One can make big bucks on horses through racing or breeding. While luck is needed in the first option, the second one is more viable. As such, it isn't surprising that many people choose to invest in breeding the animal.
Ben, the farmer in our story, was delighted when his mare was finally expecting. After all, it would mean good cash if he were to see a "quality" foal. However, something suddenly was off, so he went to the vet and was shocked to have found something that concerned the expert so much that the police were called. What could it be?
Asking The Vet For Help
Ben was so happy that the animal was nearing its due with its huge belly. After a year of waiting, he was anxious to see the little one. Once he saw the mare showing signs of labor, he found it odd that it was seemingly in too much pain, making the owner paranoid over the horse's welfare.
So to ease his mind, he decided to go to the vet and ask for an ultrasound. As much as he was stressed about the animal, Ben couldn't afford to take things lightly. Once the expert came over and had the test done, the specialist called the cops.
The Need For The Police
To say that Ben was shocked is an understatement. He had no idea why the police needed to be involved, especially because this was an animal. However, judging from the veterinarian's face, the owner knew that this was something serious and out of his hand, so he cooperated.
When the authorities arrived, the horse's life was in danger. The mare needed surgery, so the cops helped the medical practitioner sedate the animal. Once the creature lost consciousness, the police asked Ben to come with them for questioning. Nervous, the owner went with them and hoped there was nothing wrong.
Questions For Ben
Policemen asked Ben details about his horse, including how he got it and the papers behind this. The owner, still baffled, shared that the mare had been his pet since he was a child, and he had no clue how his folks got the animal.
After Ben answered the questions, he was stunned to have heard the veterinarian shout in disbelief. "How on earth could this happen?" exclaimed the professional. Even the cops didn't expect the reaction from the surgery room. Indeed, this was something big enough to have elicited that reaction from an expert who regularly sees sick animals.
Horse Breeding
Ben had a sudden flashback: all he ever wanted was for his horse named Felicia to give birth to a healthy foal. The animal had been carrying its babe for a year already, and although it seems too long compared to humans, the average gestation period is 340 days.
Female horses called mares usually find mates in summer and give birth during spring. Breeders are well aware of the advantages of this timeline, including fair weather and an abundance of food. This, of course, depends on the owner since the animal is seasonally polyestrous, or they frequently go into heat several times a year.
Ben's Not An Expert
Because Ben was keen on making money on quality horses, he was set on finding the right person to help him achieve this. For months, his problem was finding the right expert to make sure his dream came true, but this didn't prove to be easy. The only one he could find was a practitioner that he couldn't legally hire.
Ben was desperate for Felicia to get bear a child, so he sought the man's help even though he knew he could be in trouble. Soon, his animal carried what would be his next pet, and the thought of welcoming the creature made him excited.
Complicated Pregnancy
Soon, Ben brought the vet in and checked for signs of gestation. Indeed, despite the long and complicated process, Felicia conceived, thanks to the practitioner who helped him. As per the first ultrasound, both the mom and the tot were doing well, and the owner expected that things would go smoothly.
However, things took a different turn by the latter stage of gestation. Felicia had sleeping problems that also troubled Ben. Plus, the owner noticed how the horse seemingly couldn’t walk along with him, and it became difficult for the man to see his animal having issues in the activities she used to enjoy, like walking.
The Big Day Arrived
Finally, the big day that Ben had been waiting for had arrived. Seeing signs of labor, the nervous owner observed Felicia carefully. As he was armed with knowledge from the internet and the many books he had read, he was sure he could handle this like a pro.
Ben had prepared everything that Felicia might need before she went into labor. He planned to supervise the delivery, but she became restless, so the owner rang the vet and asked for help. The expert instructed him to lay the horse down and that it needed to be stretched out to ease the labor pains.
Felicia's Nature
However, as Ben executed the order, he noticed that Felicia got aggressive. He was afraid his pet would accidentally hurt him. He understood that the horse might have become agitated due to the pain it was feeling. The owner hesitated to help the mare, thinking that he might make it worse.
It seemed impossible to come out of the situation safely, so Ben asked the vet if there was any other way to do this. Unfortunately, this was the only option, and the man knew he had to act fast or else he would lose both Felicia and the foal.
Another Problem Came About
Ben positioned himself so that he wouldn't further agitate the horse in pain. He carefully leaned and helped the mare lay down before carefully stretching her out. The vet further asked the owner to check and feel the horse's stomach and see if there was any unexpected bulge.
True enough, Ben did feel something unusual. He was shocked because he didn't see this before and mad at himself for missing something big like this. After telling the vet what he had noticed and asking him what to do about it, he didn't expect the expert's surprising and terrifying response.
The Vet's Ordeal
The vet didn't sugarcoat anything while telling Ben what was needed in the situation. He straightforwardly said that Felicia required an ultrasound the soonest as possible, or else both the mother and the infant might die. So the expert insisted on coming over in 30 minutes to do the test.
Even though the vet was persistent in helping the horse give birth, he didn't know another problem would arise: he forgot that it was rush hour. Time was of the essence, and for every second that passed, there became a greater chance that the mare and the foal wouldn't survive.
