The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Horses, ponies, donkeys & mules => Topic started by: daniellestocks on January 03, 2010, 08:29:19 pm
-
Happy new year all! :)
Anyone out there with any foaling experience? ???
Its my and the fillys first time foaling, of which i am extremely excited about but also very nervous! been doing pleanty of reading up, got the inlaws to hand and going to go over it all with the vet!
Was wondering if you knowledgeble guys have any good hints and tips?
Shes a little Tbred filly in foal to a middleweight coloured sports horse (both 15.2), due end of Feb and will be foaling inside
Any info much appreciated xx :) and your own storey and experiences?
-
How exciting for you - first foal is always special! At least foaling indoors, it will be better for you, as the weather could be rather chilly for outdoor foal watching.
I don't have any foals due this year, but hope to get two of my fillies in foal this spring.
Like anything else, foals come in their own good time - I had one who was born exactly 11 calender months later. This summer, my friend camped out in a caravan in the field as it was her mares first foal - she foaled two weeks late, and my friend was dead on her feet, as she had been up through the night for two weeks checking her!!!
A foaling bucket is a good idea, with things you are likely to need - you will probably not use them, but it is comforting to have them to hand, and it goes without saying, your mobile phone with you, and the vets number. Can I suggest that you have a notebook and put in it, the really important bits from the book you have read ie. stages of foaling and what to expect at each stage, and when to ring the vet etc. Its a lot easier to look in a notebook, than trying to get to the relevant page in a book, when you may be in a bit of a panic. You can add bits to the book too. Again, you may not need the book, but at least its there.
It is very tempting to "want to be there" for the foaling - but a lot of mares will wait until you go for a cup of tea or something and then foal, so I watch from a distance, and if the mare is managing, then leave her to it. A camera in the stable is great, so you can watch from the house - not that I have that luxury unfortunately!!
People expect the foal to be born, and be on its feet immediately. Don't worry if its a while before it does so, and it is a bit worrying watching the first few attempts when it looks like it is going to hurt iteself as it tries to stand and falls back with a thud - it will do it in the end.
It is important that you see the foal take its first drink, again it may not be immediate, so don't worry. Some foals are a bit slow on finding the milk bar, and some mares who are first foalers, sometimes wonder what on earth that little animal is, but they soon accept it!!
I am sure your book will tell you to make sure the mare expells the afterbirth, and do not be tempted to pull it, as it will be hanging more than likely.....better to tie it up if you can, so she does not tread on it. Some mares need a jab to help her expell the afterbirth, but our vet does not worry if it takes a few hours.
Once the foal is here, you will find it hard to get on with anything else, but watch it - be warned :)
-
I have been very lucky to see all my foals born due to having camera's in the stable building. One mare would bring herself in from the field to the front of the building and give birth on a large area of straw. All her foals were born during the day. It was almost as if she waited until I came home from work at lunch time to keep an eye on her. The one thing I will say which is very important, if when she starts to give birth you do not see Both feet, one in front of the other is normal, call your vet right away. You have such a short time to save a foal as the birth is fast unlike cows and sheep. It takes a lot of experience to correct a bad presentation and any time wasted gives you less chance of a happy outcome. On the other hand do not be surprised if you get up one morning to mother and baby. foaling has taught me what most husband must feel like waiting for the wife to give birth ;D :horse:
-
Great advice thanks guys! Will definitly go for the notebook!
My father inlaw said he had a mare go 13 months once! omg! I dont think i could wait that long!!! :o lol
Im getting more giddy by the day! ;D
Ive worked it out to be due on (around) 6th March, so will still be chilly, was wondering would it be wise to get a little foal rug in ready?
Im also going to leave it till mid feb to wean Star's rug off her, its so cold here at the mo she is in with her big turnout on! Im itching for the snow to go shes been in now for 3 weeks!
Ive been kind of keeping a photo diary if ud like a look at my pics?
http://www.facebook.com/danielle.stocks?ref=profile#/album.php?aid=109606&id=750862360&ref=mf
Thanks Danielle :horse: :love:
-
I personally would never rug a foal - but thats because mine are Dales and Fells - very hardy breeds, even the foals. But I do realise this is not the case for all breeds. Obviously I would allow the mare to bond with her foal, licking and nuzzling it, before putting a rug on. and of coursemake sure the foal cannot get caught by the rug, or catch it on anything in the stable
-
Well roxy i was thinking the same about not wanting to rug a foal was only going to for turnout anyway, but as she is having an early foal it will be very cold up here still and depending on were i figure out to turn them out i mite get away with not doing so! ??? in her usual field there is no shelter from wind or rain, and also in the front field, but there is a smaller area walled quite high which mite be wind proofish? but hardly any grass, so will have to give her haylage in it and wait till it warms up to turn her in her usual field, on thinking will probably be a grand idea coz ill see them fom my kitchen window! ;) :horse: :love:
-
Day 370 gestation and still waiting ::) he or she is a slow grower, lol
There will be no need for a foaly rug after all ;D
Im readyer that ready for this little monkey to show its face
-
A breeder friend of mine quite often has mares go two weeks over, and she always says thats a colt, and it always seems to be so. Apparantly they are slower to make an appearance.
