When farmer Ben saw that his horse was pregnant, he was full of joy. It meant that he was about to have another horse, which could lead to more financial wealth if it was a 'good' horse. After waiting for months, the moment was nearly there. The belly was heavy and the horse was showing signs of going into labor.

The horse was about to give birth. But strangely enough, it refused to give birth even with a giant stomach. Ben decided to go to the local vet to get an ultrasound. When the vet saw the ultrasound he immediately called the police. But what was wrong with the horse? And what did Ben do wrong? Let's find out about this curious case…

Police on its way

This was a small town, and everyone knew each other. Furthermore, everyone knew that Ben's horse was about to give birth. This small sleepy town talked about everything when they come together in their small bar at night, and it wasn't hard to catch wind of the goings-on of the ranches around town, Ben's included.

So when the vet came and saw what was happening, he was so surprised that he called the cops. When the vet called the police, they told him that they would come his way immediately. This horse needed special help from more than just a vet. This horse needed surgery, as there was obviously something strange going on in its stomach. It might even be a life or death situation….

Police asking questions

As the police live in this small town as well, any action was good action. There wasn't really much to do around here - everyone knew each other and therefore crime was pretty low. In fact, the local polcie department barely had anything to do all day as there really wasn't much policing to be done, so this was as exciting a case as any.

When the police finally arrived, they helped the vet to sedate the now almost lifeless giant horse. But the police did not only help the vet, they also came to Ben. “Sir, we need you to come with us, it is important”.. Ben was shell shocked. He only asked the vet to come over and help his horse give birth. What did he do wrong?

Incredibly surprised

Birthing horses should be a pretty straightforward thing. Horses give birth unassisted a lot, and foals usually pop out of their mothers already knowing how to walk and gallop despite being born only a few minutes earlier. Truly, horses are one of the most hassle-free animals to help birth, and Ben knew this.

Ben answered questions about himself and the horse that he had owned since his youth. When he was done with answering all the questions, he heard disbelief from the surgery room. “I can't believe this!,” said the vet. But what did the vet find inside the horse that he was so incredibly surprised by?What blew their mind?

Finally pregnant

The average conception rate (with artificial insemination) is 60%, which indicates that getting 90% of mares pregnant usually takes two to three cycles. You've already doubled or tripled your veterinary expenses just trying to get your mare pregnant at that rate. It takes a lot of work to get a mare pregnant, which makes this occasion nerve-wracking for Ben.

And so it was, after making the necessary arrangements, his horse finally conceived. For almost a year now, Ben's horse has been pregnant. Ben really wanted a second horse and since he loved his horse, whose name was Felicia, so much he decided to make sure Felicia could give birth to a new horse, but that was not easy..

Looking for the right guy

Finding a stud for a mare is no easy task. People would want the best studs to mate with their mares to increase the possibility of conception happening. It takes a while to find a good stud, especially one that is willing and able to travel to the mare. It's like finding a date on Tinder, but for your horse.

Ben had to find someone that was certified to legally impregnate his horse. Months passed by and he could not find anyone who could do this legally, and with the pedigree he needed for his mare. Ben wondered if he had to accept that what he wanted was not possible, and that he should look to buy a horse instead.

The right guy

As in dating, you want a guy that has all the good credentials: comes from a good family, healthy, pretty well-off if possible, all that jazz. It was tough finding one like that as there was, regrettably, a drought of choices in Ben's area. It was slim pickings for his mare. His ranch needed the best, and the best was really hard to find.

But finally, after months of searching for the right person, Ben found his guy. This man was available on short notice, so within days the man stood in front of Ben's house and made sure Felicia got pregnant. Ben was excited and couldn't wait for the day Felicia would actually give birth. It was going to be a game changer for his ranch, for sure.

Ultrasound giving the answer

Ultrasonography is the most popular approach used in modern veterinary practice to diagnosis pregnancy in mares since it can detect pregnancy as early as day 12 - 14 after ovulation. The mare needed ultrasound to determine if the foal inside her was developing properly and if it will come out healthy as well.

