It was the first large storm of the season, my crew and I were busy closing shutters and rushing horses into the stables all while making sure they got dried and blanketed. I love fall, I just don't like the raging storms it brings! We were working on a gate that just refused to close when a trailer randomly stopped at the head of the drive (About 5 miles down). We thought they were lost so thought nothing of it...until Dray saw the trailer being opened...something being pushed out into the mud and gravel and the driver speeding off, faster then you should with a trailer of that size. This caused Dray and I to give eachother a look and quickly jump into action. For all we knew..it could be a box of kittens, puppies or the like dropped off and in this weather...whatever it was would wind up sick or worse...dead.
We walked down to where the trailer had been, well the mail-box was on it's side...thanks people I needed more repairs...is all I could think at that point. I took one side of the drive and Dray took the other....we were looking for anything and everything...well almost everything. We weren't expecting what we did finally find..a small foal curled up and shivering in the cold rain and tall grass...."what the f..." is all I could mutter when I found the poor little filly. Dray's words were about the same but also along the lines of "What the fudge is wrong with people....". The poor thing couldn't be but a day old, way to young to be away from it's dam...not only that she was small...I could carry her in both arms. Which is exactly what I did...all the way up to the barn and into the office...[/s]
"So it's true? A foal was really dumped at the mailbox?!" [i]Of course it would be Jen that came rushing in...why did Dray have to find the most annoying god awful city girl to date? The smallest amount of mud on her "Boots" she was crying and demanding new ones! "Yuep, pretty little, and I mean little, thing. Can't be more then a day if not a few hours old....swear the heart of some people is in the devils hands!" Dray said standing in the doorway blocking the poor creature from her Shrill voice "Poor thing has no business being away from her mama at this young age, monsters. I bet it was those stuck up snobs at Crooked Bend Ranch, I know they had a mare due real soon. Dray, give 'em a call and find out. Let'em know we intend to keep her we just want the papers for her. she's got color and she's a fighter. Jen, make yourself useful and go call or text Doc and tell him to come from the crew house...she needs a vet and soon before we lose her. Text everyone on the emergency contact list...I want a mare mule and we need a milk mare asap!" I knew this would keep her out of my hair long enough to figure out who my first call was going to be to find a mare for this beautiful filly. I started working the foal over while my brain sorted whom I knew had the perfect mare, poor thing was shiverin' . Of course the damn lights would start flickering just as I'm getting the filly warmed up by the heater, hopefully the generator was ready for this load I was gonna run it dry! That;s when it hit me! COLE! I reached onto the desk for my cell phone, thankfully service where we are was okay and I was able to get a text out to him. While I waited for his responce, Doc finally showed up with fully medi. truck. This was lifted some of the world off my shoudlers. Doc started to look her over, asking his questions, and finally got her all hooked up with an IV. He showed me how to make the faux formula and how many hours..looks like I have a new room mate for the night. Least she was a cutie. I was also informed to try to get her motivated to stand, and premie was right. Doc think's she's about 3 weeks early and only 8 hours old from the looks of everything.
The little miss and I got settled for a long night in the bunk room in the barn, it wasn't the best room in the house but it would do for the night. I settled the little girl in near the fireplace in my coat and a few personal blankets, bonding type things you know? Once I was sure she was content and wouldn't hurt herself I went into the kitchen to start coffee, little did I know though that moments later I would feel a touch of velvet and whiskers at my ankle, sure enough...there was the little filly with ears perked forward and a "Um, hi?" type look on her face. "Well, you're standing, that's a good start.." I told the pretty lady while scratching just behind her ears. She followed me around on wobbly legs for a little bit while I was cooking and throwing clothes into the wash, she finally got tired and made her way back to the fireplace and laid down. Thankful for the break, I stepped out onto the small porch and had a look at the storm, it was starting to move off towards the east and things were calming down nicely.."As nice as they can, bet the boys a million dollars there's fences and trees to sort out. Damn storms, makin' a mess out of my damn ranch". Around midnight I turned in for the night, after of course giving the little miss a change in fluids and a bottle of powdered mares milk.
Morning finally came around, I had been up every two hours...and this morning? Woke up to a nose and wet tongue licking at my face, mornin' to you too. I decided to put a lightweight foal halter on her, she didn't mind. As I was walking out the door into the barn isle I was met by a big bay mare and bumped in the back of the legs by the tiny filly. "OOMF", built like a brick shit-house that mare was, but she was already curious about my little shadow, though little miss wasn't to keen on her. Great, a filly with a temperment! The girls ears were pinned back and she was mashing away with her gums, tail was swishing and she even had the nerve to stamp her feet and try to snap at Sugar. Oh boy, was this one going to be a hand full! BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ.....BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ......god damn phone, though it was a funny sight when it surprised the filly she tooked like a bee had just flown up her nose! "Sliding K Ranch, this is Dalton" "HOWELL! Your men have been blowin up my phone all god damn night. What is so important it couldn't wait until the mornin' to annoy me!" Oh for cryin' out loud it was Cormen Drake. "Well if you hadn't decided to dump a newborn filly at my mailbox, not to mention destroy it while you were at it. My men wouldn't be bothering with you at all. Now, if you wouldn't mind handing over the paper-work for her and I'll just go about my merry way this won't have to involve the sherrif"Hopefuly he just took the easy way out, bunch of back-woods drunks. "I aint got no paperwork on her, i got her mama and daddys register numbers and thats all your gettin' from me! Keep that no good peice of trash" "Oh I intend too, she's already racked up a pretty penny in bringing in a nurse mare, a vet, and now my mailbox. Just email me those numbers and we won't have an issue" CLICK Thank god that was all over, welp looks like she was all Sliding K Ranches now. Not a problem for us...she'll do just fine. Hell, she's finally taken a liking to miss Sugar....who knows...maybe she'll be the next big super star of Sliding KRanch...Stay tuned for more on this mystery filly! Oh we are also looking for a name! Any idea what we should call her? Winning name earns a marking pack just for them! I've got plenty of photos of this pretty girl down below, go ahead and stay away and look at em!
Disclaimer, not all photos are my personal property. All rights are reserved to the photographers/stock providers.
