Bambi and her Two Angels

Bambi and Her Two Angels

Horses go into heat or cycle every 21-22 days during the breeding season (early spring to late fall). The estrus cycle or the fertile part of a horse's reproductive cycle lasts about 6-8 days. When a horse breeds, it must be checked 15-21 days from the last breeding. One reason for this is to check for possible twins.

In the summer of June 2020, I decided to breed Bambi with my Red Roan Stud named "Boe." Bambi was 13 years old at the time and was considered a Maiden Mare. This means that she had never foaled. With Bambi being a maiden mare and only breeding once, I assumed she did not take and was not pregnant. Time passed, and I noticed she was significantly larger. Hence, to my realization, she was indeed bred. By the time May came around, Bambi was huge, and I was so excited for this large, well-bred baby I would see come into this world.

In mid-May, on a warm desert evening, she started showing signs of labor. Around 3 hours later, Bambi began the foaling process. After about 15 minutes, a small baby appeared—a handsome Sorrel colt! He was small and fragile, lying close to Mama. But Mama was still showing signs of distress. Things took a turn for the worse as a second pair of legs and a nose started to protrude. A Red Roan colt was birthed. My friend Josey and I immediately stepped in as Bambi was in distress with both foals lying before her, unsure of what was going on.

An hour passed, and both foals showed signs of underdevelopment, especially the red Roan colt. He had a smaller head and sight issues. Neither colt was able to nurse or stand on his own. This was heart-wrenching to witness, as so much love and care go into our horses—they are family. We still had hope that we could save one of the colts, so we made the tough decision to pull the foals from their Mama. They were brought into a warm trailer, and we took turns bottle-feeding for 30 minutes to an hour through the night. We kept them warm, hopeful for their survival, knowing that one colt's survival rate was low.

Bambi was suffering from detachment distress and a retained placenta. The vet was called and recommended that we tie a slightly damp sterile cloth to the placenta, and it should slowly detach and slide out. Success! But it still didn't take away the cries that came from Mama for her babies. This went on through the night; she was extremely upset and confused.

By morning, both colts were still alive. They had made it through the night, and we felt hopeful, as though our efforts did not go in vain. We were eager to get a veterinarian out. Mid-morning, a veterinarian from Phelan, California, came to assess. She was very interested in this case, as there are not many twin colts that are foaled and survive. After her evaluation, it was determined that the smaller, more underdeveloped colt would not survive and should be euthanized. However, the other colt still had a chance at survival. I was willing to try. This was going to be a long road ahead, and I knew this going into it. I was willing to commit to it.

When we stepped outside to humanely euthanize the smaller colt, my heart was breaking. I felt a gush of tears rolling down my face, and feelings of regret and loss filled my head. I was sad for Mama; I was sad for her baby. We carried the little colt out of his warm environment, outside. We said our goodbyes and the vet euthanized him.

We directed our energy towards the one remaining colt, left and fighting for his life. A friend offered to take on the challenge of saving the colt. Ultimately, he was too weak, with developmental issues to continue the care. The decision was made to have him humanely euthanized as well. It's important to remember that sometimes, the most humane decision is to let go. Bambi was given after-birth care to help with the transition and to help her recover. She made a full recovery with the care and love that we gave her.

Today, Bambi is thriving and happy. I couldn't ask for a better horse. (Photos below)

Credit: Kerah Holbrook 

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