I suppose you are peering at the mares udder, feeling for slackness under the tail, and checking if her belly looks to have dropped yet?!!! Thats what I do, and the mare looks at me as if I am crazy (and the neighbours definitely think I am, when they see me yet again, going through the motions .....!)
Hope all goes well, and the foalie makes an appearance soon.
-
Check muscles down the back of haunches for relaxed muscles, also whether her milk vein is pronounced.Personally all our mares foal outside, and then brought in if the weather is inclement. Hope baby comes along soon :D
-
Hi Danielle the only foal I bred was in 1989. For the full term of her pregnancy the vet kept telling me Teaku wasn't pregnant. I kept saying yes she was. Anyway a month after her due date and no foal I believed him. The next day voila there was a little brown colt trotting along beside her. She did it all on her own and outside, not that is what I wanted to happen. When I rang the Vet he didn't believe me as we had had an ongoing joke, eventually after five minutes of screaming at him, he believed me.
-
Been doing all the checks morn an night, she keeps getting me thinking shes might be starting most nights lately, as when i tie her up to muck out she gets swishy and stompy and tummy checking, but i put her back in an shes as quiet as a mouse ::)
As they do, it will come when its ready !
I was looking at some websites with info on overdue mares and the longest known gestation period on record was 442 days!!!! :o imagine that! poor mare!
Im not keen on the old wives tales of colts being the late ones, i was hoping for a filly, lol
-
There are lots of mares late coming to foaling this year. I hope you don't have to wait too long. :)
-
We will send filly vibes your way then!!
I have two fillies off a mare, and was hoping for a colt last year. She had a colt before the two fillies, so thought maybe there was a chance, and bingo - last years foal was a colt.
-
ITS A FILLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :love: :horse: :love:
Born sometime this morn, a very pretty leggy skewbald :love:
Trying to get a pic on but its saying its too big ???
-
Congratulations!
worth the wait then?!!
(try using a 'photobucket' account to upload you pics?)
-
Yay congrats :D seems to be a filly year this year :D Typical and we didnt cover anything lol
-
Ive joined photobucket, think ive done it right ??? http://s918.photobucket.com/albums/ad30/daniellestocks/
Also on the facebook album from previous link,
Thanks for the filly vibes lol, im over the moon,
Both seem to be doing well, my mare was a tad stroppy at first but is settling, we had to tie her up and help ellie foal out with the first 2 suckles, went to check before tea and she was up and atempting to suckle and the mare was standing still and quiet for her, so things are looking promising :) :love:
-
yes, its right.... she's absolutely gorgeous!
-
Congratulations - so pleased its a filly for you. She is gorgeous.
-
Congratulations ;D
-
Congratulations! She's lovely.
-
Ahhh shes a beauty :love:
-
Thanks guys, im so proud!! its like being a mum again, lol :love:
Mummy doesnt have much of a bag, but baby is suckling and looking well, got the vet coming to check both over and see about the bag/milk situation, then going out for a graze thisaft, in the big wide world :)
Cant help but walk over and stand and look at every opertunity i get! Shes so cute and adictive
-
are you keeping her?
And does she have a name yet?!
-
My daughter has named her Ellie, but on her passport it will be Puzzled Star, a mix of mum + dads names ;D
Unfortunatly i wont be keeping her, but unsure weather to sell her as weaned or show her for a season and then put her on the market? i shall see nearer the time ???
Shes had her tb jab today and both had an mot :D so glad to report both are doing very well :love:
-
Puzzled star is a lovely name (and ellie!)
it'll be hard to part with her either way...
-
Had the vet out again last nite seems my mare doesnt have enough milk :( and the faol was weezing yesterday, he said she mayhave the starts of pneumonia :( :( and to add to all my mare was very lame on her crap hoof so (abcess maybe) so got to get the farrier up, got the mare on penicillin and bute, also foal to jab and to find some milk replacer on a bloody sunday!!!!
But on a brighter note foal is all well in itself and the weezing has stopped when i went out to feed thismorn :) So fingers crossed for little ellie xxx :love:
-
As you said fingers crossed, here's hoping all works out well - I am sure it will. :)
-
Awww poor babe and mummy :( I canask on one or two pony forums if you like see if theres anyone near you with replacement? I can see from your profile where you are. ;)
-
Hope your filly is doing well, the first foal is always a worry and a delight. If it is possible keep her to show as selling a foal is not that easy and by keeping her you will know that she has had a good start in life. Far too many people buy a foal thinking its cheaper than getting a ready to ride horse then find out they have not got a clue how to raise a baby and before you know it your pride and joy has changed hands again.
-
Well both are doing ok, got some replacer milk to supplement but she wont have it, and mares milk off someone out of their freezer also turned her nose up! ::) Fussy little thing she is lol, but glad there both doing ok. There in good little routine going out every morn for the day, and the weather has been sooooo nice!!!
On monday my little girl spilt water in the laptop so im in the libray at the mo, its been so frustrating being able to click thru website and not having the all the keys to form a sentance and reply grrrr!!! So thanks for the offer Hellybee i wasnt being ignorant lol
Danielle
-
No worries hun ;0 Have you tried putting the replacment in a bucket . Ooo right yeah there is a good build up supplement out there too, i cant remember it proper name of it at the mo, but anyway it comes in a small milk pellet and is for pones that need extra help buidling up but it is also or foals too. Glad things are going ok for you, bar the laptop incident ::)