Like many other horse owners, Ben is extremely fond of his animals. And while they've all found a place in his heart, he couldn't hide his excitement when he learned that his favorite mare Felicia was pregnant. But as we waited and waited for his horse to give birth, he began to suspect that everything was not as it seemed. Before too long, a vet confirmed with an ultrasound that this wasn't a normal pregnancy. And when he looked at the disturbing image on the screen, the vet knew he had no option but to call the police. Ben had some serious questions to answer.
Talking to the Cops
When the vet called the police, Ben didn't know what to think. Was something seriously wrong with his precious mare? Was he in trouble? What was going on? He knew that something wasn't right when the cops arrived in just a few short minutes. They were obviously concerned about the situation with Ben and Felicia, and they wanted to get ahead of the problem before things escalated. First things first, though, they needed to sedate Felicia.
With the distressed mare successfully sedated, the cops could turn their attention to Ben. And he knew that he was in trouble when they turned to him and said, "Come with us, sir."
"Just Be Honest"
As Ben turned to the police officers, he couldn't understand what was going on. He knew his vet was concerned for the welfare of his horse, but what could the police do to help? However, he soon realized that the cops weren't there for Felicia; they were there for him. And as the cops looked the horse owner deep in the eyes, they said "It is very important for you to be honest with us, sir."
Then, the cops proceeded to ask him a number of questions about his past, his role as a horse owner, and his relationship with Felicia. But still, Ben was confused. In his eyes, everything had initially gone according to plan.
The Perfect Horse
Up until this point, Felicia had been the perfect horse. Ben fell in love with her the moment he laid eyes on her, and he loved going to visit her in her stable. Plus, he'd rarely had any cause for concern in terms of her health, which meant that he didn't have to shell out his hard-earned money on vet visits. Because of this, Ben knew that Felicia would be the perfect mare to birth a foal.
When Ben put the wheels in motion, he prepared himself for a new arrival. He knew that when Felicia fell pregnant she would carry her foal for around 11-12 months. He'd never expected it to go so badly wrong, though.
Putting a Plan Together
As Ben didn't have a stallion of his own, he knew that the path to find the perfect mating partner for his beloved horse wouldn't be easy. He knew that Felicia was an incredible specimen of a horse, and he wanted to find a stallion of the same caliber. So, he decided to reach out to others in the horse community in the hope that he'd find a stallion with the best genes in the business.
It took Ben months to find the right stallion for his mare. In fact, he almost gave up on his project completely. But then he found a stallion that he thought could fit the bill.
The Perfect Stallion
After months of searching, Ben eventually found the perfect stallion. And after putting his plan in motion, he had a good feeling that Felicia was pregnant. This was later confirmed with a vet visit, and the vet quickly announced that Felicia was indeed expecting a foal. This was incredible news, and Ben was over the moon to learn that his beloved horse would be welcoming a baby into the world.
During the initial vet examination, the vet could also tell that both the mare and foal were healthy and happy. But as the months went by, Ben began to suspect that things weren't as positive as they should have been.
Some Strange Behavior
As Ben spent so much time with Felicia, he was able to pick up on her mood and behavioral changes. And a few months into her pregnancy, Ben began to suspect that something was wrong. Felicia was acting strangely, and her behavior changed quite drastically. She was extremely sleepy, and she rarely left her stable. It seemed as though she just didn't want to walk, even with Ben by her side.
Alongside this, Felicia also began to eat less and less. And while Ben had expected some changes in Felicia during her pregnancy, this just seemed way too out of the ordinary to be normal pregnancy hormones.
Putting His Mind at Ease
As any animal owner would do, Ben decided to call the vet and ask for some expert advice. But as he explained Felicia's strange behavior, the vet told him not to worry. He noted that large animals typically go through intense bodily changes when they're pregnant, and that strange behavior is not out of the ordinary. From what Ben was telling him, the vet believed Felicia was exhibiting normal pregnant behavior for a horse.
Reassured by the phone call, Ben came to the conclusion that he was simply worrying too much. So, he decided that he would just do everything in his power to make Felicia more comfortable. However, it didn't seem to work.
