foal handling from wheelchair

[cyfskid]

OK everyone is in agreement that maybe having this foal is a really bad bad idea(if she was younger the foal would be medically miscarriage by the recuse farm vets) but she wouldn’t cope medically with it shes going to be a first time mum at 24 and we not sure how she will cope with birth or the foal(mentally) . there are some questions being raised about abuse before i brought her. and we are unsure of her true condition is and what is foal related condition

anyway how do i deal with mum not getting with baby issues from my chair if they arise?

how do i teach the foal to lead and tie and float and pick up its feet from a wheelchair? ab humans are in short supply and the recuse farm is serial hours drive and boat ride away

[tarynls]

You can try posting this on the breeding forum as they have MUCH more experience handling foals.

However… handling a foal is a challenge for a person who is not in a wheelchair. You need to have two hands free to teach them to lead. Often, when first learning to lead, you will have a halter and lead on the foal along with a butt rope to encourage them to move forward…along with a halter and lead on the mare. Can you manage all that?

Foals will test their boundries. What will you do when the foal starts running and bucking in the stall? Foals also will kick and bite when they’re trying to figure out their place in the herd. How will you handle that? Foals are QUICK and you need to be able to get out of the way. I’ve been nailed before by a hoof when leading (broken hand; foal reared and hit my hand with her hoof on the way down).

How far along is the mare? I would be worried about the physical condition of a 24 year old maiden mare. Birth is a rough process on the body. If there are questions of abuse and you’re worried how she’ll mentally handle a foal (ie. will she reject the foal?) are you prepared to raise the foal as an orphan?

Please get suggestions from people that are very experienced in handling foals (again…repost this on the breeding forum, the folks there are very knowledgable).

[cyfskid]

[QUOTE=tarynls;4967040]

How far along is the mare? I would be worried about the physical condition of a 24 year old maiden mare. Birth is a rough process on the body. If there are questions of abuse and you’re worried how she’ll mentally handle a foal (ie. will she reject the foal?) are you prepared to raise the foal as an orphan?

Please get suggestions from people that are very experienced in handling foals (again…repost this on the breeding forum, the folks there are very knowledgable).[/QUOTE]

no im not ready for this foal at all
end of the month the vet reckons
:no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no::no:

[cyfskid]

i brought her with the owner saying two weeks(that was 6 months ago) and the foal will here

[tarynls]

also…there is a poster here that competes in combined driving. She is in a chair and does a lot of the horse work herself. Her user name is cadriver

Maybe you could send her an email or a PM? Just to see how she handles her horses - she may have some suggestions for you.

[cadriver]

Okay so I have raised 14 foals from a wheelchair. It is no big deal really:-) So you have to be creative sometimes… I have mom and foal in big box stall 12 X16. 12 X 12 is really to small for person in chair, mare and foal. 12 X16 allows a little escape room:-)

Then I go in a put halter and lead on mare just so it is on the mare, I then have soft cotton lead in my lap and I try and manauver foal into corner useing my chair and the mare to sandwhich the foal in the corner I then grab on to the wall with one hand which is behind butt of foal and block front of foal with mare and body of foal with chair:-) Then I pet foal love on it etc. I may or may not put cotton rope around foals neck.

But one thing I eventually do is wrap rope around the neck and cross the rope at the whithers of foal and bring it back around the butt of the foal this creates a figure 8 and allows me to control the foal with one hand and keep it in place then I can halter, pet pick up feet etc.

One thing don’t bed the stall to deep it can be difficult to manuever the chair in the bedding.

Please don’t let people tell you you can’t do it, it is really no big deal, you need to watch for little feet kicking and make sure they don’t get caught in your chair. Start handling the foal right from day one, they are easy to man handle around and then they get used to it. Most of my foals become easy to halter by day 4 or 5. I have had some tough ones though that took longer. Teaching to lead If the mare leads well I will tie the foals lead rope around the neck of the mare and let her teach the foal to lead. I lead mare foal wants to follow mare so will usually lead pretty well this way, sometimes you get the foal pulling back but the mare will usually just stop and wait until foal is done fighting. No need for butt rope or any of those contraptions you see advertised to teach a foal to lead… Once the foal gets the idea you can start to lead it on its own. I usually wait until the foal is a week or so old before I tie to the mare… It really depends on foal and the mare.

