Bijou's birth was both a blessing and an ordeal. After producing Bridie we gave Genna a year off and then bred her to Hamish for our first Hamish foal from a TB mare. BJ was born on a very stormy night unattended (due to my idiocy in putting the foaling alarm batteries in the pouch upside down - I will never EVER do THAT again!!!). I awoke early and looked out the bedroom window to see Genna and a tiny little foal on wobbly legs. I rushed outside and as I was walking up the paddock I could see a large white mass up by the shed. My heart was in my mouth. At first (and this is ridiculous now) I panicked and thought that Genna had pushed her innards out and left them in the paddock but of course, as I got closer, I realised I was looking at a complete birth sac with a perfectly formed foal inside. The foal was a colt and we named him Beau. Nick buried him alongside my beautiful old Pony Hazel so that they may graze the emerald fields of heaven together for all eternity. This was a loss I took very hard. Everyone told me it was for the best, mares do not cope well with twins, especially not old TB mares, I would've had to supplementary feed, Bijou's health would've been compromised and so on and so forth. But, all I ever think of is how miraculous it would've been to raise twin foals and how he might have survived had I been there to take care of him when he was born ...I sold BJ as a weanling to a lovely lady in the Waikato. She is in a wonderful home and is much loved. She begins her education under saddle this summer.
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