Yes, I am back at work.

I am also getting b***er all feedback cept from Stan & Ella (& she doesn't even know me-buck up you Poms)

Despite the fact that you dont deserve a Blog entry I do want to tell someone of my
derring-do yesterday. Before that, quick synopsis of Monday. Flippin' awful.
Painfully long day, very sore back, crap jobs being dished out to the raspberry.
Torrential rain.

So far, so predictable.

Millie & Brent haven't deigned to ask even how I am & as for 'restricted duties'
'You're avin a Steffi'
Brent has planned absolutely zilch & it's down to me to say what I can/cannot manage.

As I expected, I am doing night-duty foal-watch on Friday & Saturday. Although it's long hours (11 hour shifts) it should be easier than handling the yearlings & my back would certainly appreciate the rest. When I got in from work on Monday night I ran a hot bath & lay soaking in it for over an hour.

Last night I was just too tired to Blog after doing a 15 hour day.

Yesterday I helped with 2 foalings, they couldn't have been more different.

I was asked to watch a mare called 'Nothing Less' who was showing all the signs of foaling very shortly. The signs we are taught to look for range from the fairly obvious, large udder, to the not so obvious, a waxy secretion over the teat.

Any change in behaviour should also be noted, especially pacing or laying down. If the mare is laying propped up on her sternum & grazing, then no problem. If she is laying prone, that could be the start of contractions. Laboured breathing & an increase in skin temperature are also signs the foal may be on it's way.

The most obvious one, the mare's water breaking, can easily be overlooked unless you are watching the mare as it happens.

Yesterday morning, it was pretty copybook. I was watching 'Nothing Less' as her waters broke so I put a headcollar on her, informed Brent over the p/r that she was starting & led her out of the paddock she was in & some 5 minutes away to the foaling paddock.

The mares are always foaled away from their companions, partly so that we have quick access to the foaling hut & the emergency kit & also so that the mare is not stressed by having other mares near her new-born foal.

Within 10 minutes of leading her into the foaling paddock she had produced a healthy, if very wobbly colt. His poor hind legs were so bent, they looked like speech marks.

At the end of the day, as I finished foal-watch, I was in for a shock.

I had been watching 4 mares all evening, from 3.30 to 8pm. All of them were grazing quietly with none showing any signs of wanting rid of their cargo. I finished my last check at 7.30pm & headed to the foaling hut to hand-over to Belinda, the night duty lady.

The hand-over consists of a chat about which mares are doing what & I said something like she was in for a quiet night as they were all relaxed & grazing. At 7.40 I headed out to move them from the large day-paddock to the small night-paddock. Our checks are designated at 20 minute intervals, the idea being that it is impossible to miss a foaling.

As I arrived on the bike in the paddock, I quickly scanned the mares before moving them. One-ok, two-ok, three-ok, four .... where was four ?
I counted again to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me ... no 4 ?
I then tore around the paddock on the bike thinking that she must have escaped.
I found her over the brow of a hill, prone & with a foal's legs out up to it's knees.
She was straining heavily.

I almost did what has come to be known as 'the dance of the night of the fire.'

I knew that I had to get the headcollar on, get her up, move her about 400 metres & phone for help. I knew all this, I just didn't have enough hands. And a dodgy back.
I put the headcollar on first, reasoning that I could speak on the phone whilst walking
her up. Luckily, she was an absolute honey about co-operating & struggled to her
feet.

I dialled Trina's number as she was on call & said very calmly ...

'Katerine's foaling' & then because that didn't really convey the picture
'...and it's half way out !'

As I led the mare into the paddock I was very happy to see Trina, Natasha & Kirsty all legging it towards us carrying all the foaling kit. The poor mare was walking with the foal protruding the whole way & I am sure she was even more relieved than I, when I slipped the headcollar off & she sank to the ground & produced the foal in 5 minutes flat. A very healthy, very stroppy filly.

What was so worrying was that, had I left it til the proper time to check, ie another 10 minutes, I would have missed the whole thing & risked losing the foal. It's the sort of thing I would beat myself up over.

I must disappear for now as Eric is serving up, swan would you believe ?

It's not everyday fare & I arrived home to find Eric & Michelle rummaging through their cookery books for a recipe. Duck in raspberry sauce (is that a dig at me ?) was the closest they could find.

Early night tonight as I am bushed.

Thanks for the package Q, shorts handed to Eric, hope preparations for OBA are stress-free ? Please don't worry about the music, as long as it's loud & there's alcohol you cannot go wrong. Will you be playing The Little River Band ?

Ma & Pa Smith. Eric said you were asking if I had received your e-mails ?
I think I have replied to the ones I have had from you, so if there have
been any more, then no. A lot of messages have been going astray
to 'Incredimail' so that may be the problem.

The screams emanating from the bathroom indicate one of two things.

Either there is a banshee with their finger trapped in a bandsaw

or

Michelle is twisting Alice's earring.

Hard to tell the difference. Alice doesn't do fortitude.

Catch you later,

Cx