"Miss Banana Head" and Sandy out on the trail.
I was stunned, to say the least. There were three questions swirling around in my mind.
1) How did that get there?
2) Which of the mares had aborted their foal?
3) What had caused the miscarriage?
And then I realized I had a fourth question...
4) Which of my geldings managed to sire a foal???
I looked out into the pasture at Jet, Sandy and Dude, contemplating the pieces of my puzzle. Quiet Storm had left the day before. The fetus was in the stall she'd used, but she'd pushed the door open and was out with everyone else when I'd come out to feed. I'd never walked around to the back to see if there was any little gift left deposited on the floor because...well, why would I? So had it been there when she left? Had she come home for one night, miscarried, and then I'd hauled her off?
Or had it been Jet? I'd taken Sandy and Jet for a trail ride Wednesday morning, not ever considering that perhaps there'd been a foal aborted the previous day or two.
I looked at the little pink thing laying at my feet. How far along was it? Where was it conceived? Who were it's parents?
Sandy had mounted and penetrated Mist (FC) back in July. I'd been aghast, but was reassured that while this wasn't the norm, it wasn't abnormal behavior either, especially when enticed by the mare. Mist was a flirt, and Sandy just tried his best to keep her happy. What if he was able to actually produce sperm? Oh, good grief...I had to call Deb and tell her what I'd found and let her know there was just the slightest possibility that Mist may be bred.
Among the phone conversations I had over the next 20 minutes was one with a vet. The fetus had a back that was at least 4" long, and the total length was 6-7". Given the size, he said, he'd estimate 4-5 months. Now the big question...could Sandy be the father? The vet said it's pretty rare to have a gelding with a retained testicle capable of siring a foal, but not 100% impossible. The only way to tell would be through a blood draw to check his hormone levels.
I was also faced with the math of who was here in that time frame. Jet, obviously. Sandy came home in late June, Dude didn't go out with the girls until late July, and Joe was late August. The foal had to have been conceived in June if the 4 month estimate was correct, meaning Sandy and Jet.
Then again... Where was Quiet Storm before coming home to me in July?
There were just too many unknowns here for me to make any progress. The fetus found it's way into a plastic bag and on Thursday I drove up to the clinic and left it in hopes of a vet being able to give me an approximate age so that I could better understand what was going on.
To Be Continued...
1) How did that get there?
2) Which of the mares had aborted their foal?
3) What had caused the miscarriage?
And then I realized I had a fourth question...
4) Which of my geldings managed to sire a foal???
I looked out into the pasture at Jet, Sandy and Dude, contemplating the pieces of my puzzle. Quiet Storm had left the day before. The fetus was in the stall she'd used, but she'd pushed the door open and was out with everyone else when I'd come out to feed. I'd never walked around to the back to see if there was any little gift left deposited on the floor because...well, why would I? So had it been there when she left? Had she come home for one night, miscarried, and then I'd hauled her off?
Or had it been Jet? I'd taken Sandy and Jet for a trail ride Wednesday morning, not ever considering that perhaps there'd been a foal aborted the previous day or two.
I looked at the little pink thing laying at my feet. How far along was it? Where was it conceived? Who were it's parents?
Sandy had mounted and penetrated Mist (FC) back in July. I'd been aghast, but was reassured that while this wasn't the norm, it wasn't abnormal behavior either, especially when enticed by the mare. Mist was a flirt, and Sandy just tried his best to keep her happy. What if he was able to actually produce sperm? Oh, good grief...I had to call Deb and tell her what I'd found and let her know there was just the slightest possibility that Mist may be bred.
Among the phone conversations I had over the next 20 minutes was one with a vet. The fetus had a back that was at least 4" long, and the total length was 6-7". Given the size, he said, he'd estimate 4-5 months. Now the big question...could Sandy be the father? The vet said it's pretty rare to have a gelding with a retained testicle capable of siring a foal, but not 100% impossible. The only way to tell would be through a blood draw to check his hormone levels.
I was also faced with the math of who was here in that time frame. Jet, obviously. Sandy came home in late June, Dude didn't go out with the girls until late July, and Joe was late August. The foal had to have been conceived in June if the 4 month estimate was correct, meaning Sandy and Jet.
Then again... Where was Quiet Storm before coming home to me in July?
There were just too many unknowns here for me to make any progress. The fetus found it's way into a plastic bag and on Thursday I drove up to the clinic and left it in hopes of a vet being able to give me an approximate age so that I could better understand what was going on.
To Be Continued...
5 comments:
Oh my gosh...this reads like a soap opera. Our little Quiet Storm tramping around with who know who?? Curious to get to the bottom of this mystery. Glad you have her back and given to a good home...she has always been my favorite.
This is really sad. Can you post a Cliff's Notes version of this so that I can stop lurking around your site, hitting refresh repeatedly, so that I can find out the end of the story? Have you found out whose it is yet? Inquiring minds are desperate to know!!!! :)
UGHHHHH you still haven't told us the end to this mystery, you naughty Nag who rides a 'Stang' (smile).
You better tell us before magazine deadline or I'll never get to keep up!
tap tap tap...... *long suffering sigh*
Geez, Tracey, your life is getting as goofy as mine! I'd be worried about that if I were you. LOL
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