Foal Watch 2023

[EventerAJ]

Managed to take a few photos of the older foals today. Her Special Way’s filly (“Seven”) continues to impress, and she’s getting huge! Hard to believe she’s just 5 days older than Tiz A Mystery’s colt (“Norman”). I love Seven so much we bred Special back to Saketini last week-- fingers crossed for another one just like this! It may not be the best financial decision, as Special’s 2021 colt by Valiant Minister worked a quarter in 20.4 and sold for $150k two weeks ago at OBS, perhaps we should have taken her back to a commercial racing stallion…but I LOVE this filly!

Norman has been…a challenge…in some odd ways. He was very anti-social for the first month, hypersensitive to touch, difficult to catch, and wanted nothing to do with people or his filly friend. Not a typical “shy” foal or particularly fearful, more like autistic behavior. He was glued to his dam, like a day-old foal even when he was 3+ weeks, and didn’t run and play much like a normal foal should. Thus earning him the name “Norman” (Bates), my little psycho with an unhealthy mother obsession (lol). Thankfully he is beginning to grow up and is choosing to interact more with others, is easier to catch, and seems to process normal behaviors more appropriately. He seems to do best wearing a fly mask that dulls some of his facial hypersensitivity.

[UrbanHennery]

Is there any chance Norman is partially or fully blind? I know it’s less common in horses without white faces, but?

[edit] I realize I was thinking of deafness with my comment about white faces. But my question stands.

[EventerAJ]

No, vet has checked his eyes multiple times-- that was a first thought, that maybe he had vision issues. But he can see quite well, especially when avoiding being caught, avoiding putting his nose in the halter, ducking under his mother, etc. He has no trouble avoiding obstacles in the stall or outside.

For the past 5 days he has been more willing to be caught, less reactive about haltering, and just barely beginning to enjoy being scratched. Previously, he would act like he’s being electrocuted when you touched his face, nose, neck, back, or hip. Body went completely rigid, jerking, tense, clearly not enjoying it. He flat out refused to make contact; most foals are curious and will sniff an outstretched hand, they want to touch you and explore you. I would kneel down in the straw and wait. I could wait 30 minutes and he never showed any interest in coming over. Reaching out to him, he would turn his nose away-- not outright leave and hide, but totally avoid contact. If I went a little further to touch him, he flung his head up dramatically, and would persist even with consistent light touch.

I tried to spend 10 minutes a day rubbing him, and he acted like it was pure torture. I would also ignore him at other times and groom his mother–who loves people-- and twice he came after me with ears pinned and turned his butt at me (plainly telling me to GET OUT and GO AWAY) just for brushing the mare’s hindquarters. Completely bizarre. Thankfully the aggression hasn’t happened since, and he finally accepts being rubbed on his neck and shoulders. He is also reaching out to my hand (sometimes), and much less jerky about the halter going over his nose (what most foals accept within two or three days). He doesn’t appear to be in pain, he nurses normally, gets up and down easily, no temperature, bloodwork is fine, etc. I’ve tried to be patient and let him grow out of it-- many foals will have a shy stage around 7-10 days-- but I’ve not quite had one as anti-social as him. It will be interesting to see how he develops, if he comes out of his shell as he ages, at weaning, etc.

[UrbanHennery]

Fascinating. Hopefully he just continues to warm up to people. I had a mini mule for years that acted like that. She had her reasons, and I loved her for other reasons, but that part was one of my least satisfying equid relationships on that front.

[jvanrens]

@UrbanHennery

[edit] I realize I was thinking of deafness with my comment about white faces. But my question stands.

The white pattern that causes deafness is one of the splash white patterns (SW2), found primarily in AQHA and APHA, related to one bloodline. It’s not the white on the face that causes the deafness, but white located in the inner ear.

[greymatter]

My mare is around day 315 or so. No udder development to speak of but she is continuing to get pretty big in the belly. Her foal is very active and moves around a lot, which is fun to watch. She’ll go off to the foaling farm in another couple of weeks unless she looks like she needs to go sooner. I’m loving all the baby photos! Congratulations everyone on your beautiful foals!

[fordtraktor]

I dropped Cora off at the vet to foal yesterday. Today is day 325 (I have been keeping an eye on her at home until now). I am taking my kids on vacation for spring break starting this evening, so I am sure she will foal while I am gone! I really want to be there but as long as it goes well, it doesn’t really matter I know.

She is big as a house and barely fit in my straight load! But she trailered the 10 minutes really well and settled in quickly. Good luck, my darling girl!

[JBCool]

Huh. I knew there was a correlation, but didn’t know the exact why. Thanks for the explanation!

