been deeply bedded in straw and her tail wrapped. Marika had to have an emergency C section last time she foaled in 2016. We did not breed her back in 2016 even though the equine vets at U of I told me it would be absolutely fine. The C section was caused by the foal not in the correct position, he was all rolled into a ball so far down in her uterus that 2 vets, Dr. Hoerr and the U of I vet thought the uterus was ruptured and the foal was in the abdomen. Thankfully that wasn't the case.  I finally got the nerve to breed her last spring but now comes the wait. I so want her to have a safe delivery and a healthy foal. I've got the trailer hooked up to the truck and a full tank of gas if we do have to drive the 95 miles to U of I but sure pray it won't be necessary.

Galena's stall was stripped of the straw down for her delivery. I brought in two bags of bedding and before I could open and dump it her colt started playing with the bags, climbing up on top of them. I ran to get the camera but when I got back he decided he was done playing and laid down next to them, not even moving when I took the picture and petted him all over.

This colt is so friendly he follows me around in the stall making a nuisance of himself. Trying to 'help' with the fork, the wheelbarrow and dumping the straw out of the wheel barrow after it was loaded. His cord was still a little wet so was iodined again.  The other three foals in the indoor arena were all napping when I went in to get straw for Marika's stall. Below is Lola's colt by Valiant.

He got up and stretched

 then came over to see what that clicking noise was on the camera. 

His cord was checked and it is dry, no more iodine for him. He had a ball running around the arena this afternoon.

Lily's colt was done this morning. His is almost dry as he was out in the sunshine yesterday. He was napping back by the other side of the barn where Lily was eating off of a round bale. It was just too dark there to get a good picture so the flash was used.

He got up to see what that flash of light was.

Lily wasn't happy when he left her to check it out. 

Rosalie's filly, Claire is her usual curious self. Rosalie went over to the water tank to get a drink and she stuck her nose right in the water.

 That caused her to shake her head, she was not expecting it to be wet. 

All of these foals should be outside enjoying the soft green grass as their mothers graze but it is STILL winter here. It is going to be in the 20s again tonight with wind gusts around 30 mph with a chance of rain snow mix. I'm not sure when winter is going to be done here. The family down in Gulf Shores are thinking of quitting their jobs and becoming beach bums so they don't have to come back to this cold.