Rosaleigh's Surprise Colt

Early this morning while checking mares I noticed Rosaleigh was waxing heavily. She was taken out of the middle paddock and put in the pasture to keep clean for some updated pictures before she has the foal. Right after the walk I took her to the stall and de-tangled her thick long mane for the pictures then she was taken to the round pen.

 Rosaleigh isn't due until June 22nd but each year she delivers about 3 weeks early. She was taken back to the paddocks and just left loose to graze while I worked around the farm.

 I planned on staying up tonight. She was left out while I went to work with Soul's filly, Lola's filly and Irish's filly. Dr. Hoerr was coming today for ultrasounds and I wanted these fillies to have a refresher course on haltering, tying and hoof picking up.  Soul's filly was first. She was by far the hardest to remind that she must stand still while the halter is on. Once it was on though she remembered about the rest and let me handle her legs with no problem.  Soul was happy eating her grain while I worked with the filly. Once the halter had been put on and taken off about 10 times they were taken out and Irish and her filly were brought into the stall. She wasn't happy the first time I put the halter on but did not fight like Soul's filly, she just shook her head. Once it was on she stood happily while I gave her lots of wonderful scratches and handled her legs. Lola's filly is so easy going it was a breeze to put her halter on. Lola has foals with the sweetest dispositions. Every single one has been sweet and loving from the time they are born even through weaning. They were all put back in the paddock and I went in to get some inside work done while waiting for Dr. Hoerr. He arrived around 3:00 pm and Lola was the first mare done and we are pleased to announce Lola is pregnant and due April 20th, 2021. The sire of the expected foal is Valiant.

Jury was right across the aisle so she was next and she too is now confirmed pregnant. Valiant is also the sire of this coming foal.

Dr. Hoerr was laughing that I wanted pictures of each one as they were finished. I told him that he needs to be in the pictures as he is the one that finds these foals and is famous for finding them. Jury is due April 28th, 2021. Soul was bred the exact day as Jury only by Evan and she too is now confirmed in foal also due April 28th, 2021.

Irish was last and she is pregnant and due April 23rd, 2021. The sire of her expected foal is Valiant.

4 out of 4! WooHoo!  Mark had just gotten home from work so he helped me load Soul and her filly then Lola and her filly and finally Irish and her filly for the trip to Middle Grove. Loading went without incident, all three foals just followed their dams into the trailer. Mark shut the doors and then came with me to drop them off. Below are a few pictures once we made it there and opened the trailer door.

They took off to find the herd and we took off for home. As soon as the trailer was backed into place the stalls were cleaned then Rosaleigh put in a stall and I went up to the house to make dinner. After dinner I checked the monitor and saw Rosaleigh in the process of giving birth. I didn't have time to wrap her tail or bring in straw.

 The birth went smooth except the cord was wrapped around the hips and tore pretty quickly spilling blood everywhere.  The foal was born on her thick tail which is now covered in blood and amniotic fluid.

 Thankfully Joan had given me plenty of towels and those were used to sop up some of the wet and keep the sawdust from going in the colt's lungs.

 He was born at 6:48 pm and was up and rooting around about 8:00 pm. 

I left to put the towels in the washer and have been watching him on the monitor. He is nursing well. He is skinny and very hungry. SO thankful for another safe delivery and another healthy foal. That is now 10 on the ground 5 colts and 5 fillies and all are doing well.  We still have 3 to foal.