Ditto this. You are nowhere near to foaling yet. Conserve your energy. :winkgrin:
Yeah, I haven’t slept out there yet, but the tent is pitched and the mattress is set up. Now I’m checking her right before I go to bed late at night, and the results have been telling me to sleep at the house. Each time I’ve been really tempted to sleep out there, my fiance talks me out of it. Man, I wish she’d just hurry up already. I can’t quit waking up in the middle of the night after dreaming that she’s had her foal and I’ve missed it!
Oh, here’s another example of Mutt Daddy offspring. http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k171/erikahana824/Miscellaneous2/?action=view¤t=muttdaddybaby1.jpg
This one was supposedly intentional. Did I post this next bit of info already? I just heard that including my mare, a total of 4 possible pregnancies, all unwanted and unplanned, may have resulted from different individuals boarding at that barn around that time.
Four “oopses”? I question accident and wonder if they were trying for some kind of “OMG you snuck your mare in with our stallion and you owe us for the breeding.”
(And now I’m compulsively checking this thread. I want to know what Baby Oops is going to look like. Besides, this keeps me from seriously entertaining things like buying an in-foal mare or a broodmare prospect…)
OP, she’s not going to foal until you are completely exhausted and brain-dead from sleep deprivation and in need of Ulcergard. So go ahead and drive yourself nuts now, get it over with. Then, when you are completely frazzled, take a two minute nap and wake up to find a bouncing foal.
[QUOTE=danceronice;5830084]
Four “oopses”? I question accident and wonder if they were trying for some kind of “OMG you snuck your mare in with our stallion and you owe us for the breeding.”
(And now I’m compulsively checking this thread. I want to know what Baby Oops is going to look like. Besides, this keeps me from seriously entertaining things like buying an in-foal mare or a broodmare prospect…)[/QUOTE]
That thought has crossed my mind. What I can’t stop thinking about was something she said once, about how she wanted to get as many of his get on the ground as possible to show off what he can do. I told her to break him and put him in the arena to show what he could do and then maybe a breeding to him would actually be worth something. The comment didn’t go over well, though I didn’t phrase it quite that bluntly. Last I heard, he’s still not broke and still not doing anything.
Don’t worry, pictures of Baby Oops will go up within hours of it hitting the ground. Please dear God don’t let it be ugly like him and the rest of his brood… The more I refer back to his photos, the more awkward I think he looks. His color pattern in itself isn’t the ugliest part about him… I’m not the biggest fan of leopard spots, but it’s not like I think that it’s ugly. It’s all the rest of him that’s put together weird.
I really hope all these predictions of me taking a snooze and waking up to a healthy foal are true! I keep having nightmares, like she’s going to try to have it and ends up with big complications, and then either she or the foal dies. The one where they both die is what wakes me up in a sweat. That one was earlier this evening when I took a nap after working my other turd pony… Ugly or not, I can love an ugly duckling because I love its mama. I just want it to be healthy and for mama to be ok. I swear, this is really like having your pre-teen daughter pregnant. Or maybe like having your high school freshman pregnant. Either way, it’s nerve wracking.
Bingo, Dancer. Big Fat BINGO.
See – she learned!:D:D:D
To the OP – do a search and find the dozens and dozens of threads from MO’s just like you (first time breeders) who proceed to drive themselves nuts waiting.
When it comes to horses & foals, the fruit falls when it’s ripe. Period. So breath deep and get some rest while you can.
Mares are some of THE most secretative animals about giving birth – they are not like dogs & cats & cattle. And they are FAST – I hope you have read this in your book, but from the time the water breaks to the time the foal is out should be 30 mins or LESS. I’ve had mares foal in 17 minutes!!
Since their gestation is all over the map, they can be REALLY hard to predict.
However, the good news is that even maidens rarely have a difficult time and birth complications are more rare in mares than most domestic animals.
AND mares that are due this late in the season tend to have shorter gestation periods than mares due early in the year.
But you won’t rush it, no matter what you do, so breathe deep and chill.
BTW, I think that oops baby is adorable. I’ve seen plenty worst and I love that color!!
