Blondie's foaling thread...new pics UPDATE on Smokey pg11.

[Mima Acres]

Well Blondie just seems to stay the same. I can't even get 1 drop of milk for my foal watch kit. I've milked a goat before but never a horse! lol, not sure what I'm doing wrong or maybe it's just too soon to get any? Her bag seems full...I want to order the milk test strips that were mentioned. I guess I'm just so anxious I don't want to miss a thing, makes me really wish I had a halter alarm to go along with the camera. I have some new pictures, any guesses as to how far we have to go? She still looks wide and I'm nervous about foal position, how long before the foal moves. I guess I'm having flashbacks to when I was pregnant with transverse twins I guess it's different with horses I HOPE! Thanks

 

[Mima Acres]

You're doing just fine!! Relax!! Her udder is looking good, but still needs some filling -- especially in the nipples. So, it's no wonder you can't quite get milk yet. Baby doesn't look to be in position yet as she still has the lop-sided look -- but it has plenty of time to turn -- so not to worry. She looks like she's got some elongation to do and relaxing of her tail head, so I think you can breathe easy for a bit more. Yes, she is still very lopsided. I keep wanting to see some progress, I just can't wait

Thanks for making me feel better about turning.

I'm sure you have time to order the Foal Time strips, if that's what you're thinking about. They don't take long to get there. How loose is her tail head? Can she still resist when you lift her tail? Looks like she's nice and round and doing very well!!! She's a pretty girl -- how tall is she again? I'm ordering the Foal Time strips...I was thinking she'd have her foal maybe mid May...but I have no idea really, mainly I hope/pray I don't have to wait all the way til the end of June

. She is 34" tall.

Can you take a picture of her udder from between her legs? She's so pretty!!! I'll try to get a rear view udder pic in the AM and thank you very much, she is the sweetest!

And I can relate about the twins. Mine were one head down, one footling breech. Luckily (in the old days) the head down baby came first, but the second went transverse and they about killed me trying to grab that little man by a foot to pull him out! I felt like a mare -- the doc was in up to his elbow looking for the 2nd baby! I asked him if I should moo or neigh for him, since I'd only seen that done with our horses and cows -- reaching in that deep to find a little one! Wow! Mine never did move head down they ran out of room and stayed breech and transverse, little stinkers! haha

 

[Mima Acres]

Here is a rear udder pic. Please excuse the poo! I meant to get one this morning and forgot, I had a really busy day and just snapped these when I fed her tonight. Off to bed for me. I watching her on camera happily munching on some hay.

Here is a pic of my two dogs Hazel and Peaches

Goodnight!

 

[Eagle]

You can see the love in their eyes

they are adorable!

Blondie is looking good and slowly moving in the right direction. I think mid May would be about right.

 

[AnnaC]

Oh what a lovely picture of two very sweet girls!

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that I think Blondie will foal before mid May. She doesn't look that far off to me and could even change her last minute signs pretty quickly.

Have you got her on a good mare and foal feed? If not you need to start changing her over slowly so that she's established before the foal comes, also so the foal can safely nibble at her food when its ready. Oh and dont forget to have the Ivermectin wormer ready to give her within 12 hours of her foaling!

She's progressing beautifully - wont be long now.

 

[Mima Acres]

Oh what a lovely picture of two very sweet girls!

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that I think Blondie will foal before mid May. She doesn't look that far off to me and could even change her last minute signs pretty quickly.

Have you got her on a good mare and foal feed? If not you need to start changing her over slowly so that she's established before the foal comes, also so the foal can safely nibble at her food when its ready. Oh and dont forget to have the Ivermectin wormer ready to give her within 12 hours of her foaling!

She's progressing beautifully - wont be long now.

Thank you, I haven't started her on mare & foal feed! I will have my hubby pick some up after work and begin the transition. I'm a stay at home mom so I am keeping a close eye on her in the pasture by day, I can look out the window and see her anytime and have her on camera in the barn at night. Thank you all for your help watching for signs. I've been watching her behavior closely as well. This is my first foal ever & possibly the only we'll have, she was in foal when I bought her.

Thanks again!

 

[AnnaC]

How wonderful that you are right there for her, she's a lucky girl and I'm sure she's going to give you a very special baby. Try to get hubby to get a pelleted mare and foal, rather than a mix - some of the pieces in the mix always seem to me to be a bit hard for a foal, whereas most of the mare and foal pellet feed sort of disolves in the saliva/moisture of the mouth - also you can add warm water to it for the mare's first few feeds after she foals.

The instructions on the feed bag should tell you how much to feed - they may be for big horses but should give horse's weights so you can scale it down for a mini. I'm sorry if I keep telling you things that you already know, but one never know just how much experience a person has when 'talking' on the internet, and we all just want to get a healthy little foal on the ground with a healthy Momma to look after it, so we post whatever we think might help!!

 

[Mima Acres]

How wonderful that you are right there for her, she's a lucky girl and I'm sure she's going to give you a very special baby. Try to get hubby to get a pelleted mare and foal, rather than a mix - some of the pieces in the mix always seem to me to be a bit hard for a foal, whereas most of the mare and foal pellet feed sort of disolves in the saliva/moisture of the mouth - also you can add warm water to it for the mare's first few feeds after she foals.

The instructions on the feed bag should tell you how much to feed - they may be for big horses but should give horse's weights so you can scale it down for a mini. I'm sorry if I keep telling you things that you already know, but one never know just how much experience a person has when 'talking' on the internet, and we all just want to get a healthy little foal on the ground with a healthy Momma to look after it, so we post whatever we think might help!!