It had been a long and slow process, but in the end Ben got what he wanted. He found a stud that was willing to mate with his mare, and it conceived. After a week or two Ben called the vet to have a first ultrasound to check whether Felicia was really pregnant. After doing the ultrasound, the vet revealed the news…

Vet checking the horse

The vet checked the horse and everything seemed to be okay with both the horse and its child. Listening to the horse's heart and lungs, checking his eyes, mouth, teeth, and skin, and taking its temperature are all part of this process. The veterinarian palpated the horse's abdomen and legs for signs of heat or soreness.

The vet also did many other tests to determine the health of the mare. It wasn't supposed to be a sensitive pregnancy, but he wanted to be sure and he did every test he can under the tools that he had at the moment. Everything looked okay, according to initial tests. But later in the pregnancy, things did not go as planned…

Walking in the stables with Felicia

Moderate exercise, like as vigorous walking or riding, can assist a mare regulate her weight and preserve the muscular tone and strength she needs throughout the latter two months of her pregnancy. Feed her a high-quality forage diet in the same amounts as before she became pregnant, with an increase in energy as pregnancy demands.

At first, Felicia wasn't able to sleep as much as she did before her pregnancy, but on top of that Ben was not able to walk with her in her stables anymore which was something she really liked before that. Something was amiss with Felicia the mare, and it wasn't just the pregnancy. But Ben couldn't figure out why this was the case..

Restless horse

Felicia became more and more restless during the pregnancy. It wasn't something that Ben didn't expect. Ben thought that this would be over soon since the vet guaranteed that this was normal, but in the week that she was supposed to give birth to her little foal she reached the boiling point.. Things were wrong.

The mare's hunger increases at this season, and she may become moody. Many veterinarians recommend a second pregnancy test as the mare approaches the midpoint of her pregnancy because approximately one-third of mares “slide” or lose their pregnancy without the owner's knowledge during the early days.

Taking a necessary step..

Ben had prepared everything for the delivery to make sure it all went smoothly, but Felicia simply refused to give birth. He couldn't tell what was wrong, and this was way above his knowledge of horses. Ben could do nothing other than just call the vet, but Ben had to answer questions he did not expect.

The vet asked Ben how exactly Felicia behaved. Ben explained that she was restless at first, but that she now barely moved anymore. He was starting to be worried with how Felicia was acting. The vet was shocked by Ben's answers and explained to Ben that he needed to make sure Felicia laid down on the ground in the right way..

Hesitating to approach

The vet explained that Ben had to stretch out Felicia completely, as it might be time that she was going to give birth to a new foal. It takes a lot out of a mare to birth a foal, and this should explain the erratic behavior - except it was more than that. But stretching Felicia wasn't exactly easy, as she came across as quite aggressive..

Ben feared being attacked by his own horse. He took care of it every single day and he knew how strong Felicia can be, especially when she's angered. He was hesitating, was it really smart to do this? What if she really did attack Ben? Things could not end well in that case, both for Ben and his horse. Wasn't there another way?

Fully stretched out

The vet told Ben that this really was the only way to make sure his horse and her foal would survive this. After hearing that, Ben made sure he approached Felicia calmly. When he was close, he made sure he positioned himself in the right way to make sure everything Felicia experienced would be painless.

After Ben successfully stretched out Felicia, the vet asked him to feel her stomach. Was there maybe a little bulge that he hadn't noticed earlier during the pregnancy? Ben was sure he was very thorough with caring for his horse, so he had his doubts. Ben looked very precisely, and what he saw shocked him.

Tone change

He really saw a little bulge that he hadn't seen before. But what did this mean? Was his horse okay? Ben immediately asked the vet whether Felicia would be okay. But the vet's answer was not really comforting. It was a bit of a non-answer, as far as Ben was concerned, and he wasn't satisfied at all with what the vet said.

The vet's tone changed and the only thing he said was: “I have to do an ultrasound, I'm coming right away.” The vet told Ben that he had to calm down. But it was hard to calm down right now, given that he was facing what could be the loss of a perfectly good mare. He would be there within thirty minutes. But the vet did not foresee some complications.