Getting Prepared
Although Felicia began to get even more agitated and distant, Ben tried to put his worries at the back of his mind and instead focus on getting himself prepared. He made space in the stable for another horse, and he made sure that he had enough food for Felicia and her foal. And Ben could sense that the time was coming near as Felicia was growing bigger and bigger by the day.
Eager to welcome the new arrival, Ben once again called the vet and asked for advice. He wanted to be ready for when Felicia showed signs of giving birth, and he wanted to be on hand if she needed help.
The Big Moment
Before too long, Ben sprung into action. He could see that Felicia was showing significant signs of labor and that she was gearing herself up to give birth anytime soon. So, he made the stable as comfortable as possible and had his cell phone next to him just in case he needed to call the vet for an extra hand. But until then, all he could do was wait for Felicia to do her thing.
However, Ben waited and waited - and nothing happened. He could see that Felicia was in distress, and he didn't know what to do. He wanted the foal to come, but he also wanted to keep Felicia safe.
Calling the Vet
In the end, Ben knew he had no option but to call the vet. Felicia seemed to be struggling to push by herself, and she seemed to be getting more and more agitated by the minute. He knew something was seriously wrong, and he didn't want anything to happen to mom or baby. Thankfully, the vet had some sound advice, and he encouraged Ben to try and make things more comfortable for Felicia.
The vet told Ben to get Felicia to lie down on her side, hoping that a more relaxed position would help her give birth naturally. But Ben was hesitant.
"Do It Quickly"
As Felicia had grown distant from Ben over the previous few months, he knew that she didn't trust him as much as she had before she was pregnant. Because of this, he didn't know how she'd feel if he forced her to lie down. But the vet soon made Ben put this to the back of his mind. The vet told him that if he didn't get Felicia more comfortable, there would be a serious risk to the mare and foal.
In fact, the vet maintained that this was a matter of life and death and that he needed to do it immediately. Because of this, he knew what he had to do.
A Different Perspective
With a gentle touch and some reassuring words, Ben eventually managed to convince Felicia to lie down to make herself more comfortable. And while the first stage of the vet's plan had been completed, Ben knew that he still had another step to go. He needed to push Felicia onto her side, and the vet assured him that it didn't matter whether he pushed her onto her left or right side. He just needed to do it.
Although it was tough, Ben managed to do it. But with Felicia on her side, he was able to see her bump from a different perspective. It was then that he realized her bump didn't look normal
A Bulge in Her Belly
As Ben looked at Felicia's bump, he realized that it was an odd shape. It wasn't perfectly round but instead seemed to have something sticking out the side of it. Ben thought this was extremely unusual, but he didn't know enough about horses and their pregnancies to decide for sure whether this was something to be worried about. So, he decided to ring the vet once again for some expert guidance.
As the vet asked Ben more questions about Felicia's bump, Ben could tell that the vet was shocked. That's when he started to really worry about the future of his beloved horse and her baby.
An Important Ultrasound
As the vet listened to everything that Ben had to say, it soon became clear that Felicia's pregnancy was not a normal one. Her behavioral changes, the lengthy labor, and her unusual bump were serious causes for concern, and the vet knew that he had to make his way to the stables. The only way to really see what was going on was to perform an ultrasound on Ben's beloved horse.
Of course, this made Ben worry even more. He could tell that the vet was worried for the safety of his horse and her baby, and he began to wonder whether Felicia would even push through the ordeal.
Stuck in Traffic
Although the vet knew that he needed to get to Ben's stables as quickly as possible, he soon realized that this wouldn't be possible. He jumped in his car and tried to get to Ben and his mare, but he was met with standstill traffic that just didn't seem to be moving. He rang Ben in a panic, telling the horse owner that he didn't know if he'd be able to make it in time.
Although the vet begged the traffic to start moving, the rush hour traffic wasn't easing up. Neither Ben nor the vet knew what to do, as they knew that time was seriously ticking.
Putting Plan B Into Place
Although Ben thought about putting Felicia in his horse box and going to meet the vet halfway, he knew this plan wouldn't be practical. Not only was Felicia too uncomfortable, but there was nowhere in the city for the vet to safely examine mom and baby - and he didn't know how much traffic he'd get stuck in, either. And while he thought about just waiting, he knew that Felicia didn't have long left.
