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Once in a lifetime a very special foal comes along, one that will leave little hoofprints in your heart forever. This little foal was Bella. Bella was born to our leased mare Blaze and was by our stallion, Jack aka Southern Star Flashback. We were so excited about this mating. Jack being a very striking Sabino stallion, and Blaze being a well bred splashed white mare. We were hoping for some decent "chrome" work and beautiful type. This was the first foal for BOTH of them! Bella was born while we were at work. I got a call on my way home from hubby Steve, to say "Will you be long? Blaze has foaled, the foal is fine but theres something wrong with her feet". Not expecting anything major, just happy and relieved all went well.... I was shocked to find what i did when i got home. This beautiful little filly, PERFECT in every single way, except these terrible little back legs she was shuffling around on. Bella was severely down on her back pasterns, she was practically walking on her fetlocks. We quickly locked them up in the stable of deep sawdust for a couple of days to see what would happen. Most people i talked to were saying, she will come right if you lock her up. After 3 days of NO improvement, the vet was called. He said he had never seen them that bad, and couldn't see them coming right on their own. The tendons were just so so loose. It went against everything he believed in, but he decided to splint. So splint we did for the next 3 months....we gave Bella lots of vitamins to help with the growing and strengthening progress as well. She really blossomed and grew into the most beautiful little girl. Her dear mum Blaze took it all so well. her first foal and this is what she got! Taken from her friends, being stabled every single night and let into a very small yard during the day. She was such a good mum. Bellas splints caused much drama at times with rubbing and causing pressure sores, they were being changed 3 times a week. We would come home from work, and could always tell if they had started rubbing as Bella would have been chewing on them through the day. So that night they would get changed. My darling hubby was so patient. He never complained. As she would have a growth spurt the vet would come and make new splints for her. It was draining on all involved. Bella would lay in my arms and sleep while Steve changed the splints. Blaze would watch over us, as though she knew we were doing all we could to help her baby girl. Bella zoomed around on her little splints like there was no tomorrow. She was quite an indendent little thing. She would neigh when she saw me coming every morning and night. How could you not fall hopelessly in love with her!! After a month it appeared the tendons were getting stronger. The vet was surprised, but felt there was actually some "hope".... My heart just soared. I was so excited as i had never loved a little foal like i loved this little girl. I think the news even bought a big lump, to hubbies throat... But then as she grew more, the tendons loosened again. we started to lose hope, but still kept fighting for this brave little girl. I said to Steve, Bella will tell me when shes had enough. At the end of 3 mths she told me. ... Bella was starting to get really upset with changing the splints and the glint in her eye had gone. It was like she told she had had enough of this world. She started to look depressed and at this time Blaze, her mum, started to get sick of the isolation from her friends. Both of them had changed in their nature. It was time.....Bella had told me she had enough. We took the splints off as they were just rubbing so badly again, and just bandaged her little feet and legs. We would get the vet down on the weekend. She shuffled around like this for 3 days. They were back to the same as they were the day she was born within no time at all of removing the splints.... On the day Bindi had her accident and had to be put down, we chose to have Bella put down. It was the saddest day in my life of owning horses. We buried Bella and Bindi together next to my big beautiful boy Sid. So neither little girl are alone, and they have Sid as their protector.
I nearly gave up the horses after losing Bella, it was a hard thing
to keep going with them. I just kept asking WHY BELLA???? We had bred
the sort of foal you dream of and we only had her for 3 short months. It really
made me not want to breed again. I have decided to downsize my stud and
only breed a couple of foals each season though. They can bring so much
joy, but heartache like you have never known. I have photos below at the different stages of Bellas short life... The Day Bella was born..
My Baby Bella
Bella with her first splints.... So clean and white!!!
Out with Mum....
Our 2007 Christmas Baby...
Bellas Last Day....
Link to Bellas's Tribute Video, lovingly made by her Grandma Renee of Anyssa Park Miniatures Please click HERE (have sound on)
What a sad sad day when we lost this gorgeous girl in Feb 2008. Aged 17mths. Bindi as we called her, (she was born at the time Steve Irwin tragically passed away) had the sweetest nature and thought the whole world was wonderful. She was the prettiest girl and really stood out from the moment she was born. We knew that crossing her mum Silver Star Miss Mysterious would be a wonderful cross with our boy Arrow, and we weren't disappointed. Bindi's name Cocheta, means "that you cannot imagine" in Native American. This pretty colourful young girl was certainly not we imagined in a million years. Bindi was very accident prone and sadly had to be put down due to a paddock accident. It was a very upsetting day. Bindi is one of those special little horses that we just won't forget.
Donna
and Steve Shapland Visitors
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