"There aren't any equine vets in at the moment, I'm afraid. There was a huge emergency and three of our vets have been there all day," said the voice at the end of the line.
"Three vets? All day? Wow...must be bad. I guess I can wait," I told the faceless voice while counting my blessings that that wasn't my bill being added up.
I decided to email Stephanie and ask if there was any chance at all that Quiet Storm had been exposed to a stallion while in her care. I knew it was a long shot, but then again it was an even longer shot that Sandy, my mild mannered gelding, was harboring a more manly side.
Steph's response was no...but wait, well...yes. The last place had three stallions on the premise, but they were all the way across the property, on the other side of the barns and house and driveway. Surely they hadn't been in with her, or her with them. No one had ever mentioned horses getting loose to Steph, at least, so she was hopeful that the answer to my mystery didn't lie in her boarding facility. It did, however, make more sense than Sandy being a stallion.
Upon returning from my late afternoon trail ride I found a message from a vet. "I'd guess it to be 2 months, " she said into my voice mailbox. I wish I'd been home to answer. I wish they'd called my cell like I'd asked. 2 months? That would mean conception in August, and any one of my geldings as well as either filly! This wasn't narrowing things down in the least!
A moment later my cell phone rang. It was Deb. "Hi, just wanted to let you know it was Quiet Storm. I went out to take a peek under her tail and she was definitely more stretched out in the vulva than if she were a normal 3 year old who hadn't just miscarried." Debi was breathing a sigh of relief when I told her that five months ago Quiet Storm had been boarded on a piece of property where there were stallions. "Oh, yeah! I really didn't want to have to worry about Mist being bred!"
So, by reasonable deduction I've come up with this: Most likely one of the stallions (or all) were loose and Stephanie was never told that there was a chance little QS had been bred by one of them. Of course, we can't prove this happened, but take away the 2 month estimate and all the pieces line up. QS would have been bred in June or early July (4-5 months ago), then moved back up here. For whatever reason, something triggered the miscarriage and she aborted here at home. Better, I think, than having it happen at the temporary home she'd been in the previous two weeks. And really all the way around, it's best that she didn't carry to term. Too many horses not being cared for in this world already. I'm just thankful that our sweet little girl is healthy and has a lovely life to look forward to!
13 comments:
Good grief! I would think a responsible boarding facility should have said that there was at least a chance of exposure. Any number of things could have happened. Good grief!
You know.... Maybe it was QS who went visiting. I know with Nahima that she goes to the stallion and he just sits calmly in his pen and waits... Bratty fence jumping horse anyway.
Of course, no one will ever know for sure exactly what happened, but it all turned out right in the end and that's what matters.
No matter which of the horses went visiting, the facility had the responsibility to notify the owner that there was a possible breeding. The stallions, it seems, were inside a hotwire fence. Six feet...but still not enough to stop a man who's got his eye on a woman, eh?
My goodness, this little girl has had more 'adventures' of one sort or another in her 3 yrs then most horses in a lifetime!
I'm glad the mystery is 'solved' and hope QS's vet check turned out A-OK.
In the end, it is probably best that she aborted with the horse world where it is today and also in the end, best that it happened in a situation where people care about what happens with Q.S.!
Wow. That's just irresponsible of someone--because if the stallions had been out--someone would have known--and why didn't they tell anyone??!!?? Hmmmm....scary! BTW--thanks so much the picture you shared with me of Beautiful. Was it taken at Burns? I'll treasure it. :)
Karyn, yes, she's gone through way more than she ought to have at such a young age. She's an incredible little horse.
Linda, yes, the photo of Beautiful was taken in Nov last year. She's such a cutie. I've got photos of her from Spokane when you adopted her, too! I'm always excited when I find photos in my files that match up with mustangs I find later on people's blogs.
Interesting story. I was puzzled right along with you throughout the series.
Well mystery solved - sort of- nothing else makes sense does it?
I'm glad QS is ok. A loose stallion and our little Quiet Storm could have led to serious injuries. I agree with everybody else that someone should have said something about this.
I've seen mares back up to the fence to be bred; it is just possible that the owners of the boarding facility really did know nothing about this.
And that facility thought they could keep a possible "accidental" breeding secret? Most people can count. Amazing.
Shirley, I've known mares who've done that as well. Typically not against a hot wire, though, because both parties would feel a bit more than the earth move...but more importantly is the fact that they supposedly were kept on the other side of the property, so no shared fenceline.
Alls well that ends well, though! Quiet Storm is healthy and has a new, caring home.
All's well that end's well, except for the little one. Of course it is just as you said, too many horses needing homes already. So glad she is ok, and where she is loved. There are just some things we will never know...... one of lifes little mysteries.
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