In the end, Ben put plan B into action. He called one of his friends and asked them to ride their motorcycle into the city to pick the vet up - and that's exactly what he did!
Rushing to Felicia's Side
In the end, plan B worked in everyone's favor. With the help of his motorcyclist friend, the vet was able to ditch his car and weave through the traffic to Ben's stables. He immediately rushed to Felicia's side and inspected the mare, pulling out his ultrasound machine to get a good look inside her bump. Just like Ben, the vet wanted to see a perfectly healthy foal on the screen.
However, as the vet approached Felicia with the ultrasound machine, she sensed that something was amiss. She began to grow even more uncomfortable and seemed to force herself away from the vet.
Offering Some Reassurance
The vet knew that he needed to give Felicia time to warm up to him. So, he offered her reassurance and allowed her the chance to come closer to him on her own terms - and this worked wonders. Before too long, he was able to get close to her and start the ultrasound examination. However, he could immediately tell that the process wouldn't be easy. Her bump was extremely tender, and she didn't want it to be touched.
As the vet weighed up the options, he decided that the best course of option was to sedate her. However, sedating horses is extremely difficult, and something that requires the help of numerous people.
Weighing up the Options
The vet told Ben that there were two options; either he could help the vet administer a lower dose of sedation from Felicia's side, or they could administer a heavier dose from a further distance. Both had their pros and cons, and both were extremely risky - and Ben knew the burden of this decision would lay on his shoulders. He just didn't know which option was best to choose.
If the vet tried to administer the sedation by her side, there was a chance that Felicia would flip out and potentially injure herself or the vet. From further away, though, the chances of a perfect shot were lower.
Option Number Two
In the end, Ben decided to go with option number two. He instructed the vet to sedate her from further away, as time was ticking and they needed to get started on Felicia's ultrasound. She was getting more and more uncomfortable by the second, and he couldn't bear to see her going through such distress. But as the vet prepared the shot, she seemed to sense that something else was going on.
Felicia could sense the unease in the room, and this made her even more uncomfortable. She began to back away from Ben and the vet, leaving the vet with a big job on his hands.
A Successful Sedation
Ben couldn't watch as the vet tried to sedate his beloved horse, but before too long the vet was calling him back over. He let Ben know that the sedation had been successful and that it was now safe for them to approach Felicia with the ultrasound equipment. And while Ben was certainly relieved to know that Felicia was temporarily relieved of her discomfort, he was still extremely wary about what the vet would see on the screen.
The vet required a little help from Ben to complete the ultrasound, and as the machine beeped and the image made its way onto the screen, the horse owner saw the blood drain from the vet's face.
Hearing the Sirens
Worried that the vet couldn't hear a heartbeat, Ben turned to look at the vet with unanswered questions in his eyes. He was expecting the vet to tell him the news he'd been dreading, and he was expecting to lose both his beloved Felicia and the baby. However, this isn't what happened. Instead, the vet stepped away from Felicia, put down his ultrasound machine, and told Ben that they should probably step outside.
As Ben and the vet walked out of the stables, Ben heard something in the distance; sirens. Ben immediately stumbled over himself. What on Earth was happening? Was he in trouble?
It Shouldn't Be in There
As the vet tried to explain what was going on, Ben was only half listening. Thoughts were running through his mind, and he barely heard the vet when he said, "Ben, what I saw on that monitor was terrifying. I need you to remain calm and allow the officers onto your farm. Something that shouldn't be in that horse's belly is in there." Ben couldn't believe it and knew it shouldn't have come to this.
All he'd wanted was to breed his horse. Why had the police been called? What was in Felicia's stomach? He just didn't want to lose his horse, but he had a feeling that it was coming.
A Specialist Team
As Ben questioned every decision he'd made about Felicia up to that point, he was brought back down to Earth once again by the vet. He told Ben that he needed to perform surgery on Felicia right away if she had any chance of survival, but that he wouldn't be able to perform that surgery without clearance from the local police. But this confused Ben even more. He still didn't know why the police had been called.
