We rode hard towards the ranch. Wade rode on my left, as we exited the trail that led into the opening. We continued until we came to the horse stable.
Wade came to a skidding halt at the entrance where Stuart waited and took the reins of his horse. I slowly stopped my horse and Wade rushed over and helped me down. He looked into my eyes briefly and smiled and bent down and kissed my lips lightly.
Stuart came and relieved me of my horseâs reins and began leading them towards their lofts. I ran into the loft behind Wade, and we rushed over to the laboring mareâs stall.
John was bent over her, wetting her down with a wet sponge. He looked up as Wade opened the stall door.
âOh, thank god, the colt is breached and I canât get in there to try to turn itâ, he said wiping the top of his brow with the back of his forearm.
Wade quickly pulled of his T-shirt and squatted at the end of the horse. I stood there wide-eyed as he pushes both of his hands into the horseâs rear. He couldnât get far enough in there, so he had to take out one of his hands. He was all the way up to almost his elbow, in her hole. I was shocked and amazed.
âDamn, I canât get a good hold of it. I feel it, but I canât get my other hand deep enough so I can use both hands to get it to turn.â He started to look around as he tried to think what else he could do. He looked at me and I seen something in his eyes, that I couldnât quite understand. âRaven, come in here,â he said as he pulled his and out of the horse, and stood. He motioned me to come to him.
The one of the other ranch hands opened the stall door, and motioned me to go threw it. I walk hesitantly into the stall, and walked over to Wade, my brows furrow at wondering what he had in mind. Iâve never even seen this happened before. How in the hell could I help with this situation?
He took my hand and guided me close to him. He stood behind me and faced me towards the horse. âI need your help! My hands are too big, and I can get a hold of the colt with one hand enough to turn it. I know this is all knew to you, but I need you to reach deep into her and grab the colt with both of your hands. I need you to grab on either side of the colt and turn it. Itâs going to be hard and you have to push with all of your might. Please, I need you to try for me. Can you try?â
I looked up into his eyes with clear apprehension in my eyes. But I heard the urgency in his voice, and I now seen it in his eyes. I pushed aside my fear and my dread and nodded to him, as I began to speak with a shaky voice, âI will try my best, but I am worried that I canât get him turned. I am not that strong and my hands are a lot smaller then yours, but I will try.â
He smiled softly at me and gently said, â You can do this. You have more strength then you think you have. What ever happens, the only thing that matters is that you tried your best. I will stand over the horseâs stomach and feel against her belly and try to guide you and instruct you what to do, as soon as you let me know you have a hold of the colt. Youâll do fine,â he assured me.
I just squatted and nodded at him. What in the hell was I about to do? I said I didnât mind getting dirty, but I never intended to be doing this.
âOK Raven, with both hands together, reach in and push your way to where the colt is. Then grab a hold of what ever you can feel.â
I took a deep breath as a put my hands together as if I was praying. I aimed the tips of my fingers towards the gapping hole and started to push into it. It was very warm and it had a wet gooey texture. My eyes looked up into Wades, looking for reassurance. He smiled deeply at me and winked as he said, âYou are doing great, Raven.â He nodded his head for me to continue.
I continued to push further inside of the horse. I was buried up past my elbows now. As I pushed, I felt my hands run into a sticky hard mass. I quickly jerked my head up with my eyes wide and looked at Wade.
âThatâs it, youâre there, now grab a hold of the colt. Try to place each of your hands on either side of it as best as you can.â Wade was feeling what I was doing through the mareâs belly. I did what he said and told Wade that I had a hold of it the best that I could. He smiled again giving me the much needed confidence. âOK, now I want you to pull with your left hand as you push with your right hand. Keep moving your hands and doing this until you think you have the head between your hands. If the momma donât start pushing almost immediately, then I will reach in to see if the colt is where it needs to be and we will go from there. I need you to use all of your might, because this is a very difficult thing to do.â
I started pushing and pulling with everything I had. I was pulling so hard that my feet started to slide on the hay. I felt the veins in my earâs start popping as I pulled. My face turned red from the strain and for the fact I stopped breathing each time I pulled and pushed.
I felt the colt start to turn. That gave me a new vigor to continued and pulled harder. I was pulling so hard that if my hand slipped, I would go flying to the back of the stall. I tightened my grip and heaved with all of my might. I donât know where the strength came from, but I was doing it. I was moving that colt around while it was still in its motherâs womb.
Wade was feeling the colt turn. He wasnât sure if Raven could do this or not. He just knew he had to have her try, and she was doing it. He started edging her on with his words of encouragement.
âThatâs it, baby. Youâre doing it, keep going âŚpushâŚpullâŚpushâŚpull.â He repeated over and over, as the other men stood there watching they started chiming in with the encouragement.
I was bound and determined to do this. I was not going to give up like some girls probably wouldâve. No, Wade needed me to do this. He needed this to work. I heard the blood pumping in my ears; it was at the same beat as my heart beat.
The blood was coursing through my ears so loud that I could barely hear the guys cheering me on. I heard Wadesâ words encouraging me as he bent over towards my ear. âThatâs it baby, you are almost there. Keep pulling, you can do it.â