This message is from: "SUSAN L GIARGIARI" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hello Sue,
I am so sorry for the loss of Katrina.
What a blessing to have had the vet right there to do a C section and get
the foal out. It doesn't stop the pain, but certainly will keep your mind
occupied, working to keep the foal going! I love the name Ari that Deb
suggested. Another one that we used was Tobyn, which means "Gift from God".
That is what we named the first raffle foal that Marsha Korose won. Saskia
was 25 when she conceived Tobyn, and we didn't know she was bred until the
following spring when I had her checked to see where she was in her
ovulation. The previous spring, we had breed her thru 3 heats, had the vet
check her, and then decided to try one more time with an iodine infusion, to
clean up her uterus. We never did breed her again, after the infusion. The
vet was adamant that we must have bred her after this, but we didn't. I told
him that I could see Hilmar getting out to go to the other barn/pasture to
breed her, but I really couldn't picture him jumping back into his own
pasture, with the other mares! I panicked thinking the iodine would have
hurt the foal, maybe come out orange! But , she had Tobyn, at the age of 26.
He is the foal you see in the Equitana USA tape being ground driven in the
center of the arena with mom, Saskia, as all the big wagons care en around
the outside! He truly was a gift from God!
This weekend I went with Ceacy to a Keuring for any breed, just an
evaluation where the Dutch judge went over your horse, gave good and not so
good info, in hand, and ridden or lunged and also at liberty. On the way
home we were talking about my mare Dena and when she is due, having a
Konggard foal, and how nice it would be to have a filly. Her first filly
from Kong, was the first one to die of the botulism, a few years back, when
Ceacy lost 5 horses. We both started to cry and it is a loss still so deeply
felt. After I left her place and drove home, I literally sobbed all the way,
for an hour and a half, till I got home. For the first time I was able to
really cry about losing Sunday and her foal last Mother's Day. I had not let
go at all, just a little, because Richard was so devastated by the loss. I
am so thankful that you have all the wonderful friends who have rallied to
help. It is amazing how they just come and do what has to be done.
I will keep praying for your little guy and it sure sounds as if he
has got an excellent start! If you get a big milk goat, I used to use one
for orphan lambs. I would let the goat eat a little grain while the lambs
were put to the milk bar. If you put the goat in a stand and just keep
raising the stand up higher, as the foal grows, he will have no problem!
Goats milk is great for any young animal or human. I forget what it is, the
pasteurizing or homogenizing that is already done, so it is very easy to
digest. I would check to see what maybe should be added to make it so the
colt isn't stunted. Their gut won't really digest the grain and hay until
usually 3 to 4 months old, even though they readily eat it! Feel free to
jump in Steve White! if I have stated any incorrect info!
Contact one of the big University's such as Tuft's or Cornell to see
how often and for how long the feedings can eventually be done. I wonder if
a foal could use a cold milk bar, once it is going really well. That is cold
milk, on ice, that he could suck on freely, and because it is cold, they
won't suck down too much, just sip all day long. We used that feeding
system with lambs. Not sure if it has ever been tried with a foal.
Good luck, Sue! You are in our thoughts and prayers! Sue g.
