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Ulricke Dekeyzer
Ulricke Dekeyzer - Belgium
“Lionswood Hunky Dory” ,BR>
Ryan was LUCKY like his mum. Lucky to be here. We feel extremely fortunate to have him.
He had the most horrendous and traumatic birth. A week before he was due his mum started running milk but showed no signs of labour. Worried,as her last foal had died while she was with Joe, we were determined we wouldn’t lose this one and camped out twenty four seven to ensure the foal’s safe arrival.
“……the foal was doing salsa in his mum’s tummy!”
We were about to discover just how she had lost the last one, born in the field, overnight with Lucky on her own. We kept in touch with the vet during the wait realising that the loss of the mare’s colostrum was going to be a problem, but were not too worried as the foal was doing salsa in his mum’s tummy, letting us know he was fine.
On the tenth day Lucky was quietly sleeping in her box when I noticed she was losing fluid, still no signs of labour. Worried, I spoke to Sarah the sire’s owner who came at the speed of light to have a look and we decided to get the vet to come and see her as waters had gone and no sign of foal or contractions.
“The odds were stacking against us as both front legs were backwards…”
The fantastic Girls Emma and from town and country vets in Market Harborough wasted no time at all and both got their arms in there to get him out…The odds were stacking against us as both front legs were backwards and only his nose was presenting and the mare was having no contractions at all.
We almost died when they thought momentarily that the foal was already dead, until he gave them an almighty shove of protest. Newly inspired they worked hard and unbelievably got his legs forward, tied ropes to the poor little mite’s feet and in minutes hauled him into the world.
On the floor was the most perfectly marked, black and white colt, and he was alive. We were all sobbing our socks off with relief. And even better… Lucky too was fine.
“….he was managing to hobble about after a fashion on his bent little legs”
But the tale doesn’t end there. His poor little front legs were so bent he couldn’t stand. We tried our best to help, He had been born at 6 pm and by midnight we were all pretty exhausted. We managed to get some of the mare’s milk into a bottle and gave him a little drink but by now Mare and foal were getting distressed and he was managing to hobble about after a fashion on his bent little legs.
So we decided to leave them for a bit and see how they were doing in an hour or two. I got up at four to go to the loo and went and had a peek at them hoping to find him suckling away. My heart stopped and I couldn’t draw breath because I knew the way he was lying all crumpled up in the corner was all wrong !!!!
“….pulled him to his feet, refusing to allow him to just die” I leapt into the stable and grabbed the lifeless little body in my arms and shouted “don’t you dare die on us now ” I just breathed into his mouth and shook him really hard, and rubbed and rubbed him and pulled him to his feet, refusing to allow him to just die. I managed to get the others to hear me and just kept on fighting for him. Suddenly he threw his tiny head in the air and filled his lungs, cracking me in the mouth as he took an enormous breath.
By this time Terrie had been on the Phone to Emma the vet and the poor girl had to suffer me screaming at the phone to “just get here…NOW”….. and she did.
“….again we were crying buckets with relief”
By then Ryan was beginning to hold his own and we stomach tubed in a good feed of milk taken from his mummy. He was going to make it and again we were crying buckets with relief.
It wasn’t over yet for poor Ryan as a blood test showed his colostrum intake was too low and he had to have a blood transfusion to give him antibodies and make him safe. Yet again we watched him lying motionless on the stable floor but this time for his own good.
“….and he practised every day for the grand national”
From that day he never looked back.He was like a big labrador following Terrie everywhere she went, more interested in people than his mum. His legs quickly straightened and he practised every day for the grand national.
Terrie devoted herself to teaching him a little show inhand as she wanted to go after the Foal Of The Year at BSPA Summer Champs. At the show, the amazing little man happily left the line up, and his mum, and did the perfect show out there all on his own to the great pleasure of all around the ring side who watched him, and me ofcourse.
His mum took reserve brood mare of the year, and Ryan…Lionswood Hunky Dory took Reserve foal of the year. What a fairytale day for a little foal who very nearly didn’t make it at all.
