367 days

It's been 367 days now and the foal has still not come out. I started getting worried this weekend that something would go wrong with Arwen, and the question popped up from different directions: is there indeed a foal? Ah, who knows? So many contradictory signs... Madougou came with backup today, a very nice Omar, who at first look said "No way, she's not in foal, you can mate her again."
"But she hasn't been on heat for a year. And she hasn't aborted either."

After going through all the contradictory details, including foal movement throughout December, the two vets set about examining her. I had been hoping they would do a rectal palpation but they did not feel comfortable about doing on a horse, so I still don't know for sure. However, having poked around for some time and provoked Arwen's anger, they were both convinced that there is indeed a foreign body in her belly. So the diagnosis remains: Arwen is in foal. However, we cannot say anything about the nature of that foal or when she plans to pop it out. The record for horses is 390 days and we are approaching it at a rapid pace. The good news however is that Arwen is doing just great - which rules out the possibility of her carrying a dead foal, as I have previously been afraid of. She is either carrying a stubborn little foal in her tiny-but-oh-so-very-round football-like stomach or she has no foal at all and in either case, she's not in danger.

For belly comparison, look here:


Isthar

Arwen & Ra'ama

I recently discovered that I actually had in my possession a picture of Arwen's foal's father; a racing stallion by the name of Ra'ama. I agreed to him because he had the right color (brown) and a nice personality, but I didn't honestly know anything of his achievements, apart from his owner unconvincingly telling me that he was a very good race horse (but aren't they all?). Now it turns out that I have proof of his victory of the 1600m at the Tabaski feast last year, so I will say no more about this foal's linage. It's good. Now Arwen didn't exactly fall in love with him, but he is the sire of her foal, which will most certainly be - should it ever choose to come out of her belly- brown. Question is, will it have one white sock like its mother or three like its father...=

On January the 15th, Arwen will have been expecting for exactly a year. I hear the record is something like 380 days and hope I will not have to wait that much longer (the normal period of gestation is 340 days, which was three weeks ago), because I have just about as much patience on this issue as Arwen... Although she doesn't seem to care whether the foal comes out or not, as long as she gets to race...

Ishtar

Arwen's foal makes a move

A lot of things happened today. Arwen was supposed to race today, but when I went out there this morning, I could tell she was not feeling well. Her head was sunken low and she looked thoroughly depressed. The Snowman passed by and convinced me to take her out anyway. After all, Sofia and I had been looking forward to this afternoon as it was one of the main events of the year. When we arrived however, it turned out that Chinada, Arwen's jockey, had signed a contract with the Gold Man (as we kindly call him) and would not be riding Arwen, even though he had been talking about nothing else for about a month. It was a very eventful afternoon which ended up with Chinada loosing his job with Arwen and me making a very swift entry on a galloping horse. Arwen was at first upset that she was to be taken away from the track without having given her all, but she quickly calmed down and Sofia and I had a very nice walk in the fields. Once home, we left the horses in their garden and walked over to Ali, who had not been present at the track because one of his bosses needed him that particular afternoon. He was devastated about Chinada's behavior and had not know about the contract (I figure we were about the only two in town who did not know about it until this afternoon) but would find me another jockey the very next day. I told him however that I was pleased that Arwen had not raced, because for the first time since her pregnancy, she had shown signs of discomfort.

The discomfort continued and in the evening, Moussa knocked on my gate to tell us that Arwen had run through the gate to their garden. It was a boxgate that I had bought in Sweden and was a very solid thing, but Arwen had just run through it and split it in two. I found her grazing in the courtyard... We brought her back inside, fixed up another temporary gate and then stayed with her for a while. For fifteen minutes or so, it looked as if she was going to labor that night, since her stomach was living its own life and she was clearly very uncomfortable. She stayed to close to us as long the foal kept moving, but then all of a sudden it was over and she headed back to her food. Sofia and I thought about staying around, but knowing false alarms are all to common when it comes to horses, we decided to go to bed and just hope for the best.

Ishtar

Arwen

There has been a lot of talk about Arwen's pregnancy and during the last few weeks, a lot of people have been telling me that there simply can't be a foal in her stomach because of all her "gudu" and because her belly is so small.

I agree that her belly is small; however, you can feel the foal move and her body has been developing, preparing for birth... Now, I have never had a horse that is about to foal before, and I must say, I am learning new things by the day. At first, I listened to what the "wise" people here had to say, but after a while, I got confused trying to sort out what was wisdom and what was myth. That you could tell she was pregnant because of her udder development seemed true. But to speculate on her foaling date by the number of white marks on her body was just a waste of time. Now to take it easy with her seemed like common sense, but to tie her to a post because it was not good for her to exercise at all was ridiculous to both of us (both Arwen and me). I must say that when I came back to Niger, I had no intention on galloping Arwen at all. There were several riding novices who wanted to go out with me and I was set on taking it easy. However, Arwen was not. In the end, I chose between keeping her stimulated or keeping her "safe". I chose stimulated, as safe made my gentle mare aggressive, and I didn't like that. I've seen the best of horses turn into the worst because they weren't stimulated anymore, and I'm not experienced enough (with horses) to know how to reverse such a change of character. Arwen has never bitten and never kicked - however, if she would start to, I would not be able to keep her and hence I would lose her anyway.

Now, stimulating Arwen means an unbelievable amount of work, and I'm not kidding. Arwen will allow Anette and Sofia to ride "sanu-sanu" (easy-easy) with her for a few days, but when I hear that she's starting to freak out (jumping left and right because she's so "scared"), I know it's time for some "gudu". There is no end however to Arwen's gudu. There comes a time about once every week, where I just have to give her free reins and wait until she gets tired or satisfied. It takes a long time though. A very long time. And when she's done, she only satisfied but never tired. She'll even ask for more, although she knows at that point that I'm not in for it any longer. We'll go home, Anette, Sofia or Elisabeth will be able to continue to ride her without the slightest problem in the world, until she gets restless again and I have to take her out for another ride...

Now, I can sincerely tell you that I'm waiting for this foal to come out - and it will take some years bef ore I mate her again! Arwen is just not the kind of horse that wants to stay inside and take it easy. You should see her look and her behaviour if Sahara gets to go out and she doesn't. "What?! What is the meaning with this???? You've got to be kidding ME!"

Race horses take on attitudes and that is one of the reasons why I have not been as anxious to train Sahara as much as I have trained Arwen. Sahara is young and she has a lot to learn just by maturing and watching things happen around her. She already loves the race track, but she doesn't need to have the same blooded tooth as Arwen has. She doesn't need to have the same airs and the same ways as Arwen. Now, exactly a year ago, Arwen was a little mare that came in from the bush. She was timid and tranquil. She ate like a fly and did everything she could to please her new mistress. She never bit, never kicked - and followed me faithfully around in the garden like a dog.

In the bush, she showed her true nature. While galloping with the boys (the two stallions of the former governor), she would often ask to take the lead - though she always accepted her position no matter what it was. The one riding her (it would rarely be me, as most of my friends were afraid of riding a stallion) would complement her for being so obedient... She was gentle, timid and obedient. What happened??? She got turned into a race horse...

Now reversing race horse behavior is not easy and with Arwen, I've had to settle for something inbetween. She's not "mad" like the other horses at the track. Her training is varied and if stimulated, she's a safe mount with any rider, no matter their level of riding experience. The only problem is that you have to keep her stimulated and that's not always easy...

Arwen's maternal instincts are strong! While I check on Sahara, who has been limping, Arwen "checks" on me. Mmmm, who can resist a good lick in the back? No wonder I keep showering all the time!!!

Ishtar