This morning, Dr. Zimmerman came to visit Hailee and give her a 9-month Rhino shot. Hailee and Violet were out in the ring, and V tried to give him lots of kisses and hugs and lip swirls. She blew big gummy sticky spray all over him three times with a look of bliss on her face. She just loved causing trouble and getting attention -- dear silly girl!Anyway, Dr. Z said that he sure could tell that H is an alpha girl! He said that she looks really good, in good condition, with a nice fat crease, and that she was just right in size. He said that we shouldn't change a thing in her feed at all. And he said that for sure I must absolutely try to work on touching her teats because he knows it could go very badly, if H decides to be freaked out and try to keep her foal away from her. So, I have to be diligent and brave and dedicated to this task. He said that I can't quit when she gets scary because then she wins and learns immediately "what it takes" to get me to stop doing the uncomfortable thing. Such a Parelli lesson. Why do I always forget that H is continually training me!
Anyway, she was good about getting her shot. He said that her heart and gut sounds were good. Dr. Z said that he thought that H would let me do what I needed to do, but that I should still work on getting her trust and respect over the next months. That's fine. I will do that. In March, when he gives her spring vaccinations, he said that he would leave me both paste and a shot version of tranquilizers. That I should give her banamine paste when she starts acting like she's going to deliver to take the edge off the birth (and maybe fight her fear), and that if she seems like she won't let the baby nurse in the first 3 hours that I should give her the tranquilizer shot to make her mellow and give the foal a chance to latch.
I will prepare to do what I need to do. But I still have faith in my heart that H will surprise us all and be a most wonderful mom from the very beginning. I pray that she chooses the light and not the dark.