Franzi (Photo essay)

It is always amazing to watch the veterinarian enter the liquid from a test tube into the back of a mare, wait for eleven months and be presented with a wonderful lively complete and friendly filly. This is the story of Franzi's coming into existence until her first birthday in May 2014.

Kilara - my mare (father: Kolibri, show jumper) - and Chic - my dressage horse, a gelding. Both have been very close friends for a long time.

For Edition, the stallion chosen as father for Kilara's foal.

Chic and Kilara: even with a gelding one can have some fun

 Kilara at ten and a half months, nine days before delivery.

 Franzi is just born! The embryonic membrane is still on her face, over her ears and eyes. The nose is free.

The Scene: We had built a provisional extra large foaling box because this was the first foal to be born in our stable. Chic was "next door" to give support; I slept in the stable for three nights, so that I could call the doctor in case of an emergency. Everything went perfectly fine and according to book. Here Kilara gets up after the birth and Franzi makes first efforts.

Kilara licks her daughter dry and eats the embryonic membrane - the only "meat" the vegetarian horses naturally eat. Chic's behaviour was amazing and exemplary. He was quiet and watchful throughout the birth but gave dark low supportive whinnies when Kilara nudged her daughter to get up and tried to direct her to find the udder.

After a few efforts and crashes Franzi is up!

First day in safe surroundings in the riding hall. Franzi is training her legs, Kilara is busy following her and watching over her as any new mother would. You see her front legs here a bit X-shaped. Franzi was born 10 days early, her ligaments and joints were a bit too weak, so she had to rest a lot and was not allowed out of the box for more than a couple of hours per day as not to overexert her legs and to allow them to grow firm and straight.
We observed some amazing behaviour in educating her daughter: the first days she had been running after her filly who explored her surroundings without restraint. On the fourth day Kilara took her daughter around the riding hall on the hoofbeat seemingly remembering her own schooling. She went around and around in walk, trot and canter, changing speed occasionally and took care that Franzi followed her on the spot.

After four days indoors her first day out on the paddock - legs too long to graze!

Kilara continued to be an attentive mother on the paddock with other horses. One day she did not allow her daughter to play with her friend but was biting her away. We were concerned and did not understand this behaviour, until we saw that the other foal had a festering eye infection and a runny nose. Maybe she wanted to avoid contagion?

She is always spirited and energetic trying to entice her companions to play.
 Healthy young lady with completely fine and straight legs!