Case in point… I went off to a pony shindig at the end of February, and left my husband home on foal watch with my favorite mare. He had strict instructions to watch her like a hawk, and I had a camera on her that I could view from my phone while I was away - which I did a lot (and boy did that ever run my phone battery down!!).
The last morning of my trip, I had been watching her all morning and really thought she was getting close. Though my last sight of her was of her sleeping in the corner of her stall. I sent my husband a text that was something to the effect of: I’m about to get on the plane, keep an eye on her because I can’t watch from there. Welllllllll… he had been watching, he’d stayed up part of the night watching her and he had sat down for his morning cup of coffee. The sun was glaring in the living room picture window and his computer screen was glare-y – so, since she was standing there SOUND ASLEEP, he turned his computer screen slightly away so the sun didn’t get in his eyes… TWENTY THREE MINUTES LATER he looks over at his screen and there is a foal toddling around the stall!!!
I got a text photo of the foal when I got off the plane at my connecting airport!!
[QUOTE=danceronice;5830084]
Four “oopses”? I question accident and wonder if they were trying for some kind of “OMG you snuck your mare in with our stallion and you owe us for the breeding.”
(And now I’m compulsively checking this thread. I want to know what Baby Oops is going to look like. Besides, this keeps me from seriously entertaining things like buying an in-foal mare or a broodmare prospect…)[/QUOTE]
Well God forbid I was in the situation it would be me as the mare owner with my hand out demanding cash. Not sure what the legalities of it actually are but she has significant “damages” and deserves to be compensated in my opinion.
[QUOTE=Laurierace;5830866]
Well God forbid I was in the situation it would be me as the mare owner with my hand out demanding cash. Not sure what the legalities of it actually are but she has significant “damages” and deserves to be compensated in my opinion.[/QUOTE]
Yep, I rather doubt there was any accident involved considering FOUR mares that weren’t supposed to be bred, and the stallion owner ‘just deciding’ to rearrange paddocks like that. My only hesitation about asking for money is it would turn into a “You owe me”/“No, you owe ME!” court case where the only ones who end up with any money at the end are the lawyers.
OP–I don’t know, that last picture you posted is kinda in the ‘so ugly it’s cute’ category.
Even if it was an accident they are responsible for whatever damages their horse causes. No different than if he got out and caused an auto accident.
Try to get someone else to watch her for 4 or 5 hours so you can get some sleep. It is important to have someone there when she foals, but you do have to sleep sometimes.
I am a believer in making every effort to be present for the foaling. I have heard too many stories about needing to cut into thick membranes when a baby doesn’t break the membranes during delivery. There is a lot of fescue in our area, so this may be more common here than elsewhere. It is amazing to me that a simple step like breaking the membranes can be the difference between survival and losing a foal.
Occasionally there are minor presentation problems that could use a little help. My neighbor has a good system. Her husband watches the foal monitor for a few hours each evening so she can nap. After the mare looks to be in labor, he awakens her and then calls me. If there are three of us, one can call the vet for instructions while 2 of us do what is advised. Her mare had a minor malpresentation one year, and we had to pull on the legs while the vet gave instructions. After a few pulls, the foal’s position corrected. That foal had very crooked legs for a few days. He would not have been able to stand and eat if we had not been there to help him.
I don’t know much about foaling, but others on this bulletin board know a lot. Make sure you have a bag of supplies. If you are as ignorant as I am, you may want to write down the normals. My neighbor has a checklist. If the placental isn’t out in x amount of time she calls the vet. If the baby hasn’t eaten by x hours after delivery the vet is called. She also writes down everything she needs to do (treat the cord, check the placenta, and have the vet check a blood test to be sure the baby got enough colostrum in x hours). When you are tired, it is nice to have a checklist. It is also nice to have an extra set of hands, as sometimes one person has to hold the mare while the other works with the foal.
[QUOTE=danceronice;5831342]
Yep, I rather doubt there was any accident involved considering FOUR mares that weren’t supposed to be bred, and the stallion owner ‘just deciding’ to rearrange paddocks like that. My only hesitation about asking for money is it would turn into a “You owe me”/“No, you owe ME!” court case where the only ones who end up with any money at the end are the lawyers.
