My parents got a new horse a few months ago - in October, I think - and as recently as Easter, the kids were riding her and my dad pointed out that she was starting to get pretty fat. We all wondered if maybe she was pregnant, but I didn't hear much about it after that. Then, about four weeks ago, a farrier came to put shoes on the horses and asked my dad when she was due! My dad had a vet come out, who looked her over and said he thought she was due any day. Since horses apparently usually give birth during the night, my dad started setting his alarm for 2:00 a.m. every morning to check on Kate (the momma horse).

A couple weeks went by, and no foal yet, so my dad starting thinking maybe they should have the vet come out again. Early last Wednesday morning when his alarm went off, my dad checked in the barn and saw Kate standing there, still very much pregnant. The next morning at 7:00, he went down to the barn and there was the foal! She was already completely dry, and was standing up and even walking around.
I wanted to take the kids to go see her when she was still so little, so I called Emma's school to tell them she would be gone the rest of the week and we drove to my parents' house. We stayed there for a few days and had a lovely time, as always.The little filly was just the cutest thing ever. Kate used to eat about half a bale of hay every day, but now she is eating a whole bale plus some high-nutrient grain all the time, and I can see why - this baby nursed a ton. I can certainly sympathize with that!
The kids and I feel so lucky that we were able to see little Skipper when she was just a few hours old, and we're looking forward to watching her grow!