[FromTheGalaxy]

Good luck Cora!! Maybe be kind and wait until your human is home

Love seeing the updated pics on your older babies @EventerAJ. I have to say, I don’t blame you for breeding Seven’s mama back to her daddy. That is a nice looking filly! And hopefully Norman continues to come around. I’m still working on finding Phoenix’s favorite itchy spot, he’s a bit shy but not terribly upset about people handling him.

[jvanrens]

Glad I could help! It’s odd that the white pigment in the inner ear is a problem. Something you cannot see from the outside.

Sorry for the sidetrack everyone. Good luck to all the expectant mares out there!

[skydy]

Don’t be sorry. It was educational for those of us unfamiliar with Paint breeding.

[Montanas_Girl]

Well, culture/cytology results on my mares to be bred this year are in. Arielle, like the good little career broodmare she is, had some light growth of organisms often/normally present on skin, and the cytology confirmed that this is likely just a contaminant. So she’s good to go for the season. But Sydney, despite being Caslicked since last summer, once again has a positive culture/cytology with gram negative rods (I’m assuming E.coli but haven’t gotten those details yet). So she’ll go to the clinic next week to be treated before we even attempt to cycle and breed.

This mare. I swear she’s out to bankrupt me! She also somehow managed to pull one of the (very heavy - as in, took two men to hang) solid wood sliding doors out of its track and off the side of the barn yesterday. Just for giggles, I’m sure; she’s had a week off of work due to my busy schedule and tends to turn destructive when she’s bored, even on pasture.

[Arzny]

I had Lisvernane’s ‘20 colt as a yearling. He was a lovely boy. Glad to see she’s found a good spot!

[EventerAJ]

That’s awesome! I have been following his racing career since we bought her. He’s now named “Kentucky Joker,” owned by Calumet and trained by Dale Romans, running at Gulfstream. He finished a strong second in his first start, but has been a little disappointing since. Hopefully he gets sorted out and turns into a winner!

Bloodwork came back great for Liver’s filly, and “normal for her” (per vet) for the mare. She has been picky with her food again, have ordered ulcer meds and waiting for them to arrive. The filly continues to do really well, and is so sweet and kind (like Mom). I’m thinking of calling her “Vidalia” (as in sweet onion…Liver and onion…lol).

All 5 remaining mares continue their holding pattern, ranging from 333 days to 360. Regatta Colors fluctuates between 17-24 brix, Prayer Bell was at 13 this morning, Faerie Queene at 5, and nothing testable from Champagne On Tap or Sophie’s Meatball. If Sophie was the only mare I had, sitting at 360, I would be tearing my hair out! Luckily I have plenty of others to keep me busy (and patient) waiting on her.

Norman is steadily turning into a normal month-old foal. He’s becoming easy to catch and halter, and actually seems to interact with Seven now. I’ve been able to handle him, and pick up his feet without overreaction. Perhaps he’s just a very late bloomer?

[Montanas_Girl]

I love the name “Vidalia” for Liver’s filly!

[pony_grandma]

So it’s storm season - where are all these 4 a.m. foals??

[4horses]

My friend had a foal like Norman. She named her Diva. I don’t know if Diva ever became more personable. She sold her rather quickly. All the other foals out of that mare were extremely friendly, but Diva was rather standoffish and inclined to kick.

[EventerAJ]

No new foals yet. Just a lot of fat, cranky mares not in a hurry to do anything but eat and swat flies. I have a major show coming up in a few weeks, and I’m sure all the mares are holding off, plotting to keep me up every night and through the morning when I should be competing. It’s a full moon, a big weather change is coming this weekend, it should be “go time” but no one wants to think about making colostrum yet. :sigh:

Norman is getting much more friendly and “normal.” He comes up to the gate to be caught and haltered, leads well for his age, and allows me to briefly pick up all four feet. He even enjoys scratches; though he won’t come running over for attention, at least he isn’t running away. He is much more interactive with his filly friend, and is quick to whine for her and stand at the gate if I’m too slow turning Special and Seven back outside.

Liver is very slowly coming out of her doldrums, but her filly is doing great. Super friendly, kind, and easy. I’m still considering a nurse mare, but I almost worry that taking the filly away will make Liver fret and worry too much…causing additional stress that won’t help her condition either.

[weixiao]

Still waiting here! My mare progessed much more slowly after the first signs this year vs last year, so she has kept us guessing a bit but really started looking imminent yesterday morning. I’m hoping the storms and the full moon might inspire something!

My other mare was bred last week so I’m crossing my fingers for her first check next week. Lots of anticipation and waiting here right now!

[Arzny]

My filly foaled a huge and leggy colt this AM. There was no baby at 4am and by 6am he was there and drying. Pictures to follow!