OP–I don’t know, that last picture you posted is kinda in the ‘so ugly it’s cute’ category.[/QUOTE]
I’ve thought of that. Makes me wonder if the four mare owners joined together and filed joint preceedings if that would hold more weight. I tell ya, I certainly wouldn’t have planned ANY pregnancy that would have a delivery date like this just before my wedding. Ha, if she goes till a full year, she may interrupt the wedding plans in October!
When I looked up equine insurance after putting a deposit on my gelding until I could pick him and pay him off, I got curious and looked up other types of equine insurance and went through some of the details of stallion insurance. I’m under the impression that some of these backyard breeders just aren’t aware of the liability they take on because the insurance policies were pretty clear of what kind of damages you’d be responsible for and how they could cover you if your stud hurt someone, someone’s horse, an employee, impregnated something, got out, etc. etc. etc. I’m inclined to agree with you Laurierace, but I hesitate to invite back that kind of drama in my life that follows that woman like the plague. I’m kind of inclined to wait until the foal is on the ground, maybe talk to some more of the other mare owners, and see if it’s worth the hassle.
Thank goodness I’m on my own farm now and not still boarding, but that’s actually the position the rest of them are in so I don’t know what they’re going to do. I know that two of them are at a boarding facility close to where I am, and that pasture has one giant herd of 18 over about 30 acres, and they don’t separate any of them, and I know several of the horses living there and how aggressive they are towards other horses in their little pecking order. I can’t help but wonder if they’ll have to move their mares in order to keep their mamas and babies safe during that time, plus that farm is confirmed as having fescue.
[QUOTE=AKB;5831428]Try to get someone else to watch her for 4 or 5 hours so you can get some sleep. It is important to have someone there when she foals, but you do have to sleep sometimes.
I am a believer in making every effort to be present for the foaling. I have heard too many stories about needing to cut into thick membranes when a baby doesn’t break the membranes during delivery. There is a lot of fescue in our area, so this may be more common here than elsewhere. It is amazing to me that a simple step like breaking the membranes can be the difference between survival and losing a foal.
Occasionally there are minor presentation problems that could use a little help. My neighbor has a good system. Her husband watches the foal monitor for a few hours each evening so she can nap. After the mare looks to be in labor, he awakens her and then calls me. If there are three of us, one can call the vet for instructions while 2 of us do what is advised. Her mare had a minor malpresentation one year, and we had to pull on the legs while the vet gave instructions. After a few pulls, the foal’s position corrected. That foal had very crooked legs for a few days. He would not have been able to stand and eat if we had not been there to help him.
I don’t know much about foaling, but others on this bulletin board know a lot. Make sure you have a bag of supplies. If you are as ignorant as I am, you may want to write down the normals. My neighbor has a checklist. If the placental isn’t out in x amount of time she calls the vet. If the baby hasn’t eaten by x hours after delivery the vet is called. She also writes down everything she needs to do (treat the cord, check the placenta, and have the vet check a blood test to be sure the baby got enough colostrum in x hours). When you are tired, it is nice to have a checklist. It is also nice to have an extra set of hands, as sometimes one person has to hold the mare while the other works with the foal.[/QUOTE]
Yay! Another list maker like me! When I went to the vet’s office to pick up more banamine to keep in my equine first aid kit, I asked her to print off every list that they had for Equine Emergency, Equine Foaling, First Aid Kit necessities, Foaling kit necessities (though I already had put together my kit based on other COTH threads that were very in depth), plus whatever else she thought might be pertinent. After the last time I talked to one of my vets, he laughed because of how overprepared I am already. He said I even had stuff in my kit that I didn’t really actually need in his opinion, but it’s better to be over prepared than under prepared in my opinion. My friend that keeps her ponies with me is going to try to camp out with me for a night or two when she starts looking really obvious, plus I’m thinking my fiance will come down and participate a little, too.
By the way, Hooker Hoebag is still holding out. pH still too high to indicate foaling tonight. I’ll be sleeping tight up here at the house with my honey, and will check on her in the morning. Gah, I’m so ready for this foal to just pop out already. I’d love it if it was just straight pinto, like mama.
