A Mother's Love

My good neighbor is a thoroughbred horse breeder. I have had the pleasure of getting to know more about these incredible horses over the years. Today I was reminded of what an incredible miracle nature is. One of the mares threw a foal the other night ( the baby was born) and it has severe neurological problems. Now who would have thought about a horse being born this way? The past 48 hours has been a sleep-deprived blur for Rich, as he has been, among other things, hand-milking the mare and feeding the baby through a tube inserted through its head, down into its stomach. I went over today to squirt the milk through the tube while he held the little filly steady.
Being in a stall that's about the size of a small powder room, with an enormously powerful mare pacing in circles, while holding its baby and trying to feed it...wow. But here's what I noticed: she is a mother. She knows something is wrong with her baby. She was as alert as any one of us might be in those early days when trying to figure out what to do for our child. But mixed in with the concern that was floating off her damp coat, was the distinct gentleness a mother shows. I could see her encouraging her filly to nurse, as we held it up to find its mother's milk. She nudged and arched and stayed as still as possible. It was a moment of beauty to see her trying to reach out and help this little one connect. We won't know for another day or so if the filly can handle this. Mother nature is at the helm here, and while my friend is doing everything within his reach to make it work, we will just have to wait and see.