A Quick Thinker
Ben was told of the vet's situation, and he understood that he couldn't just sit there and wait as Felicia suffered. So he asked his friend with a motorbike to fetch the medical professional, who got stuck in traffic. She returned to the clinic and waited until someone came over and picked her up.
Fortunately, a motorbike can inch its way into heavy traffic. In no time, the professional and Ben's pal were already on their way to save Felicia. What was usually a 30-minute ride only took 15 minutes, thanks to the horse's owner's quick-thinking skills and his friend's help.
Race Against Time
Once they arrived at Ben's ranch, the vet immediately noticed how Felicia wasn't moving at all. He feared for the worst as no movement was never a good sign, especially for a mare in painful labor. However, when the medical professional approached the mammal, she began to move.
Perhaps because the horse wasn't familiar to the physician, it became a bit rowdy. There was no other choice but to sedate it in order to check its body properly. Felicia wasn't calming down no matter how hard Ben tried to stroke her and assure her that she was in good hands.
A Big Risk Felicia And Her Foal Had To Go Through
The fate of the horse and the unborn foal depended on the vet, who must make a hard decision at that crucial moment. The doctor must give the medicine from a distance, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. The expert must administer a potent medication that could kill both the mare and its child.
It was up to Ben if he was willing to take the risk. He used his heart rather than his head in deciding to allow the use of heavier medicine to sedate Felicia just so she could give birth safely. The next problem was sedating the horse.
The Vet's Request
The vet specifically instructed Ben and his friend to leave the stables so that he could focus on his work. Felicia didn't seem happy that her owner was being sent away and had gotten more aggressive. Obviously, she was in great pain, so even though he didn't want to leave his pet, he had to.
When Ben and his pal were away, the physician immediately got to work and prepared the medication needed to sedate her. Outside, Ben couldn't contain all his worries and wanted to get involved, but there was nothing he could do because of the medical professional's instructions.
Ben’s Help
As the vet was readying the meds, Felicia grew restless and became even more chaotic, signifying that the pain it was experiencing had gotten worse. Performing the ultrasound became a difficult task, so the expert asked Ben to come in and help.
Soon, Felicia was sound asleep, and the physician began to take her ultrasound. What was inside the horse's stomach that was so shocking? Ben noticed that the professional's facial expression changed while doing the test. Soon, the mare's owner learned about the horrible truth, too, as soon as he saw the shocking scene from the monitor of the device.
An Urgent Call Had To Be Made
The vet didn't talk much, and mid-way, she told Ben that she had to make an important call. She didn't tell the owner who she was dialing or what the call was about, but this was enough to scare Felicia's master.
Nonetheless, Ben didn't bother asking about this since he was in no place to inquire if it was a personal call. Once the medical professional returned, he told the owner that Felicia and the foal would be alright. However, the mare needed to rest first before it gave birth. After returning to the stables, they heard a strange sound resembling a police vehicle.
Police Involvement
Ben was puzzled about what was happening and finally connected the dots: the vet called the police! However, she calmly explained that they needed the authorities to help handle such a massive animal. The expert added that he lacked the potent medication required to finish the procedure.
So the police did their jobs and cooperated with the medical practitioner's request. Ben was shocked when the cops asked him to come with them a few moments later. Surely this wasn't real, right? He knew he did nothing wrong, but why was he asked for questioning? He was confident he did nothing wrong.
Questions For Ben
At the start of the conversation, the police asked simple questions that didn't seem out of the ordinary. Ben felt relieved that they were just standard queries to help fill up a case report the authorities might need to give to the office. However, he was surprised by the following questions that he deemed odd and far-fetched from what was going on.
The police wondered how the mare got pregnant, and he truthfully answered that he sought a professional's help. Ben was also asked to give the identity of the mystery man. He was shocked by what the cops told him next.
The Shocking Link Between The Man and The Horse's Pregnancy
The police showed Ben a series of photos of the mystery man, much to his surprise. The guy was convicted, which prompted Felicia's owner to wonder how this was related to the matter at hand. Then it hit him: Did this man have anything to do with the horse's difficulty in delivery?
Ben knew there had to be a link between Felicia's woes and the man because he was the one who assisted in impregnating the mare. With the questions on his mind, he asked the police himself. He was told that this man had a reputation for testing new medicines on animals.
Findings
The police explained that the vet had two disturbing findings after the ultrasound was done. First, the doctor saw a medical chip implanted in Felicia's stomach, and the biggest concern was that the mystery man had made this tiny tech product. This was also the same one that the cops had been trying to find for a long time.
Specifically, the police helped the vet remove the chip and had it traced in the office. Second, the authorities helped deliver not just a normal foal but a rare one as per the medical professional. Of course, Ben became excited because of this.
The Silver Lining
The vet told Ben that this was a one-in-a-million chance, so he could really get a lot of cash out of this foal that he named Siempre. Hundreds of people would be willing to buy it for a significant amount, and he would never have to work again. However, he was firm that he wasn’t looking into selling the newborn horse anymore.
Ben noted how this rollercoaster ride of an experience taught him a valuable lesson, so he decided to keep both horses. This story might be fictional, but it leaves us wondering what we would do if we owned the rare breed of foal.