Not wanting a repeat of last time, I did not want to appear the over anxious mother hen again, so every morning I resisted the temptation to go outside in the hours after waking just to have a peek. I realized I would probably miss the whole birth again, and just hoped and prayed that all would progress with no problems.
Each morning I walked outside with my cell phone in one pocket and my camera in the other, in the hope I would have something exciting to take photographs of.
Yesterday morning, Monday, I went out and looked over to where Switch usually stands in the early hours, when she is waiting impatiently for me to get out to feed her...as if she is the most important individual around!!! Well she wasn't in her usual spot , but not far off and strangely she didn't move closer but stayed where she was. I looked at her belly which still seemed quite rotund and fleetingly I thought she was still carrying her foal. Then I noticed her looking back over her shoulder and back at me again as if she was trying to tell me something. I peered into the distance of the new dawn morning that was just breaking through and I thought I saw something through the grass. My heart skipped a beat as I knew it was her foal and I was dying to see it. I went as quickly as I could to get the horse food and after feeding her, Zorro and Angel, I crept along to have a good look.
There it was lying under an orange tree, beautiful and perfectly formed. It couldn't have been born too much earlier as it's mane and tail was still damp. Out came my camera and phone as I quckly snapped a few photo's. The light wasn't very good but I did manage a few before it must have smelled me standing close by, as it let out a whiny for it's mum. I haven't seen Switch run so fast in a long while as she tared toward me, head held high. I spoke to her in a sweet soothing voice, as she slowed her pace and reached her baby. She nosed him and the next minute, he was up on his feet...wobbling a bit and setting his gangly legs in position to keep himself upright.
The day went by so quickly for the new born as I often went out to check on them both. He followed his mum around as she munched on grass and if he wasn't laying prostrate on the ground sleeping, he was on his feet suckling from Switch's extremely full udders.
Before the foal was born we had told Matthew he could choose a name, and when I came back in the house to share the good news with the family, I asked him what his choice of name was...he came back to me within minutes...his decision - Yash's Pride. Yash means victory and prosperity...a good choice for a beautiful stallion.
If you look close to the middle you will notice a lump pushing at her side
Switch and her big belly
As I first saw him under the orange tree
Switch checking on her newborn
Standing on his feet for the first time
lying prostrate on the grass
His back hooves - already worn
His wispy tail
His sparse mane
Sleeping as a newborn does
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