Is there something in the water up here? Indy foaled early and out in the field a couple of days ago. She was not due for at least 3 weeks. She had no signs she was going to be early, no bag or anything.
I found them at breakfast on Thursday(maybe it is just Thursdays?) and Sam was standing over the new foal but I could see Indy hanging around so I checked both of them and saw that Indy was the mom.
I got the baby up and started walking her back to another pen and Sam was determined to keep Indy away. She went right after her and the two of them had a kick fest! I pushed the baby as fast as I could out of the way, but I was already far enough away from them that we were out of range anyway, or at least I hoped we were!
Sam chased Indy off so I picked up a big stick and threatened her with it and yelled at her and she circled around me trying to get at the baby. I hit her on the chest with the stick and she backed off a bit but then tried to circle around me again so I yelled some more and tossed the stick at her as hard as I could, and she finally gave way and trotted off. I had fed the other mares so she figured she would go check out the food. Indy came over and started sniffing the baby and trying to shove me a bit, she probably figured I was now trying to steal her baby. This is of course a maiden mare and my biggest mare at 15.3HH. I switched sides on the baby so she was between us and just kept shoving baby forward. Indy followed me for about 100 feet and then Sam came back with a friend, her sister. What was it a double team effort now??
I hollered some more and tried tossing manure clumps while hanging onto the foal(no way was I letting go of baby to get back into more trouble) all the while pushing her forward and hoping that I wouldn't get accidentally kicked by either mare! Indy stayed in front I was right behind and then Sam and Jasper behind me! We made it to the open gate and Indy stopped and didn't want to go in. I didn't want to walk up beside her as she could have ducked around the back of the building and gone back to the field. I stood there for a while tyring to figure it out while waving and yelling at Sam and Jasper and finally just let go of the baby and when she stepped up to mom I swatted mom on the butt to make her go. She took a couple of steps into the pen and so I turned and tossed another stick at the other girls to hold them off. Mom went into the pen and Sam almost ran me over trying to get past me but that wasn't happening! I got the gate slammed in her face and she stopped.
What a morning. Both mom and foal are doing great now.
What a bizarre year so far.
Sandy
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