BIRTH OF A FOAL
“…first one tiny white hoof appears…”
Awaking suddenly, just after midnight, my first thoughts are of my mare, due to foal any day.
From Florida, USA, to Northland, New Zealand, my mare, Final’s Southern Star (or Spirit, as I call her) has made a long journey, bringing with her the first Ivory Pal foal to be born in New Zealand.
As I emerge into the darkness of a winter’s night there are stars overhead. My flashlight finds Spirit, nosing the ground, but not eating.
Could she have foaled already?
Clad in night attire, I discover her waters have just broken and labour has begun. Spirit allows me to stroke her while offering words of encouragement before I race back to the house for boots and jeans.
For the next 30 minutes I watch as first one tiny white hoof appears, followed by a second one, all the while speaking to Spirit who by now is lying on her side concentrating her efforts on giving birth.
A nose appears aligned between two front legs. Baby is coming head first, just as it should be.
A tiny foot moves….baby is alive.
So far, all is well.
Good girl Spirit.
For a few minutes my Mum-to-be rests. Crouched beside her I stroke her, she turns and nuzzles me. Another contraction has her flat on her side again straining to push this new little life into the darkness of a starry New Zealand night.
Shoulders appear, a mighty push from Spirit has them through the tunnel of birth. One more push and her foal arrives with a rush. A little wet bundle landing softly in the long grass. I reach out and touch, for the first time, a small wet head. Heaving herself upright, Spirit, begins to lick her baby. As she does, I approach her quietly, hug her ample girth and tell her how very clever she is. In the hours that follow I am entranced, oblivious to the night temperature, completely involved with my beautiful mare as together we welcome her new baby into the world. A little filly. As they begin to interact I wish it was daylight so I could record these precious moments on film. Greeting each other, sniffing noses, blowing in nostrils, nuzzling and licking each the other. Magic moments of bonding. Spirit readily shares these moments with me as I rub, stroke and speak to both her and her little one. Rubbing this new little life I am rewarded with a surprisingly strong fuzzy neck pushed towards my hands.
Spirit snickers softly as her foal makes a first attempt to find legs to deliver her in the direction of nourishment. Just two hours old and she is up on all four for the first time. A brief few moments of stance before she tumbles back to earth in a heap of long ungainly legs As both Mum and baby rest, I sprint for the house to bring carrots of congratulations. Clever girl Spirit. Sitting on the ground beside her, hugging her, stroking her, whispering endearments, words to tell her how beautiful and clever she is, how beautiful her baby is, she remains prone, reaching for her well deserved treats.
After another series of attempts baby is finally upright on faltering legs. Tottering, our new little girl heads for a fence and I rescue her, rubbing her all over as I do before pushing her back towards her Mum. Before I leave them, I want to be sure she is feeding. Wobbly steps towards Mum are accompanied by a fragile first whinny. She seems surprised at the sound of her own voice. A few more steps and I hear sucking noises. By 3.30am, just three hours after her birth, she is upright and feeding. Ivory Pal,over there in America, you have a lovely new daughter in New Zealand.
You would be proud of her, I’m sure.
Ivory Pal. Just the name brings a warm glow of joy to my heart. My first encounter with Ivory Pal was by computer in my search for a Stallion to breed my mare. For 6 months I got to know Ivory Pal and his owner, Rafael Valle, by phone and email until March of 2005, when I finally had the opportunity to meet both of them in person.
Not only was I able to see Ivory Pal perform, but was honored to be invited to spend a weekend with him at his home in Citra, Florida. Ivory Pal is far more than just a horse. He is charming, charismatic, gentle, friendly, intelligent, versatile and an absolute gentleman. Not only that, he is a Stallion. To quietly watch as he interacted with Rafael was a very special experience. These two have as close a connection as I have ever seen. Words were completely unnecessary between them. I viewed their interplay with breathless anticipation as Rafael stroked Ivory Pal’s eyes and nose and was enchanted, as Ivory Pal stood quietly and dozed off with his head in Rafael’s arms.
Ivory Pal and Rafael encapsulate every person’s dream of horse ownership. Although they are two distinct beings, these two appear as one. Mutual love, respect and trust is so very obvious. Watching them perform is akin to watching the rhythm of nature. There is beauty, power and grace. Complex movements are made to look effortless. It is a testament not only to their athleticism, but to the countless hours, patience, dedication, and self-discipline required by each of them to reach this level of communication and performance together.
During the course of the weekend, I spent time hanging over the fence watching Ivory Pal. He has an aura of confident self-containment. He knows his value and while he is proud, as a stallion should be, he is also humble. I spent time in the barn with him and even had the opportunity to sit on his back. As I sat there, thinking myself relaxed, Ivory Pal started backing up. Whatever I was doing, he thought I was asking for a back-up and gave it to me without hesitation. Ivory Pal listens so closely to what he is asked to do, one needs to know the cues in order to ride him.
The pinnacle of my weekend however, was when Ivory Pal came into the house. This was his idea. He came to the door and wanted to come inside. Of course, as a member of the family, there was no reason why he should not do so. I had visions of a large horse slipping on the tile floors and creating mayhem as he tried to escape. How wrong I was. Ivory Pal was completely at home. Quiet, gentle and curious, he honored me by bowing his head and allowing both me and Simba, the family Labrador, to kiss his beautiful face.
Ivory Pal is everything and more I imagined him to be. To meet him is to fall in love. Knowing that he came from a soring barn and is now a superb, naturally gaited champion only adds to my immense admiration for both Ivory Pal and his owner Rafael Valle.
-H. Harvard, New Zealand.