Picking up the vet

To get to Ben's location was a challenge in itself. The vet did not notice that it was actually rush hour, so she got stuck in traffic for way longer than she had imagined. Thought it was a small town, it had small roads as well. The vet knew she had to get to the horse as fast as possible to have the best chance for Felicia to give birth to her foal.

As Ben stressed more and more, he proposed that one of his friends could pick the vet up with a motorbike. That way she could be there as soon as possible, skirting through traffic and taking narrower roads. The vet agreed to this idea so she went back to her clinic, waiting to be picked up by one of Ben's closest friends.

Sedating Felicia

Ben's friend picked up the vet from her clinic and within minutes they were at Ben's ranch. Ben's friend was a very fast driver and the vet was actually pretty impressed. The vet immediately started with her examination, as Felicia wasn't moving at all. But when the vet came closer, she suddenly started to move again..

The vet now needed to sedate Felicia, to make sure she was not dangerous to her or Ben anymore. But sedating this horse was not easy at all. The vet needed all the help she could get - it was going to be a tough job. She started giving orders to Ben and everyone else at the ranch who was able to pitch in and help.

Not without risk

Felicia got more and more aggressive, so at first Ben and his friend kept their distance hoping that Felicia would calm down. When she is calm, they can better examine her and find out the source of her discomfort. But that wasn't the case. What should she do now? The vet knew that she had only one other option.

The vet could use heavier medicines that they could use from a distance, but that was not without risks. There was a possibility that Felicia and her foal would not survive this. The vet asked Ben what he wanted. Ben was split between the choices. He didn't know what to do and was paralyzed. This was such a hard choice.

Heavier meds

Ben knew that this could end very badly if he made the wrong choice. But what was the wrong choice exactly? He thoroughly thought about both options and asked the vet what risks were attached to either choice. After a long process he decided with his heart instead of his head - and the decision will surprise you.

Ben knew that he had to sedate Fecilia to make sure she could give birth properly, so he gave permission to the vet to use heavier medicines. It was going to be a risk for both Felicia and the yet-unborn foal, but it had to be done. But first they had to get themselves to safety, as Felicia got more aggressive..

Felicia in pain

The vet instructed Ben and his friend to slowly leave the stables, but Felicia did not exactly welcome that idea. She started getting more antsy and more aggressive, as if she understood the Ben was about to leave her side. She got even more aggressive than she did before, so Ben hesitated to leave her like this. Was it all worth it?

Felicia not only seemed to be restless, but also in pain. She needed to be sedated rather sooner than later, for her own good. So Ben walked away more quickly than planned - not good for Felicia, who was already displaying signs of getting antsy. It wasn't looking good, but the vet felt like he could handle it now. After this the vet could do his job.

Checking Felicia

With Ben and his friend away the vet prepared the medicines and sedated Felicia. After a few minutes of waiting until she was asleep, he started to prepare the ultrasound he was about to conduct. These were tense minutes for both Ben and the vet. Was there something bad going on with Felicia?

Performing the ultrasound was not as easy as it first looked, since Felicia was not in an ideal position due to her restlessness. It was tough to do the procedure as the horse was not doing very well emotionally. The vet asked if Ben could assist him with stretching her into a good position. After this, the vet could finally perform the ultrasound.

Making a phone call

While performing the ultrasound, the vets tone changed. Slowly it went from optimistic to pessimistic. Ben noticed this but was afraid that he would keep the vet distracted. He wanted the vet to focus on their job and make sure that his horse was safe, sound, and can deliver a healthy foal. Later he wished he'd asked her sooner..

After minutes of inspecting the ultrasound, the vet told Ben that she had to make a phone call that was urgent. But Ben did not know who the vet wanted to call. He was very tired and anxious at this point, and, understandably, he just wanted things to start getting better. Ben panicked at first, were his two horses okay?

Police arriving!

