going to foal tonight

[dunappy]

hi, I posted earlier about my mares changes and now she is up down, up down, restless, i really feel she will foal tonight. i do not have a foal cam. I keep going out and checking on her and would rather just sit quietly in the barn with her but dont want her to delay foaling beause of me being there, what should i do? thanks nikki

 

[minimule]

Get yourself a portable DVD player, some headphones and a nice comfortable chair. I did that one year and got to see all my mares foal, even the sneaky one! Good luck!

 

[pepperhill]

I don't know. I snuck out and hid about 40' away one of my first years in minis, so I could watch one of mine foal. She was clearly approaching stage two when I got out there. It took a tremendous amount of effort on her part and a couple of hours, but she shut it off. Her bag went away and everything. Even the vet was baffled. Three weeks later in the privacy of a pasture, she had a fantastic little palamino filly. I have always been really paranoid about it since then. She was kind of a wild mare so maybe that is why she did it. I just don't know. I got a cam after that!

: Best wishes with it! I know running back and forth is a pain.

 

[Magic]

Before I got my cameras, I would spend the night out with the expectant mares until they foaled. Now mind you, it's COLD here at night in spring, and I would be bundled up in winter clothes, jacket, boots and all, and in a sleeping bag to boot (and still felt like I was freezing, lol). Some mares may resist foaling in your presence, but you could always pretend to go to the house and she may try to hurry and pop it out before she thinks you are coming back. :lol:

I just persisted until those mares foaled (and even my "wildest" one was actually kind of glad I was there by the second year).

If you go out and check, even every hour, she will be sure to wait until you are gone to foal, so my recommedation is to bunk in the barn.

Good luck!

 

[Marion]

I had a mare that year that we had on camera and when she started acting like she was going to foal, I went out to sit with her. She is a tame friendly mare; howerer, it was a month later before she foaled. Now we wait until they are down and pushing before we go out.

I have done the go check them every two hours or sooner, and they have waited until I went back into the house to have their foals.

This year we will have a wild mare on camera and I will see what she does. She has always know when to have her baby without us.

 

[dunappy]

Well I was fooled, April stopped acting resless, getting up and down and kicking, biting ar belly around 10pm and did not foal. IM going nuts here as I am sure many of you are as well. I will keep you all posted. This really sucks not having an approx. breeding and foaling date. I was just told she is due in april.. thanks nikki

 

[littlearab]

: I have 2 mares doing the same thing. They take turns acting like they are going to foal soon. And by 2 or 3 in the morning stop and go to sleep. I do believe they take turns!!

: The maiden stands with her back legs together all day ,rubbing one leg with the other like a little kid who has to go potty. :lol:

I keep saying "sooner or later" I do believe that I'll go out one afternoon to check and they will both be standing there with foals at side. Acting like they been there for days I just wasn't looking...

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

I have 3 under the cameras and with the equipage moniters on them. Two seem like they are ready at any given moment--up, down, restless, biting, tail swishing, relaxed, etc. They are not due until the 20th, the other one I dont have a clue when she is due, I bought her pasture bred. :no: I would be lost with out my camera and moniters, I wait till I see them go down and start to push. otherwise I would be living in the barn :bgrin

: Foaling season is so exciting, but can also be so heartbreaking. Corinne