Foal tonight maybe on Foal Cam

[Haviris]

Actually I agree w/ duckluck, she went on to long, and someone needed make sure everything was in place, horses don't have alot of time once they start labor. And the fact it took the foal so long to stand also points to the fact that there was a problem.

I don't really see the point of so many people, but it's all in what the mare is use to, and I didn't see the mare getting stressed by the people, so I'm guessing she was use to it. Although I didn't watch the whole time, I flipped back and forth, I didn't see them offer the baby a bottle and wouldn't see a reason for it, but also don't see it hurting anything. When I have babies I'm generally the only one there, even though most my critters (mostly goats these days) would be ok w/ extra people, 'I'M' more confortable working alone. And anytime you've lost one, either out of the current animal or just the last animal you had go it's very hard not to be extra cautious. I don't know that my mini mare that is currently due will be comfortable w/ alot of people, so for her I won't let anyone be out there w/ us (she'll probably go at night and everyone will be in bed, so I may not have to worry about it).

Anyway this is one of the big reason I'd never use Mare Stare (mostly I wouldn't like being watched anyway, it's bad enough w/ a comera that everyone inside can watch), but I really don't want a bunch of people/strangers talking about what a stupid idiot I am because they don't agree w/ how I'm doing things OR they don't understand what's being done.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Did someone call her stupid? I didn't see that anywhere on here.

 

[Haviris]

Yes, KinderKorner did, page 9.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Hmm...I must have missed it when I was typing.

I don't think anyone is stupid, but there is a point where things need to be left alone. As for the birthing..the water broke and literally 30 seconds after that, they started pulling the foal. I didn't realize the mare had issues with her previous foal. I'm still checking in on the marestare just to see the cuteness!

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Exactly.

I have no problem with people being there, or imprinting. It's a great idea I do it myself.

But when you get eight people in a little stall just standing there watching and the mare is anxious because she can't reach her baby thats a different story.

Well, I'm not much for just plain gawkers...they're either doing *something* or they're out. I had to throw some people out of a stall where I was delivering a foal just because they were standing there doing nothing but "ohmygodohmygodohmygod", and I don't need that when I'm wrastling with a malpositioned foal, a maiden mare who has no clue what's going on and a water bag that didn't break but is just hanging there swinging and getting in the way. Had a complete newbie kid there and I made her come in because she could follow orders and not gawk. And one rule of imprinting is you don't get between the mare and her baby, that's asking to get hurt. There are exceptions to the rule, and like I said I didn't see the video last night, but it sounded like they needed some help in there to me. I always appreciate an extra set of hands close by to run and fetch, and in this instance I am speaking of, two extra sets of hands to help hold the mare would have been most welcome, besides the kid helping me. Company has to be functional in my opinion, whether handing you rags or helping imprint.

Someone mentioned a bottle being given...that's a rather newer school of thought but one that's becoming pretty widely accepted. If you milk the mare out for a bottle or two and get the colostrum into the baby, rather than messing around for hours waiting for them to nurse, it is often helpful for the baby to get that first nourishment and it in no way "confuses" them as far as where the proper place and way is to nurse. It gives them added strength for the first few hours till they can work it out, and it lessens the chance of a foal becoming weaker and weaker before it nurses. It also gets their immunoglobins established early on and provides more opportunity for them to get more of that during the critical time window. I have done this with the last couple of colts I have helped into the world and plan on doing it as a matter of routine if and when I go back to breeding, as I have found the colts seem to take a lot longer to nurse and figure things out than the fillies do, and it makes me sleep easier rather than hovering over them for hours while they stagger around and get a few drops here and there versus the life-enforcing first meal they need at that point. After they have that first bottle or two, it's like a little light comes on in their heads and everything just goes much smoother from there.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
What is a "marestare"? I had closed circuit cameras in my foaling stall with monitors in two rooms of the house flicking back and forth between the cameras.

 

[halo]

Heres a post from another forum from the owner of Jess:

When the vet checked her the first time she said everything was in place but she wasn't completely dilated and she would be back to check her in the morning if nothing changed. When she started pushing then stopped I called her back again. This time when she palped her she could feel both front legs but could not reach the head. We had the trailer hooked up and were ready to load for New Bolton when she dropped down and gave one more push and there were the legs. Now she was able to reach the head and it was just a matter of pulling his giant self out into the world. Placenta checked out perfect, he has nursed once on his own so all looks good at this point. Now we wait for the neo-natal check up this afternoon.

For those who seem to think these people dont know what they are doing, please think again. This gal is a trainer, has been for years, and knows what she is doing, but she also has lost a foal from this mare before. There are also financial considerations here; this mare made nearly $150,000 on the race track, and the stud fee on this baby was $10,000, so they are going to do everything possible to insure a safe delivery for the mare and the foal.

Duckluck, you are so right about colts. Several years ago we had a colt by Real Quiet that was the stupidest foal Ive ever had. He hadnt nursed for about 3 hours, and I was finally so tired and, well, peeved at that colt that I went to take a nap so I could continue with the battle. An hour later, when I went back out, he had nursed just fine without me. But he truly wore on me, that one did.

 

[redhen]

So glad to see the baby up and about today! I watched last night..i think they did a WONDERFUL job! What a stressful thing to have to do!! My god! I'd have been a basket case..

What a beautiful baby! And moms just hanging out..munching away...

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
What is a "marestare"? I had closed circuit cameras in my foaling stall with monitors in two rooms of the house flicking back and forth between the cameras.

It's the live feed that links us with the camera.

 

[agnes_day]

wow...10,000 stud fee???
i would be yanking too!

seriously though, it looks like a lot of work and dedication goes into this sort of thing, definitely.