Start at the beginning.Hallelujah! She's got a brain!
My trainer called me at work on Monday morning with the best news ever—one of the wranglers saw Madge nursing! Plus, the mare's milk station was empty, so it's likely that she'd been nursing for quite a while.
A few minutes later, she called again with even better news—she was watching Madge nurse with her own eyes!
Whew!
It sure took a village to start this foal!
- My husband, Travis, patiently tried to help her latch on just hours after birth.
- My trainer's dad faithfully milked the mare and fed Madge when she was hungry.
- My trainer's mom contacted all of her friends and passed on information that gave us hope.
- The mare knew that the feeding tube wasn't working and forced us humans to take the next step.
- I remained patient and trusted my instincts to know when to let her take the bottle on her own.
- My trainer expertly guided every step of the way.
Personal observation: In all honesty, I found it amusing how quickly this ordeal changed from "three days of hell" to a "blessing in disguise" in my mind. Due to Madge's reluctance to nurse, I was able to spend many hours with her that I wouldn't have otherwise. I gained some wonderful knowledge about the foaling process and dealing with its pitfalls. Plus, I got to know many facets of Madge's multifaceted personally. From what I've seen so far, I think I'm going to have my hands full with her—and I'm looking forward to every minute!
Photo: Madge is now a superstar in the nursing department!
