When farmer Ben saw that his mare was pregnant, he was filled with joy. It meant that he would soon have another horse, which could lead to more financial prosperity if it was a ‘good’ horse. After months of waiting, the moment was almost here. The belly was heavy and the mare showed signs of impending birth. The horse should give birth soon. But strangely, even with a huge belly, it refused to give birth. 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 had Ben done wrong? Let’s find out about this curious case… This was a small town and everyone knew everyone. Besides, everyone knew that Ben’s horse would give birth soon. This sleepy little town talked about everything when they met in their little bar in the evenings, and it wasn’t hard to find out about the goings-on on the farms around town, including Ben’s. So when the vet came and saw what was happening, he was so surprised that he called the police. When the vet called the police they told him they would come his way immediately. This horse needed special help, more than just a veterinarian. This horse needed surgery because there was clearly something strange going on in his stomach. It could even be a life-threatening situation…
Since the police also lived in this small town, any action was a good action. There really wasn’t much to do here – everyone knew everyone, so crime was pretty low. In fact, the local police department barely had anything to do all day as there really wasn’t much police work to do, so this was just as exciting as any other case. When the police finally arrived, they helped the vet sedate the now almost lifeless giant horse. But the police not only helped the vet, they also came to Ben. “Sir, we have to come with you, it’s important”… Ben was shocked. He had just asked the vet to come and help his mare give birth. What had he done wrong? Giving birth to horses should be a fairly simple matter. Horses often give birth without assistance, and foals usually arrive already with the ability to walk and canter, even though they were born just a few minutes earlier.
Truly, horses are one of the easiest animals to give birth to, and Ben knew it. Ben answered questions about himself and the horse he has owned since he was a teenager. As he finished answering all the questions, he heard disbelief from the operating room. “I can’t believe it!” said the vet. But what did the vet find inside the horse that made him so incredibly surprised? What blew her away? The average reception rate (with artificial insemination) is 60%, indicating that it usually takes two to three cycles to get 90% of mares pregnant. You’ve already doubled or tripled your vet bills just to get your mare pregnant at this rate. It takes a lot of work to get a mare pregnant, which makes this opportunity nerve-wracking for Ben.
