Wednesday 28 March 2007

Above is a picture of the contents of the "foal box" that I have put together.

Inside the box is an old bath towel, which can be used for rubbing down the new born foal, clearing away any mucus etc. In the jug are some babies bottles, I do hope these two items will not be required, but should I have to milk Ruth to feed the foal, these will do the job. Next to the jug is an old jumper which can be worn by the foal to keep it warm if necessary. Below in the bottom right hand corner is my trusty plastic apron, which has seen a lot of blood and gore over the years. This is just to keep myself clean. The anti bacterial hand wash is self explanatory, as it is very important to be as clean as you possibly can so as not to introduce any kind of infection to the new born, but if you need to touch or interfere with the birthing process, then the rubber gloves are good barrier to infection. The rolls of gauze bandages are are very useful. I can tie the placenta out of the way of the foal when it first gets up onto it's feet or use it to tie off the umbilical cord if required. Again, the curved scissors are self explanatory. The black bin bag is to collect the placenta for inspection by the vet. A clean bucket with water is not in the photograph, but is also an essential piece of equipment.

Well, apart from washing Ruth's tail and dock, I don't think there is really anymore I can do until the foal comes.