The Big Wait

Farming and rearing animals is not a walk in the park. You have to put in the work and wait for months or years before you see the fruits of your labor. Sometimes, things happen during the waiting phase, and all your work might go down the drain. Be it an outbreak of disease or foul weather; nature is wild and unpredictable.

That's why when Ben's horse became pregnant, he went the extra mile in ensuring his prized animal was in tip-top shape. Regular checkups were done, and Felicia's vitals were closely monitored. Surprisingly, when the due date arrived, things took a turn for the worse.

Things Are Not What They Seem

Typically, animals barely have any trouble putting to bed. Unlike humans, who need constant attention when the time is near, creatures give birth by instinct, and in a short while, everything is done. Sadly, this wasn't the case for Felicia. Her due date had arrived, but she was far from showing any signs of delivery.

Ben got worried and checked up on his friend, but he wasn't sure what to make of the situation. His plans to rear a foal were in jeopardy, and he most likely couldn't have that. So, the farmer called in a vet who checked in on the animal only to discover something sinister.

The Law Must Hear This

Once the vet had done a thorough checkup and noticed something was afoot, she knew she needed all the help to deal with the situation. This was not her typical rodeo, and she was not ready to take any chances. So she called in the cavalry but lo and behold, it was the boys in blue.

The cops arrived at Ben's farm in two shakes and quickly began their assessment of the problem. Ben was confused as he was unsure what to make of the development. Luckily, he was cooperative, and the police reassured him that they would get to the root of the matter, but how did we get here?

It Takes a Year

A horse is one hell of an animal. The creature has such a fancy reputation people equate good health to it. On the flip side, though, most horses are pretty expensive to own and take care of, meaning it takes the best of the best to make it through the practice.

Ben was part of the elite club of horse owners, and he figured it was time he got a foal to add to the family. In the long run, he could make a decent buck from the sale of the little one. It was a good strategy considering he already had a healthy mare in his stable.

It Takes Time and Patience

Horses are picky lovers, so getting one pregnant is no joke. You have to be careful to find the right fit for your mare or stallion; otherwise, you'll be frustrated and disappointed. That's why Ben took his time searching for the right person for the job.

The task was more daunting than the farmer had expected, and it took him quite some time before he found a qualified breeder. The guy had excellent reviews online, and he seemed like the right fit. Ben did not want to waste the opportunity, so he called in the expert, and the deed was done. Felicia was pregnant a short while later, and the waiting began.

Hands-on From Jump

This was a big deal, and there was no way our favorite farmer was going slack off and let everything figure itself out. Immediately conception was confirmed, an ultrasound was scheduled, and the vet solidified the information. Felicia was pregnant, and both mum and foal were great.

Sadly, the pregnancy wasn't easy on the new mum as she was hit with an intense bout of insomnia during the first week. Additionally, Felicia's mood was off the rails, and she barely enjoyed her walks to the table with Ben. The farmer brushed this off, figuring it was normal mood swings from the biological changes. Nevertheless, he still tried his best to keep a close eye on the situation.

He Did His Best

While Felicia dealt with the pregnancy her way, Ben took matters into his own hands by making sure he was prepared for the big date. The mare was fed, the stable was cleaned, and regular checkups were done. Sadly, despite all the hard work, the horse didn't show any signs of putting to bed when the due date came close.

Ben tried inspecting his mare to find out what was happening, but he was dumbfounded. The more he looked, the more he got worried, and it soon became apparent Ben needed all the help he could get. So without skipping a beat, he called the vet to ask for guidance.

Tactics and Maneuvers

After asking a few questions about the horse's state, the vet asked Ben to inspect the horse. According to Ben, the horse was restless at first, as if it was ready to give birth, but then it stopped moving. The vet then suggested Ben lay out his horse in the birthing position, but Felicia was uncooperative.

Ben's attempts to calm down his mare were futile as she became agitated, scaring even the owner. Once Ben realized his actions would not help, he decided to take a different approach. The goal was to calm the situation and make the inspection as painless as possible by getting the horse to lay flat on the ground.

Inspecting the Horse

Felicia finally agreed to stretch out for inspection, and Ben wasted no time inspecting her belly. Whatever was going on with his prized possession had to do with her pregnancy. During the examination, there was something odd the farmer noticed.

Felicia's belly had a massive bulge that had come out of nowhere. The vet relayed this information, and she was quick to schedule an ultrasound. Unfortunately, something was wrong with the horse, and she would not waste any time before getting to the bottom of it. Ben agreed to the ultrasound, and the vet promised to be there in half an hour.

Traffic Had Other Plans

As soon as the vet left her office, she realized there was no way she would make it to Ben's farm on time. It was rush hour, and traffic was in full swing. Nevertheless, she had to get to the venue sooner than later.

Without beating around the bush, the vet let Ben know about her situation, and the farmer was quick to come up with a solution. Ben called in a favor and asked one of his friends to pick the doctor up on his motorcycle. It was the only way they could beat traffic and arrive on time to help the troubled horse.

Time to Get To Work

The pickup and drop-off went on without a hiccup, and the vet got to work immediately. She examined Felicia, recording her vital information as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, as soon as the mare knew of the vet's presence, she began moving again.

