Sharp Knife of a Short Life

             I see my grandma almost everyday and every time I look at her, she looks at me and smiles. I can always tell when it bugs her. The glistening tear surrounds her eye, her fingers develop a sense of anxiety, and she gives me THAT look when she thinks I’m asleep. The thing is, when I get past that huge brick wall I actually see what is going on in that crazy head of hers, but when I do there is no turning back. This is shown well by The Band Perry song, 'If I Die Young'.

            When I say “IT” that’s what I mean because if IT is mentioned any other way there is just a big silence for a little while. IT happened twenty-five years ago. My grandparents used to live out in the boonies, and so my dad (age 17) and his friend (age 17) were going to go drive around one night. My dad’s little brother (my uncle, age 11), Jody, wanted to go along, and you know how moms are. Even though my dad didn’t want him to, he tagged along. A man fell asleep driving a truck and met them head on while crossing a bridge. The accident killed my dad’s best friend and my uncle. I may not have seen what happened (since I wasn’t even born) but I see how much it has affected others. I do know how much I would’ve liked to have known my uncle.

            This was the catastrophe that ran through my head the entire three minutes and forty-two seconds of this song. I was with her the very first time either of us heard it and saw how she reacted. It’s funny how the right words can be put together and makes your heart ache, and how someone dying at a young age strikes everyone harder.

            “I’ll be wearing white, when I come into your kingdom.” Even though children can mess up big time, in His eyes we are still full of innocence, purity, and wholesomeness. “Gather up your tears, keep ‘em in your pocket save them for a time when you’re really gonna need them.” Although people shed tears due to the loss of a loved one, they should know that they are happier where they are at.

            Sometimes some of us do not even get to say our temporary goodbyes. We should all enjoy the time together because one day you may not have that, and no one needs to look back and regret what they have done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw8W6hYGZ0E

How to Prevent Foal Rejection

"How to Prevent Foal Rejection"

            Horses are elegant creatures and very smart, but no one really knows what goes on in that big head. For all we know, they could understand us completely and talk back and maybe they do in their own way. Though horses show behaviors to display communication with humans, a mares bond with her foal is even more evident. Unfortunately this bond is not always present in some mares and the foal's survival depends on the mare's actions. A lack of this bond is called foal rejection. There are a few reasons why this happens but fortunately we know enough on how to prevent it.

            When something does not click right in the mare’s head to protect and care for her foal, people step in to help her understand. A common cause of foal rejection is fear. The mare is scared of a new something suddenly in her space. When a mare goes into labor for the first time she feels pain and discomfort, then it quickly ends, and she stands up and then there is a new unfamiliar creature in the stall with her. Don’t allow the baby to approach her, let the mare approach him. Part of this fear results when the foal staggers to reach her, and she kicks because she cannot get away from this unfamiliar creature to her. This is when people come in to hold the foal down to show her it won’t harm her. After a little while the mother will get used to the sight, smell, and the sound of the new baby. As her curiosity develops, the mare approaches to sniff at the baby. Finally, she licks the foal, which triggers an immediate realization the baby is hers. She then understands and takes possession of him. This method makes sense to me to show her that the foal meant no harm.

            Another reason a mare may neglect a foal is having a painful udder. In this particular case, the mother does want the baby, but there is pain in her udder which causes her to kick when the baby nurses. Even if the foal is in no harm after several kicks, the mare’s behavior could increase into rejection. To eliminate that possibility you could milk the mare to reduce the pressure, and then bottle feed it to the foal. Another solution is to administer diuretic drugs to quickly reduce the pressure and swelling to relieve the pain. Since a veterinarian needs to be present this is a great medical treatment.

            Sometimes even nature makes mistakes, and in this specific situation nature did not give the mare knowledge about her future baby. I think it is interesting how man researched and experimented, so they can find ways to help her understand and identify her foal.

            Although foal rejection does not occur very often, it does happen and can have a devastating outcome. A rejected foal would not survive in the wild, but with the interventions with people many foals are saved.