I think many were under the assumption you were new to horses because you did not know your plain bay mare was a plain bay mare. 
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I disagree that a 7 is appropriate for any breed, any horse. It’s too heavy. Just because drafts look fatter than TBs doesn’t mean they don’t still follow the Henneke scoring system. If you can’t feel ribs, they are too fat, that doesn’t matter if it’s a Percheron or a TB. 6 is fine for most horses - not ideal, but fine, and more fine for a mare about to deliver, than one working hard. More ok for a horse who pulls, than for one who jumps
My only anxiety about foaling is getting the foal to nurse.
Cross that bridge if you need to. Don’t be quick to intervene. Some foals have learned early on that if they wait long enough, The Human will come pick them up and take them to the milk bar.
Not too worried about the delivery.
That is the MOST worrisome part of all this. I’d start looking at videos of dystocias, and post-foaling complications. Start thinking about how you will keep the mare monitored more or less 24x7 once she hits about Day 330, or a bit sooner depending on her symptoms. If that’s not something you will be able to do, then I would plan on boarding her where there is 24x7 experienced coverage.
My vet lives close and as long as I see 2 hooves pointed down I know the foal is oriented correctly.
You have to also see the nose. Those 2 legs can be oriented correctly, with the neck twisted back
I have installed a cctv system in my barn so I can keep an eye on things. When it gets close I can monitor it from my phone. She was bred march 17 so I have quite a long time to prepare. Anyone have any other suggestions (other than the obvious routine vet checks)
Ok, so you’ve got a camera, but you’ll need help for the 24x7 monitoring, unless you plan on sleeping in the barn for a few weeks
So it’s far too late to terminate the pregnancy. Good luck on having a foal who isn’t already behind the 8-ball in staying sound because of the wrong combination of breed genetics. I mean that, really.
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You can get a foaling alarm. This tells you when the mare is lying down so it helps a bit with the sleep deprivation.
If she is too fat she will have trouble foaling as the it will cause the foal to be too big.
Once the foaling starts the foal is unable to breathe, so they need help IMMEDIATELY if there is a problem. The foaling should be pretty quick. Most foals suckle instinctively so that bit I would not be worrying about. You will have time then, not if something goes wrong with the foaling.
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Sorry, dude! <slinks away>
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The horse is obviously being driven by an Amish guy. No one else dresses like that. Whether it’s the Amish guy who owns him, I’ve got no idea.
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The guys who builds my sheds is Amish and has a Facebook full of photos of him and his kids? I guess some people are more/less devout. None of my business.
They have a typo in that stallion video which seems a little unprofessional (your for you’re). My main thought on the video is…what has the stallion done other than being driven both ways in that ring by some dude? Anything?
I would be angry if my mare was bred under these circumstances but you seem happy about it now so good luck
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By a stallion. Out of a mare.
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Did the Amish fashion trend get by us?? At least we should sport the hat.
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My friend owns an Ardennes cross with a Friesian and it’s a strange combination. Her back end is Friesian and her front end Ardennes. She is a strange horse, she is the heavy horse for a riding school, she’s good for that and trail. Maybe to pull something. Here’s my 6 year old playing on her in the ring. https://instagram.com/p/Ba1ntRBhV4G/
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That’s most likely what will happen here.
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Was that really necessary?
The OP did ask:
“I would just like someone’s opinion of what it might look like.”
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For an idea as to what this cross might look like, someone recently posted an ad for a Friesien/Percheron cross on the Facebook Group Draft Cross Sport Horse Exchange. That mare looks like a cute all around pleasure type. Doesn’t look like a Frankenhorse.
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“Might look like” is the operative phrase here. There is no telling what the product a Percheron/Belgian cross mare and a Friesian stallion will look like. It’s a gamble I wouldn’t take, but to each their own.
OP, you seem to have no choice at this point in time. You’ll have to wait and hope for the best.
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For sure it’s a gamble when you cross different types like that but it can work. Might as well be hopeful since he seems committed now.
Sounds like the farrier liked the mare and is planning on buying the foal next year. This insemination wasn’t just an “oops.”
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If you don’t want the baby, ask your vet to abort but do it before it is too late. A Friesan Draft cross will be heavy, but will wont be a “Frankenhorse”. (Friesans are a light draft horse , really a carriage horse and pretty close to what you would produce with a modern type Percheron). If you keep the horse and want to get papers, you may have to pay a stud fee even though you did not want this breeding. So if you decide to keep the foal, I would ask (demand?) that the irresponsible farrier take this up with the stallion owner to waive the stud fee and do whatever they need to do on their end for papers without charge.
what I really don’t understand is how anyone let the stallions get close to your mare and breed her and I would be very angry also. We have mares and stallions in my barn and we’ve never had an accidental breeding. Having bred horses, I find it hard to believe that no one noticed what was happening. Personally, I would change farriers as I would assume that if this happened once it could happen again and you can only afford some many horses :).
Another thought: I would NOT let the farrier foal out your mare if you decide to keep the foal. Recommend that you find out what breeding facilities are in your area (your vet will know) and ask the farrier to pay for your mare to go to that facility a month before she is due and to stay there for at least 2 weeks after she foals. If you are inexperienced with horses, the mare and foal will be better off being cared for by someone who has alot of experience with foaling mares and knowing what can go wrong and how to deal with it. I would not trust the farrier who didn’t realize that 2 horses at his place were reproducing to monitor a pregnant mare or a mare in labor. And raising babies is very different than caring for mature horses. Please discuss with your vet!
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The farrier isn’t going to pay for squat. Just waiting for them to ask for a stud fee…
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