Color prediction question: What’s your vote for most likely pattern? I’m 99% sure that mama is homozygous for black, she’s not homozygous for pinto. Mutt Daddy is not homozygous for spots either, apparently. I’m betting he’s not homozygous for black either since one of his offspring is looking rather palomino as it’s lightening up? He’s thrown two red spotted colts and one brown-turned-golden filly.
Colt 1 linked previously, who is apparently getting more and more red every day according to my friend with prego mare number 2 who is boarding at the same farm: http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k171/erikahana824/Miscellaneous2/muttdaddybaby1.jpg
Colt 2, also spotted, looks quite red and not bay to me: http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k171/erikahana824/Miscellaneous2/muttdaddybaby3.jpg
Filly 1, whose golden color I certainly didn’t expect: http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k171/erikahana824/Miscellaneous2/muttdaddybaby2.jpg
Yay! Another list maker like me! When I went to the vet’s office to pick up more banamine to keep in my equine first aid kit, I asked her to print off every list that they had for Equine Emergency, Equine Foaling, First Aid Kit necessities, Foaling kit necessities (though I already had put together my kit based on other COTH threads that were very in depth), plus whatever else she thought might be pertinent. After the last time I talked to one of my vets, he laughed because of how overprepared I am already. He said I even had stuff in my kit that I didn’t really actually need in his opinion, but it’s better to be over prepared than under prepared in my opinion. My friend that keeps her ponies with me is going to try to camp out with me for a night or two when she starts looking really obvious, plus I’m thinking my fiance will come down and participate a little, too.
you can never be overly prepared IMO. I had an oxygen tank and foal resisator ready to go when my mare foaled! And you know… my mare had a partial red bag and as it turned out I didn’t need that stuff, but it could have just as easily turned out the other way as well.
Bump. How are you two holding up? I apologize for being right about her not being close, hope you slept in your bed!
Hiya! We are doing just fine. I have definitely been continuing to sleep in my bed. Hehe, the tent is still pitched just in case… Hooker Hoebag did really well for the equine dental specialist today. She’s still cooking Baby Oops. Because she’s still cooking Baby Oops, we opted to try it without sedative. It’s a true testament to my mare’s awesomeness and temperament that she did not freak out and allowed the dentist to work a power float over her teefies without a single injection or oral sedative. Her eyes got a little wide and she started looking to me for support, but she didn’t twitch, didn’t pull back, didn’t fuss, and while she wasn’t relaxed persay, she certainly wasn’t any worse for wear. She stood very still and the dentist was extra careful, so no bumped gums, no pain, and mama mare is happy munching on hay. I get my kids done twice a year because otherwise the Go!-boy gets really nasty hooks and Hooker Hoebag can develop some sharp points, too. Thank goodness my dentist gives a group rate! We had all 9 of the pony kids done today.
Our dentist’s helper who was a breeder before the horse market crashed in our area (I think QHs) says she really doesn’t look as close as I thought she was. He tells me her muscles in her hiney aren’t loose enough yet. So goodness, we might go even longer! He said that the muscles on each side of her tail will go so loose it’ll start feeling like a jiggly water balloon? Ok, because if that’s the case, she’s definitely not that loose yet. I keep hearing comparisons to jello, and I think she’s at firm, very jiggly jello state, but she’s not like a water balloon. Her vulva is darker than the soft pink it was a month ago when we first found out, but it’s not blood red or anything yet. I actually didn’t do a milk test at all yesterday or the night before because I wanted to see if she’d develop any wax plugs on the side I’ve been milking the samples out of. So far so good, so I guess we’ll keep waiting and twiddling our thumbs!
Thanks for the update. Go Baby Ooops.
Did you tell her what time the wedding is? If you did say anything at all about it, she will start foaling at precisely the time you are supposed to be getting dressed.
[QUOTE=smokygirl;5840238]
Did you tell her what time the wedding is? If you did say anything at all about it, she will start foaling at precisely the time you are supposed to be getting dressed.[/QUOTE]
Heaven forbid! No, haven’t been discussing that, but I’ll make sure it doesn’t wind up in our dinner conversation 
I certainly hope she doesn’t go that long… That would put her well over a month overdue if she went till then. My wedding is still 6 weeks away. I’d have to seriously worry about it being oversized by then. Wow, now I’m crossing my fingers and my toes, too!
