Sacrifice

Yesterday I learned about sacrifice. Each of us has our own idea about what it means to sacrifice for another.
I ponder this and wonder if life could even be measured from one small sacrifice to another- we are all interwoven and our ability to give something for the best interest or desire of another is a profound part of living together on this planet.

But, yesterday I was witness to a sacrifice that will leave a groove on my soul. A mark that when time ends, and my character is judged, will be a notch by which I feel I may be measured.  A mare sacrificed her life at our farm so that her unborn foal may have a chance at his. I didn't know the mare as she belonged to a neighbor but that is neither here nor there. Compassion and humanity dictated that I played a small role in the end part of her life. I was a supporting character in the unscripted drama that unfolded, not in a position to make decisions, only to support and assist the leading players.

Our neighbor Mr. Cook had a mare who was bred to Chevy. Here name was Sara.  She had gone into labor (at their farm) around 7:00am yesterday morning. At 9:00am, Mr. Cook stopped over at our place and asked me to take a look at the mare as she was distressed and he could not determine the reason she had not foaled yet.

Team Fields leapt into action and we crossed the street to his farm to examine the mare. I immediately determined that the foal was upside down and covered in a red bag placenta. We teleconferenced with Dr. Mather and she advised that we trot the mare to attempt to help position the foal. Since her amniotic sac was not broken- it became a game of wait and see for us.

The Cooks suggested that we bring her to our farm (they trotted her down the street to our foaling barn) so that we were better equipped with drugs, oxygen, etc. The mare was moved to our place around 10:00am. She trotted dutifully behind their Kawasaki Mule down the street. Her hoofbeats could be heard on the pavement as she neared the foaling barn.

We monitored her progress and trotted her off and on for the next few hours. Her water had still not broken. Around 2:00pm, the mare was beginning to falter and the foal (inside the unbroken sac and placenta) was showing signs of becoming lethargic.

We spoke with Dr. Mather (for the umpteenth time) and the owner decided that it was time to take drastic action. Dr. Mather suggested we go ahead and break the sac and bring the foal out of the mare. There were 9 able bodied experienced horsepeople standing by for the event with Amber and I assuming lead on turning the foal and lots of fresh pullers to get him out. The stopwatch was set and we began. Unknowingly we stepped into the downward spiral that had been set into motion for Sara months ago.

The foal was upside down and both front legs were back. We could not break the sac (too thick) so we used scissors to break the placenta away and again to break the amniotic sac. Then, we were able to retreive the front legs and tried to turn the foal to a better presentation. With front legs through the canal and the nose at the opening of the pelvis- we tried to pull the foal out of the mare. The precision and communication was constant as we tried to remove the foal from the mare. He wiggled and kicked his front feet. He pushed his head from inside her but could get no farther forward than the opening of her pelvic bone. So close to freedom but yet a prisoner in what was fast becoming a watery tomb. Sheer exhaustion and frustration began to set upon us after 30 minutes of pulling, pleading, cajolling, praying, and turning. Dr. Mather arrived and quickly assessed that it was necessary to choose between saving the mare or foal. She did not feel that it was possible to save both and the owners did not feel that hospital care was an option for them.

A pall settled over everyone assembled as we faced the gravity of mortality. Our team does not accept failure nor defeat well. The reactions ranged from disbelief to tears to robotic as we prepared for the next few minutes.No one was really ready to stare down reality and the raw cruelty that Nature can sometimes thrust upon us.

The decision was made to save the foal and an emergency C-section was performed in the grassy entrance to the foaling barn. It seemed distant and vague as the sunshine surrounded us and the birds of Spring chirped happily.  The mare was sacrificed for the life of her colt. He was unresponsive upon delivery from her abdomen and after approx 7-8 minutes of emergency CPR, he took his first breath. I know Sara walked across the bridge to another place yesterday, she looked back and told Will to stay with us a while. As she took her last breath, he took his first.

He was named Will.  He was given the life-giving colostrum milked from his mother- her final legacy to his life.  He spent his first night in a stall alone with humans offering nourishment and company. As my daughter Brittney trekked into his stall for nightly feedings, I overhead him nicker to her in recognition- even orphan foals seem to want a mother.

His owners opted to teach him to drink from a bucket (bucket baby) and he has learned to do so quickly. We will be passing a tube into his stomach at each feeding to make sure he gets the most nutrients possible.


Please join us in praying that this little bay colt survives. He sure proved that he had a strong desire to live and has beaten the odds before he ever took his first breath. And no one would wish to believe that his mother's final sacrifice would have been in vain. He survived because of the decision to let her go. She took a long last breath and closed her eyes in the sunny spot. He nickered and tried to crawl toward where her body lie but was surrounded by his caretakers.

As a quick side note, the delivery was tragic, gruesome, heroic, horrific, and life-changing for each of us. I am now surely convinced that we have a superhero for our farm vet- she went so far above and beyond her responsibility today to save this life it was miraculous. She was as determined as the rest of us that there would be a survivor from this tragedy.

I expect Will to return home in a little while. After all, he's just our neighbor and we can visit him often. Prayres for his safe-keeping in their hands. We spent a long night's vigil helping him to become adjusted to the harshness of life. I know that he was worth her sacrifice and believe that somehow, Sara would not have wanted anything else yesterday.