Clair was born this morning around 7:45. I know this because I watched! I decided to go for a walk, I was feeling a little down, and as I came over the ridge and looked into the small valley I saw my mare on the ground. I walked closer, very slow. I was about 4 yards from her when I sat in the grass with the dog at my side. She knew I was there, I thought about running to the house for my camera but what if I missed this? It was good I stayed. The front feet where just out when I sat down, in about 5 minutes a slimy small life was on the ground. Oh, the wonder of it! She made it look easy, painless and quick. She was exhausted and after a sniff and nicker she lay flat. After some time they both started to move, Molly licking her baby nudging her softly. She then got up and looked the baby over, after deciding she was fine she came to see me. Big head hanging down, lips lose and eyes shut, resting in my arms. I loved on Molly then went to the baby. She looked so clean, just wet. Yuck, that is not “just wet” on a baby. Molly nosed her and talked, trying to get her up. The long legs in the front would work and the back would not, then the back would hold and the front would collapse leaving her on her face. Molly did pick a nice thickly grassed spot, free of weeds and dirt, this was good seeing she would be licking off anything that got stuck to the wet fur. I just stood very close watching it all. Molly was uneasy about the other horses and kept running to the top of the hill, looking around then back to her baby. She wanted her up, now. It seemed to take forever, no watch to tell how long it realy was, but she finely made it up on wobbly legs. I turned Molly so baby could suck the right end without moving , didn’t want to chance another fall. After a snack she had new energy, Molly knowing this started her on the long walk to the water tank. As we walked the baby would lean on me, Molly would run ahead leaving the baby and I to follow after. What I joy to have a mare that trusts you with her new baby. I will never forget Molly’s gift of letting me be involved.
Joe ran a water line to chicken house this week. It will be so nice this winter, the buckets of water get heavy. He also set a hydrant at the shop to replace the spigot that was in the shop wall. It was froze most of the winter so all water had to be brought from the house. This will be nice for everyone. We used the boring machine to run the line in front of the hay shed and under the shop pad. We all enjoyed watching Joe run it. The boys played in the dirt and pretended to set their own water lines for days afters this project.
