Two days after Kirti’s foal was born, the ph value of Ashtami’s milk droplets dropped below 7 and I knew that she would deliver soon. I kept an eye on her all day long and did several trips to the stable at night to check on her, but she kept munching her feed and always greeted me happily when I came to see her. Her last foal had been born in the morning, so I knew this one could also come anytime. Like Kirti, she decided not to trouble me too much. It was the morning of the 16th of August. The feeding had been done and Ashtami had started eating a bit, but suddenly turned and walked her stable. Round and round she went and sweated a little bit. I knew, the foal was coming. I kept watch at a reasonable distance and surely enough she laid down and started pushing. A tiny nose and two hooves appeared. She kept pushing but the foals did not move. She heaved, got up and laid down again at a different angle. Again she pushed. But the foal was not moving. I realised, it was too big and the shoulders were not able to pass. There was only one way, I needed to help. It was important that the foal would not stay like this too long. I went inside the stable and got down next to her. She looked at me calmly as if she knew I was there to help her. She shuddered and her breath came quickly. Then she pushed again and I grabbed the forelegs which were already dangling outside and gently pulled. I did not know how much force I could apply but realized, that I would need to pull harder. The legs were still inside the bag and slippery. Again she pushed and I pulled, harder this time. In between the contractions, she panted and laid still. With the third contraction, the shoulders slipped out and the foal came together with a lot of water when the bag finally opened. One more push and the hindquarters slipped out, quite easily now that the shoulders had opened the way. Ashtami gave a sight and rested for a bit. The foal lifted its head and the bag ruptured properly. I sat next to him, totally covered with mud and birthing fluids. I could not have cared less. Any birth is always a miracle. The miracle of life. As Ashtami was still recovering, I took the towel which I had hung outside the stable and rubbed the baby dry. It was a boy, bay coloured just like Kirti’s foal with a star on his forehead. He looked at me and gave a little whinny. I rubbed him for about twenty minutes when Ashtami finally got up and the umbilical cord broke. She turned around and started licking her son. I retreated and let them bound with each other. After a few minutes the foal was already trying to get up and finally managed to stand on his four long and skinny legs, wobbling across the stable. He had a little difficulty finding the udder, but with a bit of guidance from me, he finally succeeded in drinking for the first time. I stayed till the placenta came out around half an hour later and the foal passed his first stool which sometimes is not so easy for colts. Till then, the stable boy had prepared the ghur ki pani, the hot molasses dissolved into a sugary water with some traditional herbs which is said to help with the milk production. Ashtami had some and the baby, having drunk his fill and wandered around a bit on still unsteady legs, collapsed to the ground and fell into a well-deserved sleep. The other horses had already called out to the new arrival and were left outside now to go for grazing. Some of them came to say hello to the youngest member of the herd, but finally they all dispersed and Asthami also could take her rest and I went in for a shower.
We called the new arrival Raj Ambey, Amba is a manifestation of the Hindu goddess Durga and Ambey is a version of it. It also means immortal or divine. So, a befitting name for this little boy and son of the regal Palace stallion Raj Swaroop.
Fast forward to today, more than one month later. Both foals are doing very well. They grew a lot, they go out every day with the rest of the herd and they play together. Both of them are happy to be touched but a little shy of strangers. They got to know the halter, the brush and I started picking up their feet. Kalyan is a little pixie, always naughty and despite being smaller than Ambey, he is the leader. Ambey is a bit more shy and is the calm, restrained one of the two. Yet I love his regal airs. Both of them are healthy and handsome. I find joy in watching them every day.