I was talking with my farrier about horses and pain...as one of my little guys had a minor colic and was just so depressed. While waiting for the vet he got worse and basically it looked like he gave up on everything. My farrier and i were saying how sensitive they are to pain and then he said that he's seen quite a few mares who have been in labour for awhile who finally just give up and do it anymore. They just can't take the pain and would rather die so just seem to give up on life. Then of course hopefully people come in and pull the babe out. I'm wondering if anyone has had any of these giving up incidents?
Birth-mares question
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rabbitsfizz
Well-Known Member
The problem with horses is that after a while endorphins kick in and they stop reacting to pain any more. It happens quicker in Prey animals than it does in Predators.
I have never had a mare give up when foaling, but have seen a mare aborting start to reach the point of no return. You then have very little time to get her free of pain before she will die.
On the other hoof I have also had mares have absolute HYSTERICS when foaling and shoot the foal out so fast I swear if I had not been there to catch it it would have hit the wall five feet up!!!
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I have never had a mare give up when foaling, but have seen a mare aborting start to reach the point of no return. You then have very little time to get her free of pain before she will die.
On the other hoof I have also had mares have absolute HYSTERICS when foaling and shoot the foal out so fast I swear if I had not been there to catch it it would have hit the wall five feet up!!!
MeadowRidge Farm
Well-Known Member
I never had a mare but I did have a mini donkey, she layed down gave 2 pushes and that was it, her eyes rolled back and she just laid there like she wanted to die! I called my vet, she wasnt able to make it over for at least 2 hours, so in I went and delivered him myself. My vet did come out to check everything and foal and Mom were fine, but it was scary...there was such little time, and so little room, and I have big hands!
: Corinne
Ojai Minis
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I have 2 stories, though not birthing stories.
I had purchased a horse (big) from an auction and had a company deliver her for me. They showed up with my horse and another they were delivering. They unloaded both horses. When they went to put the other horse back in, she said no way. They tried everything to get her in. At one point they were hitting her so hard with a whip. This mare just totally shut off the pain and did not react AT ALL. They finally got her in.
The other time I saw this, was a mare (big) who had gotten really sick with dryland distemper. She was doing okay, seemingly, but she then went down and we tried everything to get her up. We used a whip but she had the look in her eyes that she had given up. Finally got her up and then she got better but it was weird how she seemed to just give up.
Liz V.
I had purchased a horse (big) from an auction and had a company deliver her for me. They showed up with my horse and another they were delivering. They unloaded both horses. When they went to put the other horse back in, she said no way. They tried everything to get her in. At one point they were hitting her so hard with a whip. This mare just totally shut off the pain and did not react AT ALL. They finally got her in.
The other time I saw this, was a mare (big) who had gotten really sick with dryland distemper. She was doing okay, seemingly, but she then went down and we tried everything to get her up. We used a whip but she had the look in her eyes that she had given up. Finally got her up and then she got better but it was weird how she seemed to just give up.
Liz V.
MiLo Minis
Well-Known Member
I had a little mare that went down and pushed and the 2 front feet came out and she pushed 2 more times and nothing happened and she just quit. I went in and felt around and found the head was turned back so I pushed the foal back in and pulled the head forward. The whole time the mare just laid there and didn't move so I kind of rocked her a bit and begged her to help me and she seemed to come around some and gave another push which brought the shoulders out and then she took over and finished the delivery. It seemed that as soon as she realized it was accomplishing something she was willing to give it another go but she had given up.
Fortunately I have small hands! VBG
Fortunately I have small hands! VBG
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Lauralee
Well-Known Member
I HAVE had a mare do that.
She was a maiden mare, way overdue, with a small pelvis.
She literally quit on me, eyes glazed over in a daze, head shoved in the corner of the stall. I had to manipulate the foal as it had a leg back and it was a TIGHT birth with no room to spare. I had to pull with every ounce of my strength to get the foal delivered. The mare was NO HELP as she would not even push!
After the ordeal, the mare ignored the foal for a few days, and did not seem protective of the foal. She was still in a daze. She accepted the foal's nursing, but just stayed withdrawn emotionally. I am sure that she was quite sore, but we were giving her banamine to help ease the pain. She walked spraddle legged for a few months. After the first week, she became more motherly and protective of the foal.
She was a maiden mare, way overdue, with a small pelvis.
She literally quit on me, eyes glazed over in a daze, head shoved in the corner of the stall. I had to manipulate the foal as it had a leg back and it was a TIGHT birth with no room to spare. I had to pull with every ounce of my strength to get the foal delivered. The mare was NO HELP as she would not even push!
After the ordeal, the mare ignored the foal for a few days, and did not seem protective of the foal. She was still in a daze. She accepted the foal's nursing, but just stayed withdrawn emotionally. I am sure that she was quite sore, but we were giving her banamine to help ease the pain. She walked spraddle legged for a few months. After the first week, she became more motherly and protective of the foal.
JUST LIKE LAURALEE SAID, SOMETIMES WE HAVE HAD TO PULL WITH ALL OUR MIGHT AND STILL WE COULDN'T GET THE FOAL OUT, SO WE FOUND OUT IT IS A LIFE SAVER TO HAVE A PAIR OF O.B. CHAINS AND A "COME A LONG" HANDY. YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO APPLY THE O.B. CHAINS TO THE FRONT LEGS BUT THEN YOU CAN JUST HOOK THE COME A LONG ON THEM AND CRANK A FEW TIMES ( ENOUGH TO GET A GOOD SOLID PULL) AND THEN WORK THE FOAL A LITTLE AND IT WILL POP RIGHT OUT. THE COME A LONG KEEPS GOOD "SOLID" PRESSURE ON THE FOAL WHERE AS OUR BODIES SOMETIMES GIVE OUT AND CAN'T KEEP THE PRESSURE ON. WE HAVE SAVED 3 FOALS LIKE THIS.
