I got a mare that I was not at all expecting to be pregnant (I have a thread about the drama of figuring out if she was pregnant on here) and now am seeking assistance with foaling. I have no experience with foals and want to assure everything is as safe as possible. The mare, Ivy, is about a month away from foaling and has placentitis. The foal may be breach as well. I will be calling the vet for recommendations (along with a bunch of other questions I came up with after I left the clinic on Friday), but I wanted to see if anyone had recommendations for someone or a farm with experience that would foal out a mare! I am in upstate SC and would like someplace in the area so I can be involved to some extent of course.
I know people who have sent mares to vet clinics to foal.
[QUOTE=Peggy;8732714]
I know people who have sent mares to vet clinics to foal.[/QUOTE]
Yes, may end up doing that. In the event that the vet thinks we can do it safely without that, I think it’d be better for her to be at a farm that she can stay at for a few weeks instead of a few days. Also will be looking into a teaching hospital as an option, though I have not found anything online about UGAs services and that would be the nearest school.
Check out the foaling places carefully. It isn’t helpful to have the mare at the vet’s if they don’t have continuous monitoring and a vet there at all times. If you might agree to a surgical delivery in an emergency, make sure they can do it. We know people who had their mare at a vet’s clinic. The mare went into labor early and they then had to go to a surgical facility with a newborn intensive care unit for a few days.
Maybe look for TB or Stbd breeders who are experienced in foaling out mares?
My barn foals out several outside mares, mostly standardbreds, each spring, but I don’t think you want to haul her to Indiana.
There is a SC TB breeder association:http://www.sctoba.org/Directory.html
you could inquire at Tryon Equine Clinic?
I adore UGA and have been there a frustrating number of times over the years. They would be a great resource. At a minimum they should know who to recommend in the area.
Vickie Newell does a great job. Vet in NC with foaling facilities. My trainer in Gastonia uses her. We aren’t too far from upstate SC, so the drive might be doable. Vickie is near Winston Salem I think.
Tryon Equine should have some ideas too.
Caveat: I am not a vet or a breeder! But I live in upstate SC.
Do you have a good relationship with a local vet yet? Ask him/her first for recommendations. Poag Reid, dvm, used to be a primary repro vet in the upstate. I don’t think he is still practicing, but I’m sure whoever is running his clinic now would be knowledgeable about possible foaling farms. Creek Run vet clinic in Pendleton.
Other dvm sources include Tryon Equine, UGA, Bibi Freer, Dvm in Tryon who does a lot of repro work. A little further would be NCSU. There are plenty more.
Thanks for the ideas everyone. I’m waiting to get some more info from my vet about having her foal there and awaiting her possible recommendations for experienced boarding facilities, no clear answers just yet regarding what I should do… I guess I’ll just be patient!
NC State has a great foal NICU! our premie spent about 2 weeks up there after birth. Great facilities, constant monitoring, and fantastic docs/staff. Not cheap, but our filly had amazing care up there, and I credit the NC State Vets to her still being with us.
By “a month away from foaling” do you mean she is (or was at the time of the OP) about Day 310? Or is “a month away” a guess based on current signs?
You’ll want to get her moved fairly quickly to her new digs so she can develop antibodies to her new environment to pass on to the foal. Many mares with placentitis (and I assume she’s on abx) have an accelerated development and foal “early”.
UGA or NC State. Both manage high risk pregnancies, which your mare would definitely qualify as.
http://vet.uga.edu/hospital/services/theriogenology_LA
http://www.ncstatevets.org/equinereproduction/
I personally would not send a mare with placentitis and an unknown history to just a “farm,” no matter how experienced they may be. If neither of those suggestions work for you, I’d investigate if any local vet clinics have sufficient repro/neonatal experience.
[QUOTE=JB;8736893]
By “a month away from foaling” do you mean she is (or was at the time of the OP) about Day 310? Or is “a month away” a guess based on current signs?
You’ll want to get her moved fairly quickly to her new digs so she can develop antibodies to her new environment to pass on to the foal. Many mares with placentitis (and I assume she’s on abx) have an accelerated development and foal “early”.[/QUOTE]
That’s a guess, a conservative, “as soon as” guess, based on her status. No clue at all when she was bred except for “sometime in 2015.” Yes, she’s being treated and with SMZs.
I’m moving her next week. Although a clinic situation would be best, the next best is a farm that I was recommended by my vet (and someone on here, huge coincidence! how cool!) whose owner will know exactly when to make the call to the vet if needed and will provide 24 hr monitoring. I trust her and her staff that this is a good option based on her current status and I will have a recheck done in about a week (at the vet’s suggestion) and we can make changes at that point if need be! The vet has wonderful facilities and will be able to perform any necessary procedures should we determine that risk levels have changed on the recheck and we bring her there.
In the meantime, I am super happy to have a plan for my mare!
It sounds like you have a good plan.
