Hello friends, strangers, horselovers and all who visit this page.    I am writing this account of Scarlets Story to perhaps help someone else or maybe even prevent or to show at the least (maybe) some of the signs Scarlet showed will make someone else more aware and maybe even save someone elses equine friend or help them to pass on without so much pain as my Scarlet went thru.

August 2, 2000 dawned as any other day, quiet and uneventful.    Scarlet was about two weeks overdue, we were anxiously awaiting the birth of Native Trails Farms first foal.  OUR FIRST FOAL.     Scarlet was bred to FW Eternal Warrier in August of 1999 for a July 2000 foal.  The breeding went fine, (she was pasture bred), she was ultrasounded and confirmed in foal and had all of her shots.  She was healthy and happy.

At 3 pm that afternoon, she was fine, just hanging about in the paddock.  A relative went by around 3:30 and said she was standing by the gate apparently everything was ok then too.   At 4 pm when we checked her again, low and behold there as a lovely pinto foal by her side.  Up and standing and very dry looking.   YIPPEE Scarlet had finally foaled, (even tho we missed the actual birth which we really wanted to see) we thought nothing about it being a little odd that it was an late afternoon foal when most are born late evening to early hours of the morning.  She had not finished passing her placenta as of yet and we noticed the foal did not have 'caps' on his little hooves.   I took a few pictures and some video and called friends and family who wanted to come and see this little tyke.   What a lovely little foal he is!

We noticed that the colt (yes its a BOY!)  was not nursing or she was not allowing him to.  This worried us, so we tried putting her halter and lead on and coaxing the colt to nurse.   Scarlet would not stand still.   We thought this very odd as she has had two other foals for someone else and was an experienced and good mama.  We finally decided to put them in the stall and see if we could get her to stand and the colt to nurse.  Still, she would not be still for this no matter what we tried.  Still her placenta had not passed either.    This was probably close to 6 pm or so.   We had called our vet earlier to let him know the colt was born and the placenta had not passed.   Libby drove up to the vets office and picked up a shot of oxcytocin for Scarlet to see if we could get her to pass the placenta.  Scarlet had something that looked the size of a basketball and like 'brainy tissue' that she was trying to pass.  We knew this could not be 'normal'.

Not long after Libby had left Scarlet started thrashing badly in her stall.   She was in alot of pain. I needed to get the colt out of the stall, I was afraid she would accidently roll on him.   He was so little, only about 50 pounds and 3 ft tall!  I went and somehow with all of her thrashing managed to get him out of the stall.  She did roll partially on my foot, just a little at one point.  My daughter took over the watching of Scarlets colt walking around with him on the outside of the stall so she could see him and loving on him.   Rolling and thrashing up and down, sweating and calling, my poor Scarlet she was hurting badly.   I did not know what to do to help her.   I again called the vet whom had another emergency in his office.  He would be there as soon as possible...  Blood was everywhere, she was up to the top of her hooves walking in it..it was as if someone had turned on a faucet, it was pouring out, what is this big mass that has come out of her, its not her placenta.  Please someone help... that was all I could think.  Family and friends were there, Scarlet was out of her mind, I could not go in the stall with her, again a call to/from the vet, my friend Libby dealt with the calls as I was just way to upset.   He was on his way and rushing out the door, his other emergency was now under control.   Just before he arrived Scarlet had stopped thrashing and most of her pacing, she was soaking wet from sweat and yet ice cold to the touch.   She had gone into shock.   He arrived at 8:45 pm.    We put Scarlets halter on, walked her out of her stall and she stood calmly while the vet went to work to try to help her.   He gave her several shots, cleaned her uterus up by hosing it off and proceeded to replace her uterus back in her body.   She resisted it being replaced.  Another shot to help relax the muscles and her more.   The vet had tears in his eyes as well.   Relatives talked to him unbeknowst to me and he told them it didn't look good for her.    In retrospect, I think he knew she would most likely not pull thru but he had to try.   Now he has the uterus back in place, will she leave it there?  So far she did.  He trys to get her colt to nurse, he suckles maybe a few drops and that is all.   I had sent my mother after a baby bottle.   She had gotten back with it earlier.   So bottle all cleaned and waiting, the vet milks Scarlet.  The little tyke drinks from the bottle and gets a wee little bit of colustrum in his system.   A few more shots for Scarlet and we calmly lead her back into her stall.  She had also at some point had a tube of stuff put in her stomach, I don't recall the exact point.   Most everyone had left and gone back to their own homes by now, the vet was still there.  She layed down in her stall then got back up.   Then down she went again and she started trying to 'reflux' and horses can not throw up.   Then she started having seizures.   My Scarlet was dying...   I sat beside her as did the vet....talking to her, rubbing her.    She passed on within minutes.   My Scarlet was gone at 10:45pm.     I could not hardly believe it.   What happened here?  Could it have been prevented?   Oh how I wish she did not suffer so!   I would have had someone put her out of her misery earlier that evening had I but known she would do all this suffering and still leave us.  I go inside and tearfully call and tell family and friends that Scarlet is no longer suffering, she is at peace.

But atlas,  she left her "Legacy" to carry on for her.   Yes her colt, NT Scarlets Legacy.   There are many things with Legacy that remind me of his equine mom.   For see.......  I am his mama now in his eyes as we raised him with a human baby bottle using Foal Lac milk replacer.   Yes Scarlet, your Legacy is here and he is truly a Legacy to you.

(This is not a full detailed story of what happened, it is very traumatic and would be even more upsetting to read all the little details as well as writing everything would be even harder for me.  It tells you the story of Scarlets last day.  It was very hard to write this but I hope others read,  can understand and maybe learn something by this).

Read the rest of the story here!!! The Raising of Legacy.

  Anyone that has an orphan foal.  DON'T give up.  It can be done with dedication, time, loving and understanding.

This story was submitted and  printed in the Arabian Horse Times in April 2003.  It is copyrighted and was edited by Faye Ahneman-Rudsenske, copyright, in the AHT story.

Use the links below to read Scarlets Story and see more photographs and information on Legacy:
Loss of a Friend, Scarlets Story
More photos and information about Legacy

Other Links:
Link to Orphan FoalRescue Email list