Feel free to ask questions… Sometimes you just have to think of things outside of the box:-)

Diane Kastama
just back from show in Oregon

[cyfskid]

hi im also one handed(had to opt for splinting the right waist long story)

are you a power chair user?

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

[QUOTE=cadriver;4967481]
Okay so I have raised 14 foals from a wheelchair. It is no big deal really:-) So you have to be creative sometimes… I have mom and foal in big box stall 12 X16. 12 X 12 is really to small for person in chair, mare and foal. 12 X16 allows a little escape room:-)

Then I go in a put halter and lead on mare just so it is on the mare, I then have soft cotton lead in my lap and I try and manauver foal into corner useing my chair and the mare to sandwhich the foal in the corner I then grab on to the wall with one hand which is behind butt of foal and block front of foal with mare and body of foal with chair:-) Then I pet foal love on it etc. I may or may not put cotton rope around foals neck.

But one thing I eventually do is wrap rope around the neck and cross the rope at the whithers of foal and bring it back around the butt of the foal this creates a figure 8 and allows me to control the foal with one hand and keep it in place then I can halter, pet pick up feet etc.

One thing don’t bed the stall to deep it can be difficult to manuever the chair in the bedding.

Please don’t let people tell you you can’t do it, it is really no big deal, you need to watch for little feet kicking and make sure they don’t get caught in your chair. Start handling the foal right from day one, they are easy to man handle around and then they get used to it. Most of my foals become easy to halter by day 4 or 5. I have had some tough ones though that took longer. Teaching to lead If the mare leads well I will tie the foals lead rope around the neck of the mare and let her teach the foal to lead. I lead mare foal wants to follow mare so will usually lead pretty well this way, sometimes you get the foal pulling back but the mare will usually just stop and wait until foal is done fighting. No need for butt rope or any of those contraptions you see advertised to teach a foal to lead… Once the foal gets the idea you can start to lead it on its own. I usually wait until the foal is a week or so old before I tie to the mare… It really depends on foal and the mare.

Feel free to ask questions… Sometimes you just have to think of things outside of the box:-)

Diane Kastama
just back from show in Oregon[/QUOTE]

Ok, I’m cross posting from the breeding thread, so I apologize, but I just really don’t want the OP to get hurt!! The difference is, I bet Diane’s mares aren’t putting people (i.e. a man) in the hospital? I’m just worried this mare will be even worse after foaling. I’ve had normally NICE mares get aggressive with newborn foals around.

Please look to your own safety.

[cadriver]

Okay so lets say the mare is a pain. Start handling her now before she foals. If you think she will reject the foal or won’t let it nurse be prepared to have the vet come out. The vet can tranq the mare a bit to make it easier for the foal to nurse if she is upset the first few times the foal tries to nurse. I have a mare that didn’t want the foal to nurse and I was ready in case I needed to tranq her but I managed by putting a lip chain on the mare and the foal was strong and once she started to nurse the mare was fine. The pressure was relieved and it felt good. Most of the mares I have bred have been maiden mares so first time momma’s. It can be a trying time one mare I bred had lived on her own for 8 years on a 1000 acre ranch, brought her in and I bred her she was a pig no manners but turned into a wonderful momma. But I have a good vet on call. And usually a friend or neighbor to call in case the foal needs to be pulled out. That is kind of hard from a chair, I’ve tried. Especially a manual chair since it rolls:-) Most cases I just stay out of the way and let nature take its course. This is the safeste and surest bet anyways. Yes, don’t do anything to put you in danger, but then most of the stuff I do with horses puts me in danger, just do what is within your comfort level and find help for the rest…

Diane Kastama

[cyfskid]

ok she was dripping milk for the first 7 days we had her and then it dyed up the vet couldn’t give us answers and was like will dry up thankfully it

[cyfskid]

foal was born dead earlier in the week. abby filly

[KLS]

So sorry for your loss.