A Foal Is Born

Once there was a horse named Del, she had a baby foal. Del's owner names were Helen & Michael and they had a son named Ryan. 

Ryan couldn't wait to see the foal. When Ryan asked, his mum replied, "The Foal is going to be born any day this week" . The next day when Ryan woke up he saw his mum down in the horse paddock. Ryan walked out to see his mum and there was a new Foal lying close to Del.

Ryan's dad Michael, said "It is a filly". "She has just been born" "Am I aloud to stroke her before I go to school?" Ryan asked excitedly. His Dad replied, "It is to soon. Del need's to have some time to get used to her baby. But, you can look through the binoculars." So, Ryan looked across the paddock through the binoculars.

While he was looking he saw this white sac bag sort of thing hanging on one half of the foal. She foal was shaking her head as if she was trying to get it off her. "That's the sac that protected her when she was inside her mother" said the dad.

Ryan watched as the foal tried to stand up on her long, wobbly
legs. "It is time for school now Ryan" yelled Michael. "When you get home Ryan you'll be able to touch her and talk to her." While Ryan was at school, his mum fed Del and gave her some water to drink. Soon, the foal was steady on her feet and she was starting to look for a feed.

When she finished drinking from her mother, the foal flopped down on the ground for a rest. Now it was time for Helen to get the foal used to getting touched. She knelt next to the foal and rubbed her hands all over her. She even put her finger's inside of the foals ear's and mouth. Helen tapped on the front and bottom of the foal's feet.

It is just like how the farrier would do when he puts shoes on her feet for the first time. Helen also put a leading rope around the foal to let her get used to the feeling of it. When Ryan got home from school, the foal was sitting on the grass relaxing. "Ryan come up behind her first" said Helen, "Just to make sure that Del doesn't mind you being next to her baby."

Del looked up from eating her grass and saw Ryan but then she looked back down and started eating grass again. So, then Ryan moved and moved up closer to the baby.
"What is her name mum?" Ryan asked.
"Her name is Dosti," the mum said.
"O well hello Dosti" said Ryan while stroking her soft coat.

Now it was time to measure Dosti's height. Ryan held up the measuring stick, but Dosti decided she didn't like the look of it, and she wouldn't stand still. In the end, Helen had to hold Dosti still so Ryan can move the stick next to her. She didn't like that much, either! "Ten hands," said mum.

It was the next day and the vet came to check Dosti and Del. She put her stethoscope on and listened to Dosti's heartbeat. Then after that she took a sample of Dosti's blood to check that she was getting enough Antibodies from Del's milk. Antibodies are special substances in the blood that help the body to fight off infections.

The vet said that both Dosti and Del are healthey and clean. "She'll grow up to be a tall bay mare," she said. "Just like her mum," said Ryan.