Don't worry about telling me something I already know. I've been doing so much reading its ok if I hear something twice, it'll be locked in my memory even better that way! I appreciate any information you have to share. It's nice to have others who are so helpful and full of good advise, wisdom, & experience to share about foaling

Blondie has been a bit restless today, we've had some windy and rainy weather here so I'm thinking that's why. I don't have any new pictures to share tonight because if anything her bag has decreased in size and she's still a wide load.

 

[Mima Acres]

This is Blondie today. Let me know if these pics are good enough, if not I can take more. I don't notice much change in the udder & her belly still seems wide but her hooha definately has loosened it's darker but I wouldn't call it red and she's not really pulling her tail back from me at all. I have seen her roll a bit not a lot & shes been rubbing her tail. My foal time strips haven't come yet so I haven't even tried for milk since last week. At this time I have her on barn cam and have a timer wake me up every two hours to see what she's up to, should I start checking on her more frequently or does she still look a couple weeks away from foaling? Anyone notice much of a change from these pics? Thanks for all your help!

 

[AnnaC]

Oh YES!! It wont be long now!!

Good luck!

 

[Mima Acres]

Any guesses as to how long? I took her out of her pasture and was hand grazing her this afternoon, she's gradually been loosing interest in her hay but still loving the grass, when I put her back out in her pasture she had a little nap now she's grazing acting like her normal self. I keep her in a 12x12 stall at night with a 24x16 run attached which she goes in and out of (I like it because she NEVER goes to the bathroom in her stall) but I'm wondering if it would it be better to have her confined to her stall and close the run at night?

Here she is munching on some grass

 

[Mima Acres]

What WONDERFUL grass!!! My horses are outside 24/7/365 EXCEPT when foaling is imminent. So, once baby has turned into the "go" position, I would definitely being stalling her. You can more easily monitor her food and how she's progressing. Once she's put up at night, you can easily watch her, too. It gives them a chance to get used to their stall and get very comfortable and relaxed in it. That makes it much easier to watch, as many mares will settle down and sleep a lot prior to foaling, and then one day start pacing their stalls, and you notice right away the change and can prepare for the birth!

Yes we have lots of green grass this time of year. She spends most of her day in a smaller pasture about 1/4 acre and lately I turn her out on the big pasture which is about 2 acres for an hour at a time. She comes in the barn at 8pm and I give her enough hay (& a bit of alfalfa) to last all night. I've just started introducing mare and foal feed.

I just checked on her and was able to get a bit of sticky milk but the lighting was bad and I couldn't tell what color it was.

 

[Eagle]

It looks like she is progressing wonderfully

As to how long, well it is very hard to say as each mare is different and this year they are all acting weird but she looks close. I agree with Diane and would start to close her in at night soon, you don't want to have to get out of bed every 30 mins to go and see what she is doing outside.

I bet that you will have a baby at the weekend.

 

[Mima Acres]

It looks like she is progressing wonderfully

As to how long, well it is very hard to say as each mare is different and this year they are all acting weird but she looks close. I agree with Diane and would start to close her in at night soon, you don't want to have to get out of bed every 30 mins to go and see what she is doing outside.

I bet that you will have a baby at the weekend.

Yes I think so! Less than a week more of waiting...I hope! My husband has agreed to trade off times to check on her so I can get a little more rest. She's been eating, resting, rolling and eating some more. She seems pretty content so probably not tonight but I'll be keeping a close eye on her just incase.

 

[AnnaC]

How exciting!! Not long now before this baby makes its appearance - yes, I would certainly be closing her in at nights, much better for her to foal in her stable than at the far end of her run in area!

Good luck!!

 

[LittleBittyBritches]

LOVE this picture!

She really is looking close!

 

[Mima Acres]

Here is Blondie today. She acting different than normal but we are also having really nasty weather so it could be that too. I put her out despite the weather but she didn't seem to settle in and graze she was kind of all over the place and after an hour I put her in the barn, she wanted to trot straight there. She's throwing her hay everywhere which is different and she has this look in her eye, lol hard to explain but I know her well enough to know its different...anyway I wish the weather would clear up so I'm not wondering what's causing her behavior change it could just be the wind and rain. She has her ears back more as you can see in the photos almost like she's just feeling huge pregnant and miserable.

 

[andrea loves minis]

Any guesses as to how long? I took her out of her pasture and was hand grazing her this afternoon, she's gradually been loosing interest in her hay but still loving the grass, when I put her back out in her pasture she had a little nap now she's grazing acting like her normal self. I keep her in a 12x12 stall at night with a 24x16 run attached which she goes in and out of (I like it because she NEVER goes to the bathroom in her stall) but I'm wondering if it would it be better to have her confined to her stall and close the run at night?

Here she is munching on some grass

this picture is amazing!!!! You should blow it up and frame it

 

[AnnaC]

She does look a bit fed up doesn't she - it could be the weather, it could be that she has had enough of carting all that weight around or it could be that she's getting close to foaling??? LOL!!

Glad hubby has agreed to do some of the checks - somehow getting 3 or 4 hours sleep all in one go instead of 2 hours here and 2 hours there, seems to be so much better when one is overtired and exhausted!

 

[Mima Acres]

this picture is amazing!!!! You should blow it up and frame it

Thanks I think I might

Yesterday was beautiful, with the clouds & yard is green and blooming with flowers too. Today is the complete opposite!