Just under three weeks “overdue”. But there would have to have been other issues too.
So not a premature foal. That’s something at least. Fingers crossed.
I believe her due date was February 23.
thank you foal patrol and the farms for sharing these lovely mares. Hoping for the best for the mare, and the filly.
Wow, I did not know C-sections were possible for horses. Sounds so risky, but I guess they had no choice.
Hoping for the best. Hang in there, NMH and NMH20, jingling for you.
A premature foal vet wouldn’t have lungs that are developed enough for it to live. A vet wouldn’t do a C-section with a premature foal unless it was to save the mare.
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Yes, I do understand that. Thus the relief. Probably should have written “early” to be more clear. Photo was up after my post.
Encouraging news from Foal Patrol:
[I]March 12th, 2020
An update on New Money Honey and her foal from Indian Creek farm:
"As of this afternoon (March 12) New Money Honey and foal are both progressing well. The foal is bright, active and has been taken off supportive oxygen therapy. Milk consumption continues to increase without issues.
The mare has been taken off supportive IV fluids without issue. She has a fantastic appetite and manure production is appropriate.These are encouraging signs from both.
On behalf of everyone, we would like to thank everyone for their support and encouraging messages."[/I]
Still jingling…
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I’ve always found “appropriate manure production” to be quite thrilling in a post-op mare. :yes:
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Amen to that! Been there, done that!
As far as pulling goes…once any of my mares (over 25 years worth of foaling experience) is down and pushing and committed, I always check to make sure we have 2 feet and a nose coming. If that is the case, I let her push a bit and then sometimes apply gentle traction on the front legs down towards the mare’s hocks when she pushes.
Depending on the mare - I watch from right at the stall door or am in there with her quietly.
Actual pulling would be if she was tiring quickly or I felt that things were taking too long and we were getting close to crucial timing. Again, pulling down towards her hocks.
Hip locks - once you discover the foal is locked, you need to rotate him 90 degrees toward the mare’s back as you carefully push him back where he came from… you can usually feel the slight relaxation when the foal comes unglued and then you can turn him back the right way and help him out…
I know some of you know all this!
Foaling can be the best of times and the worst of times. If something goes wrong, it is all up to me - by the time the vet gets there it could be too late.
The most sickening feeling is checking on the foal’s position when the mare has been pushing a bit with no results… . and you feel a little butt and a tail…
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If a mare has a C-section, would that cause any problems that would prevent her from being bred in the future? I’m guessing New Money Honey probably won’t get bred back this year. Would whatever problem was going on this year cause problems for future foalings? I guess it depends on what the problem was.
May I just say that Vaulcluse’s stall at Gainesway (she is due 3/16) is gorgeous?
The one mare that I knew that had a successful c-section was never bred again, but that was rather a long time ago and the procedure may have undergone improvements that could make another pregnancy safer, and more likely to succeed, than it would have been back then.
At the time, her owner/breeder (my employer) would not risk the mare by breeding her again. Mother nature smiled upon us, and the filly that was delivered was stunning and took her Dam’s place in the breeding program years later.
Surely someone here knows the current practice…
@Laurie B I can’t find a picture of her (she’s beautiful) in her stall. Link? The live stream isn’t up or I am doing something wrong.
OK, thanks. I’ll try again tomorrow.
Update on New Money Honey and baby said everything is going well. There is an adorable video of the baby outside.
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Watching Vaulcluse. The feed is buffering a lot. She’s been down for awhile. Having a look at her belly now and then.
It’s pretty impossible to watch with the constant buffering.
I wonder if that’s related to the bad weather here (heavy rain.) But I think it’s just a poor connection.
any more updates on NMH? hope she and the filly are doing ok.
Ashado and her filly are. Ashado 20 is hoot when she bounces around.
Seeing those videos really makes me miss working with foals and weaners. They’re so flippin’ cute, and the mares… I do miss it all so much.
Breeding horses is such a great experience. If you can make it through the heartbreak and the horror that is an unfortunate part of breeding, (seriously, when it goes wrong it can make you never want to be involved again) it is extremely rewarding.
I suppose when everything went right, which was most of the time in my experience, it made the bad times tend to disappear for while, though I never could really forget them.
Here’s hoping for a great season for all of you (and your mares) who have foals on the way.
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