13/03/2026
Tonight technology failed us… but nature did not.
We are right in the middle of foaling season at the farm.
One of our mares was getting close to her due time. We were monitoring her milk pH, but nothing suggested the birth would happen that night. Just to be safe, we placed the foaling alarm belt on her at 10:15 pm. Everything seemed perfectly calm.
Then, around 12:15 am, Pupuce, our Kangal dog, suddenly started barking and crying. This was not her usual behavior.
I opened the camera overlooking the stable yard to check on her and tried to calm her from a distance.
But she kept insisting. On the screen I could see her crying, looking towards the stable and then back at the camera, as if she was trying to tell us something was wrong.
At that moment I knew something wasn’t normal.
Before even going outside to check, I opened the camera of the foaling box… just to reassure myself.
And my heart stopped.
The foal was already there.
Christophe and I ran as fast as we could to the stable. The foal had just been born, still wet in the straw.
The moment we entered the box, Pupuce immediately calmed down and quietly stood behind the door, as if her job was done.
Since she was very young, we have always shown her the newborn foals so she understands that they are part of her world — part of the family.
This morning we checked the alarm system.
It was working perfectly.
So we went back to the recorded camera footage from the foaling box during the night.
And everything became clear.
The mare had foaled standing up, slowly walking, and the foal simply dropped gently into the thick straw.
She never laid down.
This type of foaling alarm is triggered when the mare lies down to foal.
That is why the alarm never went off.
Technology detected nothing.
But Pupuce knew.
For her, it simply wasn’t normal that we were not there.
Thanks to her warning, we arrived in time to help the foal wake up, stand up and start nursing.
Kangals are known for their intelligence, instinct and protective nature.
Tonight, Pupuce proved it once again.
Good girl, Pupuce. ❤️