A perfect birth for Perfect 10. Silver Duck Stable helps birth another foal
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/06/2025 (205 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
KING CITY – As Perfect 10 finally settles on the floor of her stall, Silver Duck Stable owner Tim Drake springs into action, his vast experience ready to help the mare have as easy a birth as possible.
Quickly he checks that the foal is in the right position, exhaling slightly when discovering hat the foal’s head and front legs are to the fore, relieved that this could be a straightforward birth
Drake carefully attaches foaling straps to the newborn’s legs, ready to help the mare with the birth. Tim and Ashley McGibbon, a general manager at Kinghaven Farms who is no stranger to helping birth animals, then start the precise process of pulling on the straps in time with contractions. Pulling when the mare pulls, stopping when she stops, applying the right amount of tension, helping to make the birth as easy as possible.
The newborn foal emerges fully from her mother, lying in a pool of amniotic fluid, still partially wrapped in the sac. Perfect 10, lies exhausted, craning her neck to see her baby.
Drake leans back against the wall of the stall, a huge crooked smile breaking out across his face, the joy of the moment replacing the professional focus he displayed during the birth.
The mother and newborn are straining for each other and, after gently cleaning off the foal, Drake helps the foal get closer to her mother.
The connection is immediate, the mare continuously licking and nuzzles her newborn, the foal leaning into her mother’s affections.
Drake backs out of the stall to allow the pair to get to know each other, still wearing his crooked smile, still loving the moment when a new life is brought into the world.
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025