Anguish

 Last night our weather radio kept going off waking us each time. By 1:00 am I'd had enough and unplugged the thing and took it out of the bedroom and into the dining room. We had plenty of lightning but really couldn't hear any thunder. The rain didn't start until 1:30 and it only rained for about 45 minutes giving us a little less than an inch. As Jury was due in a couple days I drove up to check on her. At 4:00 am there was no baby but when I went up at 5:00 am the colt was born. The placenta came first which is never good, the baby seemed ok. The picture below is when I thought all was well. He had not stood yet but that is to be expected.  He was alert. Jury was being very protective and didn't want me handling him but I was still able to dry him off and clean the area. By 7:00 am I knew we were in trouble. The colt could not stand. Jury was making it hard for me to help so during the walk I asked Joan to help, tied Jury and had Mark try to keep her up by the door and Joan and I worked on trying to get him to stand. His back legs were ok but the front ones just flopped around, no strength at all. Even if we held them still then lowered him on to his legs he would just collapse. 

 By 9:00 am not only could he not stand, I was not able to milk Jury, she wouldn't let me near her udder and for sure didn't want me by the colt. I called Hoerr Vet clinic but after talking it over with them it was decided to let nature take it's course. This colt was just not meant to be, those front legs of his just would not work, not only could he not bear any weight on them they were floppy and it was like he had no feeling on them. As the placenta came first this colt was oxygen deprived. Mark dug the grave this morning. 

He died at 5:10 pm. We left him in the stall with Jury hoping she would realize he was gone but by 7:00 pm we needed to get him buried as rain is due to move in by 8:00 pm. Jury was moved into the paddock next to the stall barn and she was not yet ready to leave her colt's body. She screamed for him and worked herself into a frenzy trying to get back into the stall.

Mark and I put the colt's body in the wheelbarrow and took him down to the grave. Below is Jury after we buried the colt. I can still see the look of anguish in her eyes. 

It is a terrible thing for a mare to lose her newborn. They have such a strong maternal instinct and we can't reason with them. But I know she was asking WHY, why can't I be with my colt?