Another Lunatic to the World

[Sam]

Horses The True Nut (Nut) and Classic Nutcase (Bonkers)
Handler Samantha Lettington
Purpose The True Nut giving birth to Classic Nutcase

Nut paced in her large birthing stall, kick up the soft bedding as she went as if she was sulking. Every now and then she would reach back and nip at her belly then pin her ears and full out glare at it before casting her glare at her food pan, probably blaming her stomach pains on bad oats.

I sat outside her birthing stall with the stall door wide open. Nut wasn't in the mood to leave her stall in her discomfort so I had no worries about her trying to leave in the middle of labor.

With a sigh, I took another sip of my drink and rubbed the bags under my eyes. I was hoping she was going to foal today. I'm sure I couldn't stand another sleepless night and taking afternoon naps between working the horses. It couldn't tie me over for long.

I gave her a glance and stood up and latched the stall door shut. I'll be back in a few minutes, girl, I said to her as I went to my house for a moment. A sandwich and some cookies would probably help me stay up a few more hours until sunlight came.

---

A ham and cheese sandwich and seven cookies later, I returned to my post with a caffeinated drink, ready to wait out the foaling. I slouched into my seat and peered into the stall, expecting to see Nut still pacing.

But nothing stirred.

Panic set in quickly. I flew out of my chair, soda falling out of my hands and fizzing on the stable aisle floor, and peered into the stall. To my relief, Nut peered back at me like I was the crazy one. She blinked her eyes a few times before resting her head back down.

Her black tail, bandaged in a purple wrap, flickered and I spotted two front hooves covered in a white sac. I smiled and slipped into the stall. Easy girl, I cooed. Just gotta check one thing and I'll be out of your way.

I examine the hooves closer and stepped back as soon as I realized the hooves were facing the correct way. Nut began to push as I slipped back out of the stall and watched from a distance, silently cheering her on.

The two black feet slowly grew to have a black nose. Nut's sides labored as she took a break between contractions. She sat up and straightened her legs before giving herself a mighty heave and pulling herself up.

She gave a small shook before she walked around with her nose on the ground, trying to find a "better" spot to lie down. Moments later she was down again and another contraction started again.

Inch by agonizing inch and push by desperate push, the dark foal started to come out. Soon two ears, slicked back from the liquids, appeared. Nut seemed nearly anxious to hurry up and get the foal out of her. She paused for a moment to catch her breathe and began to push again.

Soon the shoulders were about to pop out. Nut seemed exhausted. She laid in the straw for a long time. Her sides falling up and down rapidly and her eyes were nearly closed.

This is why I was never having a child.

Another contraction came and Nut gave one final push and with a loud sploshing sound, out popped a dark foal.

I quickly slipped into the stall and began to clean off the foal's mouth and nostrils of any liquids. As I pulled away the white membrane, I discovered the foal was a filly.

Great, I thought, jokingly. Another crazy mare.

I rechecked to make sure the filly's mouth and nose were clear before stepping back and grabbing a towel from outside the stall.

Nut raised her head and gave the filly a good, long look. Her ears pricked and her eyes were alert. For a moment, she looked amazed then she blew loudly through her nose and stood up, staring down at the twitching filly in near freight.

I smiled and returned to the filly, who raised her head and rested herself on her elbows. She gazed around the world, blurry eyed and baffled. I ruffled the towel over her damp coat, warming her up and drying her off.

She had a white star on her forehead and her coat shown a bay coloring. I wasn't disappointed with not having a buckskin. I was just happy to have a Nut foal!

Soon the filly was dry and warm. Already she was trying to stand. Nut still seemed worried about the little filly, but didn't seem to freighted any more.

I stood by, in case Nut tried to kick out at the foal when she tried to nurse- many new mothers do that when the foal does not nurse right away.

The filly flopped, tumbled, stumbled, tripped, and simply fell several times until finally she stood on her wobbly legs and began to walk awkwardly to her mother.

Surprisingly, Nut stood as the dark filly searched for her milk. Finally, she found Nut's utter and began to suckle happily, her small fluffy tail slashing from side to side.

Nut turned her head and sniffed the foal over carefully. Her muscles were relaxed and she didn't seem concerned about the bay filly at all. She sniffed lightly all over her body before turning and lowering her head, determined for a power nap.

Now for a name.

I had already decided her race name to be Classic Nutcase but decided to leave the barn name until the filly was born.

Lunatic.... No, no... I peered at the bay filly. Kooky? The filly looked like may be she could be a Kooky but it just didn't seem to fit. Oh! Bonkers! The awkward looking bay looked perfect for the name.

I smiled and walked over to her shoulder. You did good, girl, I mumbled and patted her slightly sweaty shoulder. I gave Bonkers a rub on her rump before heading out the stall door to my own bed.

I was surprised to have such a normal and fantastic birth. I was expecting Nut to do something out of the ordinary for births, but I'm glad to be surprised every now and then.

Word Count 1,038