Retired racing favorite Rachel Alexandra and her colt are back at their home barn after a three-day stay at Kentucky’s Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital for mysterious pain following the foal's birth.
“All is well,” said an online statement from Rood and Riddle on January 31st, announcing the dam and foal’s return to their home at Stonestreet Stables in Lexington, Kentucky.
Horse fans worried, as the celebrated Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro x Lotta Kim by El Prado) and her January 22nd colt, son of Stonestreet’s own Curlin (Smart Strike x Sheriff’s Deputy), were transported to Rood and Riddle’s Lexington facility on Friday, January 27th. Details were sketchy, as Stonestreet Farms described the pair’s hospitalization tersely as a “precautionary measure” related to “pain management related to the birth.”
Stonestreet’s Barbara Banke, who owns Rachel Alexandra and tagged herself a “Rachel-chondriac,” said this, “Rachel has proven to be an extraordinary mother and taking to her feisty colt right away. We are taking every precaution to ensure that Rachel and her colt are happy and healthy.
Banke was on the West Coast, watching the New York Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park to grab the NFC title , when Rachel Alexandra delivered her first foal.
Why would Rachel Alexandra have pain after foaling?
While at Rood and Riddle, Rachel Alexandra and her colt were under the care of Bonnie S. Barr, D.V.M., who specializes in equine internal medicine. No specifics on the mare’s condition or treatments have been released.
However, many possible causes exist for post-partum pain in horses. Common culprits include:
- colic
- muscle strains
- nursing issues
- peritoneal bleeding
- uterine rupture
- vaginal tearing
- and more.
One thing is clear. Delivering a 125-pound creature cannot be easy, even for a strong six-year-old maiden mare. Racing fans may be relieved to learn that Rachel Alexandra appears to be on the mend and that her Curlin colt seems fine at this point.
Related Items:
- A Soft Place to Land - Preparing for the Foal
- Foaling in Love - Caring for the Mare and Her Offspring
- Meeting Rachel Alexandra
- Rachel Alexandra bred to Curlin
- Rachel Alexandra delivers bouncing bay boy
- Rachel Alexandra named 2009 NTRA Horse of the Year
- Rachel Alexandra pregnancy confirmed
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