Debían tomar la difícil decisión de sacrificar a la madre. Le faltaban 3 semanas para parir. Antonio buscó al veterinario don Adriano quien tenía a penas 10 minutos para realizar la cesárea. No lo pensaron más, querían salvar al potro!
The difficult decision of sacrificing the mother had to be taken. The meir was due in three weeks. Antonio called Adriano, our in house vet; he had at the most ten minutes to perform the cesarean operation. No second thoughts the decision was taken, they had to save the foul.
El pequeño nació vivo. Muy emocionados decidieron hacer lo posible por mantenerlo vivo. Margarita, Rodrigo, José, Antonio, Mauricio y Franklin , todos estaban dispuestos a hacer turnos para cuidarlo día y noche. Muy apurados unos buscaban un biberón, calostro de vaca, pacas para hacerle una camita, un foco para mantener su temperatura, cobijas, mientras los otros le daban masajes al pequeño como lo hubiera hecho su madre.
The little one was born alive. The decision was made to do everything possible to keep him alive. Margarita, Rodrigo, Jose, Antonio, Mauricio and Franklin, all were ready to take turns and watch him day and night. They all rushed to look for baby bottles, colostrums from cows, hay bails to build a crib, a lamp to keep him warm, blankets, others massaged the little one like the mother would have done.
Era la primera vez que se enfrentaban a un potro prematuro, en tantos años de trabajar con caballos. Los veterinarios no daban muchas esperanzas. El potro no tuvo calostro de la madre. Necesitában darle antibióticos. Aún no habían logrado que se pusiera de pie. El entusiasmo del equipo se mantenía. La primera noche Margarita durmió en la pesebrera, lo escuchaba respirar, le daba sus biberones. Durante el día fue Antonio, su esposa y José quienes cuidaron del pequeño. Mauricio estaba apenado de tener que dejarlo, pero era necesario cumplir con sus clases del colegio.
It was the first time they dealt with a premature foul, in all the many years they have worked with horses. The vets did not give us much hope. The foul did not have the mothers colostrum. They needed to administer antibiotics. The foul was not able to stand yet. The teems enthusiasm was up. The first night Margarita slept in the crib with the foul, listen to his breathing and gave him the baby bottles. During the day it was Antonio, his wife and Jose who watched for the foul. Mauricio was sad to have to leave he had to attend his school obligations.
Alvaro buscaba información en el internet. Al parecer, si se lograba mantenerlo vivo debían enyesar sus patas para ayudarlo a parase. Su segundo día de vida la pasó alimentándose y relichando. Todos mantenían las epseranzas. Por la tarde lo vieron decaer. Era importante cuidarlo durante la noche. Margarita pidió a Juan Carlos quien tenía el turno de guardia, le ayudara. Los encontraron la mañana siguiente durmiendo juntos! Empezaba su tercer día de vida.
Alvaro searched for information in the internet. It looked like, if they could maintain the foul alive the hine legs would have to be plastered so as to help him stand up. The foul past his second day eating and neighing. Every body maintained there hops up. In the afternoon he started to decline. It was very important to watch him over night. Margarita asked Juan Carlos, who had guard duty that night, to watch him. The next day they found both of them sleeping together! His third day alive began.
Apenados lo vieron transcurrir el día sin mucha energía. Margarita estaba agotada pero aún así, junto al equipo de caballos mantuvieron los cuidados. Consultaron varios veterinarios. Había el temor de que si vivía no tuviera mucha salud. El pequeño dejó de relinchar. Se acercaba la noche y fue en la madrugada que dejó de respirar. Todos apenados, siguieron con sus labores diarias, así es la vida de campo. Una nueva experiencia había enriquecido sus vidas. La tranquilidad de haber trabajado juntos por salvarlo les quedó de consuelo!
Sadly as the day went by he lost energy. Margarita was exhausted but never the less together with the rest of the teem kept caring for the foul. They consulted with various vets. There was the possibility that if it survived his health would have been very poor. The little one stopped neighing. Night came and by dawn he stopped breathing. Every body was sad, they all went on with there daly obligations, this is how life in the country is. A new experience had enriched there lives. The satisfaction of having worked together to try to save him was their consolation.