The vet quickly noticed this, and she sedated the horse just in case she became violent. This isn't always the safest bet for horses, especially pregnant ones. One wrong move, and things could get worse. Additionally, moving a sedated horse is more complex than an awake one, as you have to do most of the heavy lifting.

What Next

Despite the sedation, the horse was still agitated and active. This put the vet in a challenging situation as she didn't want to pump any more sedatives into the creature. Too much of the stuff could lead to a complicated delivery or even loss of life for the foal.

The doctor was lost for options, and she let Ben have the last call. Unfortunately, Ben was also in the pits since nothing was going as planned; Felicia got aggressive, and time ran out. Finally, after careful consideration, Ben gave the green light for the vet to sedate his horse. He had faith things would work out; after all, this was a professional.

Space to Work

Ben and his friend left the stable to let the doctor deal with her patient as best as possible. This was because their presence was only hampering the procedure, probably worsening things. As for the vet, she sedated Felicia immediately Ben let her, and started inspecting the mare.

It was a challenging period for everyone; Ben was pacing about while the vet inspected the horse from head to toe. Ben's friend stuck by his side, giving him some moral and physical support if the need arose. Eventually, Felicia nodded off, and the vet began doing an ultrasound to check in on the condition of the baby and to inspect the big bulge.

Everybody Plays a Part

Ben and his friend were called in to stretch out the sedated horse. The vet went about her business as meticulously as possible, but things started looking fishy. The ultrasound was going well, but the results were quite alarming.

Once the inspection was done, the lady downed her tools and asked Ben and his pal to take a breather as she made a phone call outside. It was a jarring moment for the farmer, but he ignored it. Maybe the doctor had seen something queer, and she needed a second opinion. Whatever it was, it must justify the need for a phone call.

Everything's Okay… Not

The vet finished her call and came to give Ben the news. So far, Felicia hadn't shown any signs of complications. The delivery would be done safely after the horse got some much-needed rest. This was soothing news to Ben's ears, and he welcomed it wholeheartedly.

A few minutes later, the farmer heard the sound of sirens on the horizon. These sounded like police cars, and they were headed to his ranch by the look of things. That's when it dawned on him that the vet had duped him. She was the one who called the police! Even so, the vet reassured Ben that the cops were there to help.

What Was Really Going On

The ultrasound had revealed a foreign object in Felicia's belly. Unfortunately, this required emergency surgery, and the vet lacked the proper tools. That's why she called in the boys in blue to help, as they were the only ones who had the tools needed for this situation.

After getting the gist of the situation, Ben eased up and allowed the police to continue. While one team was working on Felicia, another group asked the farmer to join them aside for some questioning. The horse owner was calm, collected, and eager to help. No matter what happened, Felicia was his primary concern.

It's Not What It Looks Like

After a few preliminary questions, the cops got the point. They wanted to know how the mare got pregnant. Ben let them know of the process that he followed in picking a practitioner. He was sure he had done his due diligence, and the guy responsible came highly recommended.

Nevertheless, in the back of his mind, Ben couldn't help but wonder if the guy had pulled the wool over his eyes. Maybe he had done something to Felicia while he was not looking, and that's why the mare was struggling. The questions from the officers pointed toward some foul play, and the farmer started getting worried.

Proof of Conception

Ben had kept all the relevant documentation regarding the pregnancy, and he showed them to the officers. They went through the items with the police officers, and the cops pulled out their information bags. They had a bunch of mugshots they wanted Ben to go through.

Interestingly, Ben's practitioner was on this naughty list. The man was shocked beyond words. Had he given Felicia to the wolves? Is this guy responsible for the way the mare had been acting? Is this why the mare avoided taking walks with her owner? These questions swirled through Ben's mind while looking at the information before him.

Not Good Enough

Ben was downtrodden as he could not believe he had let such a big red flag slip past his eyes. His practitioner was a criminal, and he didn't know about it. Now there was a high chance he might not see his dream foal come to term. What about the ultrasound? Was the vet in on it, too?

The police let the man know he was just a victim of a sketchy man. The officers had sent out a notice to most stables letting them know that this breeder had a knack for doing experimental procedures on horses. Sadly, Ben never got the memo, and he ended up in that situation.

What the Vet Found

During the latest ultrasound, the vet noticed a chip embedded in Felicia's belly, and this was an illegal implant. So without wasting any time, the doctor hit the officers up to secure tools for emergency surgery. The goal was to get the chip and the foal in one fell swoop.

The surgery was successful, and the chip was removed without any hitches. As for the foal, something was afoot. This baby was not an average horse; it was a rare breed meaning our good man Ben had gotten more than he had bargained for. The cops and the vet were shocked but happy about how things had turned out.

The Good News

Ben was biting his nails, waiting for the news because it had been a long night. Then, finally, the vet relayed the new developments, which delighted the farmer. His fortune had turned around, and his goal to get a foal had succeeded. The cops and vet left the farm and began tracing the scrupulous breeder.

Sooner than later, the cheeky guy was arrested and charged with illegal conduct on horses. As for Ben, he decided to call the colt Siempre. Additionally, he had changed his mind about selling the colt since he had grown attached to it. After the evening he had, bringing Siempre to this world, we understood his decision.