{"id":3170,"date":"2020-02-04T13:35:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T12:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/neu.hestasaga.com\/2019\/07\/11\/die-hebamme-lukka\/"},"modified":"2020-04-30T09:42:56","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T07:42:56","slug":"die-hebamme-lukka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hestasaga.com\/en\/2020\/02\/04\/die-hebamme-lukka\/","title":{"rendered":"The midwife Lukka"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Friendships between horses express themselves in different ways. Hekla Hattenberger Hermundsd\u00f3ttir had the opportunity to observe an incredible moment between two mares and told us about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The most extraordinary experience I remember was with a horse that I didn’t even own myself. I was still living in Iceland at the time.
The mare was called Lukka fr\u00e1 V\u00ed\u00f0ihl\u00ed\u00f0, a great, beautiful dark bay pinto mare! The owners daughter came to visit her only two or three times a year, otherwise I took care of her and kept her busy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Lukka was two years old, she had a friend in the herd, Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds fr\u00e1 \u00c6giss\u00ed\u00f0u, who was almost 5 years old and pregnant. The owner of Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds and I were eagerly awaiting the birth which we wanted to witness in any case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, we got the herd used to us a few weeks before and spent many sleepless nights with the mares in the pasture until they got used to us being near them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lukka fr\u00e1 V\u00ed\u00f0ihl\u00ed\u00f0<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It was indeed the night after Eurovision 2011 with the Icelandic contribution Vinir Sjonna, when the time finally came. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds became very restless and we moved to our observation post where we were close enough to see everything exactly without disturbing the mare. – A birth is always an extraordinary experience, but what we were to witness here exceeded everything we could imagine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the birth process began, Lukka did not leave Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds’ side. But not only that, she also made sure that her friend had peace and quiet. To make sure no other horse from the herd came near “her D\u00edsa” she bit all the other mares away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds finally lay down in labour pains, Lukka stayed with her ears laid back and watched over her. She kept sniffing at her and walking around her as if she wanted to check if everything was okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, the birth progressed quite quickly, but when the foal reached the most difficult part, the shoulder area, it stalled. Lukka also seemed to feel this critical moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sjonni fr\u00e1 Selfossi with his mother Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds fr\u00e1 \u00c6giss\u00ed\u00f0u III<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

After waiting for a while she suddenly stood behind Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds’ back, lifted her left leg and tapped carefully on her friend’s stomach. We held our breath and were ready to intervene quickly, but we decided to observe the event a little longer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For what seemed to be an endless moment nothing happened, the foal seemed to be stuck in the birth canal – a fatal situation! – And Lukka reacted again! Again, she lifted her leg, laid it flat on Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds’ trunk and pulled it carefully back and forth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It looked as if she was massaging the mother’s stomach. Then, she put her weight on her hind legs and pressed her hoof against Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds’ stomach. She repeated this several times – and suddenly, Sjonni slipped out of his mother’s belly. By a miracle – or by Lukka’s birth assistance, everything had come to a good end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, we were petrified by the incredible experience we had just witnessed and which I might not believe if I had not been there myself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I got scared that Lukka might try to “steal” Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds foal, but none of this happened. We waited for Sjonni to get up, drink and stomp around on his shaky legs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Lukka stayed next to them and made sure that no horse from the herd came too close to the new family member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After this event, Lukka was no different to Sjonni than to the other members of the herd. Also, I could not see that she was grieving when Stj\u00f6rnud\u00eds was sold and they had to separate. She is obviously a born midwife!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lukka is a very special horse. I had many special moments with this horse, but the birth experience was the most exciting thing I have experienced with her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was very attached to the mare and it hurt me that I could not buy her when I moved abroad. Unfortunately, I have not been able to visit her here in Austria yet, but at least she is not so far away from me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wonder if she would recognise me or if she is perhaps angry with me because I simply disappeared from her life? In any case, I can’t get her out of my mind!<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Hekla Hattenberger Hermundsd\u00f3ttir<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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IS2008255335 Lukka fr\u00e1 V\u00ed\u00f0ihl\u00ed\u00f0<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Born:<\/strong> 6 June 2008
Father: Lykill fr\u00e1 Varmalandi<\/strong>
Ff.:<\/strong> T\u00edgull fr\u00e1 G\u00fdgjarh\u00f3li
Fm.:<\/strong> S\u00ed\u00f0a fr\u00e1 Halld\u00f3rsst\u00f6\u00f0um
Mother:<\/strong> Drottning fr\u00e1 Uxahrygg
Mf.:<\/strong> unknown
Mm.:<\/strong> D\u00edla fr\u00e1 Uxahrygg <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A mare as a midwife? How an icelandic horse performs birth assistance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"series":[],"speaker":[],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/www.hestasaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Lukka_Heklab.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/www.hestasaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/podcast-img-scaled.jpg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":[],"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/www.hestasaga.com\/en\/feed\/podcast\/hestasaga","embedCode":"

The midwife Lukka<\/a><\/blockquote>