When the vet came back, she immediately had a plan. The vet assured Ben that his horses were healthy, but that Felicia needed to rest first in order to give birth to her foal. As Ben agreed with this, he headed back inside his ranch together with the vet. But after a few minutes he heard a strange noise..

Ben heard the police arriving at his ranch! But why? At first he could not figure it out, but then he realized the vet called the police. But to Ben, it still wasn't clear why she called them? Then the vet explained the situation to Ben, in words that could get through to him in his panicked state. Ben took a deep breath and listened…

Letting the police in

The vet told Ben that his horse needed surgery, because she found something that didn't belong in the horses belly alongside the foal. She needed help from the local police with equipment to perform the surgery and sedate Felicia properly, as she now only used a simple sedative. The horse wasn't in a lot of danger.

Ben could now breathe easy, knowing that his beloved Felicia was not in any apparent danger from strong sedatives. Ben understood the situation and quickly calmed down. He let the police officers in his ranch right away to do their job. But when a police officer walked up to him, Ben could not believe what the police officer said to him.

Confirming identity

The police officer said: “Sir, you have to come with us. We have to ask you some questions.” Ben did not understand this. Why did they want to question him? He did not do anything wrong. But since he had nothing to hide, he decided to answer the questions to avoid more misery and expedite the process.

At first, the police asked simple questions. Ben had to confirm he was actually the guy they were interviewing and he also had to confirm that the horse in the stables was his own horse. But the next questions went more into detail, which seemed strange to Ben. Why did they want to know such things?

Showing sources

They asked how his horse got pregnant in the first place. So Ben answered that he contacted an expert that could help him with this. He also added that he did a background check on the expert to make sure everything that he did was legal and above board, for everyone's safety and to ensure that there was no foul play involved.

Ben even showed his sources to the police to make sure that they knew it was legal what he did. The police understood Ben and acknowledged that it was all legal, but that they still needed some more information from him. The policeman grabbed something out of his bag that Ben did not expect..

Becoming more worried

The police officer had different mugshots from potential criminals. They asked Ben if he could identify someone from the pictures. Ben was shell shocked. After seeing a lot of pictures, he saw a familiar face, one that he didn't expect to see. Of all people - why them? Ben was sent on another rabbit hoel of confusion.

It was the face of the expert that helped him to get Felicia pregnant! But why was he a suspect? As far as Ben knew he did nothing criminal. Ben became more and more worried. What did this man do to his horse? Did it have something to do with the fact that Felicia could not give birth properly? What could be wrong?

Strange ultrasound

The police explained the situation shortly after. This man was an expert when it came to horses, but he also had a history of criminal medical activities. The police were already looking for him and notified vets because he tended to test new medical treatments on different kinds of animals. But what exactly did he do to Felicia?

The vet noticed two strange things on the ultrasound and one of them was a medical chip in Felicia's belly. When the vet saw it, he knew he had to call the police, thanks to their communication. The police were looking for that chip, as it was illegally made by the expert that helped Ben, and might have led to Felicia's condition.

One in a million

To remove the chip and trace it back to the expert, the police helped the vet with the surgery. Not only did they remove the chip, but they were also happy to help to give birth to a new little foal and it was not just a normal foal. It was a peculiar birth, one no one expected, even with the mysterious circumstances that led to its birth.

The second thing the vet noticed on the ultrasound was that this foal was a rare specimen, which potentially could be worth loads of money. When the surgery was done and Felicia had given birth to her foal the vet could not believe his eyes. It was something the vet had never seen before in all their years helping out farm animals…

Siempre

This was a really rare specimen that he'd never seen before. The vet told Ben that it was a one in a million chance that this would happen. This horse could be worth loads of money but Ben had only one thing on his mind - and that was getting himself and Felicia over this little episode in their lives, as soon as possible.

He wanted to keep his new foal, that he named Siempre. After they went through all this he knew that he and this horse had a special bond that he would never break. After everything, the police were also able to track down the expert and lock him up. So after all, Ben could live happily ever after with his two horses on his ranch.