The Farrier Visit and a Noise in the Night

Celis White was looking bigger every day. She turned from big to huge, and started to waddle when she walked. I placed a call to the vet and scheduled a vet check. Due to his busy schedule, he could not make a routine appointment for three weeks. But I felt that the little mare had six weeks or more before she was due.

Celis' long toes contributed to her comical, roly-poly appearance, but I knew that she was overdue for a trim. While waiting for the farrier's visit later that week, I accustomed the little white mare to having her feet lifted by John.

The mare's first experience with picking up her hooves happened a few weeks earlier and was fairly uneventful. During her grooming session, I went to her left shoulder and ran my hand down the back of her front leg with my right hand. When I reached her fetlock, I pressured her leg with an upward pinching motion and pushed my left hand against her shoulder so she would shift her weight to the opposite leg. I had to push and pinch a few times before she picked up her foot. As she lifted her hoof, she moved her hind end away from me.

I repeated picking up her left front foot till she lifted it promptly before moving on to her right front foot. I started the procedure from scratch on the right side, just as I had with the left: pressuring the shoulder and pinching the fetlock. I repeated picking up her right hoof several times as well. I moved on to her hind feet which would be tricky because the mustang still was slightly touchy about having her hind end handled. Also, I was a better target to be kicked in this position.

I started on the left side and stood next to Celis' hip. With my left hand on the mare, I ran my right hand down the back of the leg. Three quarters of the way down Celis' cannon bone I began the upward pinching motion while pushing on her hip. I didn't want to get too low in case Celis spooked or tried to kick. The little mare moved her right hind out from under her body and stood rigid while I pressured her leg.

When the mustang finally picked up her foot, she pulled it quickly high under her belly and away from my hand. I repeated the procedure again and was more prepared for the snatch. When she lifted it the second time, I was able to place my hand on the front of her fetlock. I held the foot for a few seconds before repeating. Each time I pressured the foot to go further back until it was in a position where I could actually clean it.

I went to the other side of the mustang and proceeded to teach Celis to pick up her right hind. On this side, she snatched her foot a couple of times before I was able to hold it for a few moments. But like the left foot, I slowly pulled her leg back to a cleaning position with each lift till she picked her foot up quietly and in position.

With the farrier's visit impending, I incorporated John into the grooming so the white mare would get used to someone different handling her. Twice a day we went to pick up the mare's feet. At first Celis was wary of John picking up her hooves. But as the week progressed, her eye softened and John became an accepted part of the routine.

Our farrier, Tom Evans, came out on a sunny morning. I had put the halter on Celis during her breakfast so I wouldn't have to worry about chasing her in case she flipped out at the shoer. Tom looked at the mare who was rotund beyond belief.

"My goodness", he said, "what have you been feeding her?"

"She's a bit round, isn't she", I replied.

I entered her corral and clipped the lead rope to her halter while Tom got his belt of tools ready. Tom walked into the corral very quietly. Celis raised her head high and started flaring her nostrils. Tom approached her nose with his arm outstretched. Celis backed up to a corner of her corral. When she felt the rails on her hind end, she jumped one step forward and stopped.

Tom again approached the mare in the same manner. This time when he touched her nose she let him pet her for a few moments. Slowly he began petting higher and higher. The white mustang lifted her head, her nostrils were still flaring. Then Celis backed away quickly.

"Have you been handling her feet?" Tom asked.

"Both John and I have been. I started picking up her feet a few weeks ago."

"Let's move her next to the rail", Tom directed.

I moved Celis next to the rail, and I stood next to her head while Tom did his approach again. This time Celis began allowing Tom to touch her neck. Slowly, while the both of us crooned soft words to the white mare, Tom stroked the mare on the neck, reaching further toward her shoulder then front leg.

Celis however, clearly did not like the situation. Her nostrils flared and the whites of her eyes showed. Tom was very quiet with his movements. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Tom picked up the front foot. and held it for a few moments, tapping the bottom before placing it between his knees. With a slow and deliberate movement, Tom got the nippers in his hands and started trimming the hoof.

Through the whole process, the white mare stood motionless and quiet, though decidedly unhappy. When he was through trimming that foot, Tom set the foot down and stood upright. He paused for a moment or two and scratched Celis on the back while I talked to her. He began to move toward her hip, petting her on her back. Celis swung her hip into the fence and darted forward. I brought her back to a halt against the fence.

Tom started to approach her again, this time from the nose. He stroked her nose, then her neck, moving toward her hind end. Celis moved her hind end away from him, but she didn't dart ahead this time. Tom stood by her hip, petting her back, then her rump, slowly moving down her leg. As his hand reached the back of her gaskin, she snatched her foot up.

"She's not going to try to kick me, is she", Tom asked.

"Celis hasn't tried to kick yet, but you never know. Please be careful Tom."

Tom continued stroking the back of Celis' leg. Each time she pulled it away, but not quite so quickly. Finally, the little mare let Tom pick up her foot and hold it. Like the front foot, he held it for a few seconds, tapping the bottom. Then he placed it on his knee and took out the nippers as quietly as the first time and began the trim.

Tom was able to finish that foot and we maneuvered Celis around to expose her other side and the farrier completed the trim on the right side in the same manner as he did the left. It took Tom close to 45 minutes to complete the trim.

"Whew! I'm ready to go home after that one!" Tom exclaimed as we cleaned up the area. I was grateful that Tom was as quiet and considerate to this little mare. Not once did his lose his patience.

I was very happy that Celis had her trim. I continued daily walks and grooming sessions. While grooming Celis one day, I noticed that her udder was swollen. I brought John out to see. Was her time due? According to the vet's prediction of feral horse reproduction, Celis' time wasn't for almost a month.

Her udder was definitely large, but by evening most of the swelling had disappeared. The next morning however, the swelling was back. I decided not to call the vet since he was due here the next Tuesday, which was three days away.

On Monday evening, I went to get Celis to groom her as usual before our evening walk. The little mare was somewhat reluctant to leave her corral. I insisted and she obediently followed. I looked at her udder and it was very swollen. I began brushing her, and as I reached her tail, I lifted it to see the condition of her vulva. The vulva seemed to have dropped quite a bit.

We went for our walk. Celis was very sluggish, so I cut the walk short and went home. After feeding the horses and doing the evening chores around the stable, I went inside for my dinner. It was 8:00 p.m. when I finally went inside.

After dinner, John and I watched our Monday Night "Deep Space Nine". I wanted to go to bed after the program, but decided to go see the horses one last time before turning in.

There was no moon outside, and I did not want to disturb the horses, so I did not turn on the light. It was very dark and I could barely see the corrals. As I approached Celis' corral, I am not sure if I heard a noise, or felt another presence. But there was definitely something in the corral besides the mustang! I ran to the house and called for John.

"John, John, I think Celis had her foal!" I raced back to the corrals without waiting for John. I scrambled for the light. As I was turning it on, John arrived. I turned on the light and there we saw the little black form lying on the ground.

Celis' new arrival