Foaling Help-UPDATED 11/8

[rabbitsfizz]

Oh, the bane of everyone who has ever foaled a mare out!! We had a Welsh mare who would NOT foal when we were watching her, we had to put her in the back yard and watch out of the upstairs window form behind a curtain- even then we nearly missed her. Another year we had a foal form her that was nick named "cup of tea" for a while as it was born in the time it took to have one, and Rabbit's daughter o/o his grandmother (yes, yes, I KNOW!!) was called "Curry" for the first week as we just nipped out to get one......foal was born, up, afterbirth passed and foal nursing- and boy, was the mare ever SMUG!!

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

Yep. They know when youre watching. Even if it is upstairs from behind the curtains LOL. We had a grullo mare who we were watching super close as the year before she had trouble foaling ( she wasnt maiden either time) we were piddling in the barn, cleaning stalls, sanitizing buckets, you know, anything to keep you busy and keep a peek on her. We decide to go to the house for a quick luch as she wasnt showing any signs of anything. We were in the house not 20 min and came back sandwich in hand to a lovely pinto colt! SERIOUSLY mares? LOL They kill me!

 

[Reble]

I have found the cow pies are the only thing I have seen most fregent before foaling.

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

10/28



10/23



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10/17

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

New photos added today!

 

[Tremor]

Here's a tip: Don't physically lift her tail when checking her vulva. Carefully slide it to one side. When you lift it the vulva will tighten up.

In my experience milk strips are the most accurate way to go. In 2011 I used them for the first time and got 6.2 for a ph April 29th and on April 30th at 10 am I had a healthy filly.

I made a powerpoint of the physical changes of a pregnant mare before foaling with the mare in question from 2011. For this mare she was a natural at breeding and foaling. She was very experienced and this was her sixth foal and last foal. (5th live foal). You're free to view it and share it. The link is public to all but not downloadable. I highly suggest you bookmark the link.

Link:

https://docs.google....LXQ2cWhTVjM5YzA

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

thanks so much!

 

[rubyviewminis]

Yes, thanks. I sure hope my mare shows some of those signs this time. Last time, being new to foaling, I pestered her to death poor thing. She just got real round and her flanks filled out and stayed. Pictures of her first foaling showed the notable big V belly drop. And I used the Mother Nature's test strips and also the little strips that only need one drop. They both worked and if it wasn't for those I might have missed the foaling, she foaled 8 hours later. Going over her foaling diary, there was almost no foal movement two weeks prior to foaling, and that foal was a real mover. Also 10 days before foaling her milk was thin and yellowish, and at 8 hours before it looked like skim milk, with a medium sized bag, and nipples finally pointing down. She did everything in the last day.

Lol, I have to add that even watching her on camera for WEEKS, and walking in pj's out to check her anyway,she waited until I got tired of watching her stare over her stall door, I got up to make coffee at 3:00am, walked to the other side of the great room to get my sweats on, and as I was pulling my first pant leg up and turning around, I glanced at the monitor and she was down and flat out! Not 5 minutes! I am sure my sprint was less than 30 seconds and wouldn't you know the foal was big and had a front leg back.

19 days before foaling

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

Ruby I love your little mare! Ill have to post more photos tonight when i feed. Hopefully the full moon and the storms coming will kick her into gear!

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

as of yesterday, her milk wasnt salty, it was kinda bland and is a gold color, sticky

 

[minifreishorsefarm]

It has to be like skim milk before she is ready to foal and sweet too. Good that it isnt salty anymore but it also needs to not be so sticky too. She is getting closer.

Marsha

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

does anyone think she could go another 4 weeks?

 

[kay56649]

You just never know with mares. We kept thinking my mare was going to foal and she didn't for like another month before popping out a beautiful buckeroo great great granddaughter palomino filly (my avatar at about 3 months old). It most likely won't be another 4 weeks, but there are no guarentees!!

 

[kay56649]

My mare's bag was pretty full, but no milk came out. I went out and checked one morning and she had milk (finally) and she foaled that night around 4-5am. We checked on her every hour, we went out at 4 and she was peacefully eating her hay, and at 5 there was a healthy foal running around and nursing!!! It was amazing and everything went perfect!

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

I am also using the PH strips from walmart, I saw on a website mix 1cc to 3 ccs water? I also saw 1ccmilk to 6cc water? I am doing the 1/3..which is right? I AM using distilled water.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

You can use 1cc to 3cc or 1cc to 6cc ratio, you will get the same results. I have a webpage with signs of foaling and the milk testing info on it.

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

Kim I called you about 6 weeks about how that works! LOL Still waiting on a darn baby!

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

what do you guys think? the test looked like a 7.8 to me in person, it was getting orange.

 

[minifreishorsefarm]

the test has to be 6.4 or 6.0 before she foals. Sometimes it changes overnight or within a few hours.

Marsha

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

Thanks Marsha, I knew it had to be in the 6 ranch. How fast can she drop? She doesnt look dialated to me or ready. Pics are on main page.