However, Ben soon learned that these weren't just any police officers. They were from a specialist unit that had helped the vet on numerous occasions before. And while this reassured Ben slightly, he still needed answers.
Ready for Surgery
As the police officers helped the vet get Felicia ready for surgery, they helped administer even more sedatives. This time around, sedating the already-calm horse was pretty easy - but still traumatic for Ben watching from the sidelines. He just wanted to know whether his beloved mare was going to get through this ordeal and whether her foal would survive the surgery. Before that, though, the police wanted to talk to him.
The cops told him, "Sir, you have to answer a few questions, now that Felicia is sedated." So, as the vet performed surgery, Ben was interrogated by the police. And they needed answers.
Confirming a Few Details
First and foremost, the cops wanted Ben to confirm a few things. They wanted to confirm his name, the fact that he was the rightful owner of Felicia and the farm, and that he had been the one to instigate the mare's pregnancy. Of course, he confirmed everything that he could. He didn't want to get on the wrong side of the police, and he hoped they'd soon shed some light on the situation.
After that, they began to ask stranger questions. They wanted to know how Ben had impregnated Felicia, and how he had found the stallion used for the process. Naturally, Ben was confused.
Pulling Out the Mugshots
Ben began to wonder whether he had done something illegal when impregnating his mare, but the police soon confirmed that his actions were perfectly legal. However, something illegal had occurred during the whole process - and they wanted to know whether he knew about it. To do this, they pulled out a selection of mugshots and asked the horse owner whether he was familiar with any of the people in front of him.
Ben couldn't believe what was happening. His beloved horse was undergoing surgery and he was being questioned by the police, but why? And who were the people in the mugshots?
A Familiar Face
At first, Ben barely looked at the mugshots in front of him. His mind was racing, and he just wanted to know that Felicia and her foal were going to be fine. However, the police were insistent, and they forced him to take a break from his thoughts and really focus on the mugshots in front of him. Did he recognize any of them? They told him it was extremely important, and that his answer could change everything.
As Ben took a closer look at the mugshots, he brushed past the people he knew he'd never seen before. But then he stumbled on a face that did seem a little familiar. But why?
A Sudden Realization
After a while, a sudden realization dawned on Ben. He looked closer and closer at the familiar face and realized exactly where he'd seen him before. However, this made Ben even more worried. He instantly bombarded the police with frantic questions; Would Felicia be alright? What about her baby? What would happen to this man? What has he done? Ben knew something bad had happened, and he needed some answers.
Ben asked them, "This is the man I contacted to impregnate Felicia. Everything was legal, right?" Unfortunately, Ben didn't get the answer he was hoping for. The police replied with, "Sir, this man is a known criminal."
A Botched Procedure
Thankfully, the police could tell that Ben wasn't associated with the criminal in question. They could sense that he was clueless about the situation and that they needed to explain what had happened. They told the horse owner that the criminal was known to them for performing botched procedures when it came to impregnating horses. And while they had tried to take him down, they hadn't yet been able to save a baby foal to have solid evidence.
As the police continued, they told Ben that the vet had discovered a microchip in Felicia's stomach and that this had been causing the protrusion in her belly. However, they were also honest and stated that saving both mother and baby would be difficult.
A Miracle Birth
As Ben listened to this news, he couldn't believe his ears. Although he was astounded to hear of the criminal's actions, his attention first and foremost went to his mare and her foal. The police assured Ben that they had been called at the perfect time and that the vet was hopeful that the surgery would be successful. However, that didn't stop Ben from worrying. He wouldn't be able to rest until he'd heard some good news.
Thankfully, he didn't have to wait too long. The vet soon found Ben and announced that the surgery had been a success and that both mother and baby had survived the ordeal!
A Happy Ending
Although Ben was over the moon, he still had a few questions. He wanted to know what would happen to the criminal, and he wanted to know what would happen to the foal. Was he allowed to keep it? Much to his delight, Ben was told that the foal legally belonged to him and that he wouldn't need to surrender it to the police. This filled him with immense joy, and he was so happy for Felicia.
As if that wasn't enough, the police were also able to track down the criminal and punish him for his crimes. And that was all thanks to Ben, Felicia, and their new foal Siempre.