Horse Videos
“Lionswood Hunky Dory” ,BR>
Ryan was LUCKY like his mum. Lucky to be here. We feel extremely fortunate to have him.
He had the most horrendous and traumatic birth. A week before he was due his mum started running milk but showed no signs of labour. Worried,as her last foal had died while she was with Joe, we were determined we wouldn’t lose this one and camped out twenty four seven to ensure the foal’s safe arrival.
“……the foal was doing salsa in his mum’s tummy!”
We were about to discover just how she had lost the last one, born in the field, overnight with Lucky on her own. We kept in touch with the vet during the wait realising that the loss of the mare’s colostrum was going to be a problem, but were not too worried as the foal was doing salsa in his mum’s tummy, letting us know he was fine.
On the tenth day Lucky was quietly sleeping in her box when I noticed she was losing fluid, still no signs of labour. Worried, I spoke to Sarah the sire’s owner who came at the speed of light to have a look and we decided to get the vet to come and see her as waters had gone and no sign of foal or contractions.
“The odds were stacking against us as both front legs were backwards…”
The fantastic Girls Emma and from town and country vets in Market Harborough wasted no time at all and both got their arms in there to get him out…The odds were stacking against us as both front legs were backwards and only his nose was presenting and the mare was having no contractions at all.
We almost died when they thought momentarily that the foal was already dead, until he gave them an almighty shove of protest. Newly inspired they worked hard and unbelievably got his legs forward, tied ropes to the poor little mite’s feet and in minutes hauled him into the world.
On the floor was the most perfectly marked, black and white colt, and he was alive. We were all sobbing our socks off with relief. And even better… Lucky too was fine.
“….he was managing to hobble about after a fashion on his bent little legs”
But the tale doesn’t end there. His poor little front legs were so bent he couldn’t stand. We tried our best to help, He had been born at 6 pm and by midnight we were all pretty exhausted. We managed to get some of the mare’s milk into a bottle and gave him a little drink but by now Mare and foal were getting distressed and he was managing to hobble about after a fashion on his bent little legs.
So we decided to leave them for a bit and see how they were doing in an hour or two. I got up at four to go to the loo and went and had a peek at them hoping to find him suckling away. My heart stopped and I couldn’t draw breath because I knew the way he was lying all crumpled up in the corner was all wrong !!!!
“….pulled him to his feet, refusing to allow him to just die” I leapt into the stable and grabbed the lifeless little body in my arms and shouted “don’t you dare die on us now ” I just breathed into his mouth and shook him really hard, and rubbed and rubbed him and pulled him to his feet, refusing to allow him to just die. I managed to get the others to hear me and just kept on fighting for him. Suddenly he threw his tiny head in the air and filled his lungs, cracking me in the mouth as he took an enormous breath.
By this time Terrie had been on the Phone to Emma the vet and the poor girl had to suffer me screaming at the phone to “just get here…NOW”….. and she did.
“….again we were crying buckets with relief”
By then Ryan was beginning to hold his own and we stomach tubed in a good feed of milk taken from his mummy. He was going to make it and again we were crying buckets with relief.
It wasn’t over yet for poor Ryan as a blood test showed his colostrum intake was too low and he had to have a blood transfusion to give him antibodies and make him safe. Yet again we watched him lying motionless on the stable floor but this time for his own good.
“….and he practised every day for the grand national”
From that day he never looked back.He was like a big labrador following Terrie everywhere she went, more interested in people than his mum. His legs quickly straightened and he practised every day for the grand national.
Terrie devoted herself to teaching him a little show inhand as she wanted to go after the Foal Of The Year at BSPA Summer Champs. At the show, the amazing little man happily left the line up, and his mum, and did the perfect show out there all on his own to the great pleasure of all around the ring side who watched him, and me ofcourse.
His mum took reserve brood mare of the year, and Ryan…Lionswood Hunky Dory took Reserve foal of the year. What a fairytale day for a little foal who very nearly didn’t make it at all.
Horse Videos
