Grants Pass Auction Minis - Katya - colt born June 22

[Crystallos]

Looks like her last foal was 05/19/2011.

 

[chandab]

If, just if, she happened to be bred back in 2011 on the foal heat, she wouldn't have likely had a foal before early April 2012 (about 320 days after 2011 foal heat). We all know timing is a crap shoot, since I know there were a couple foals that were very young at that auction, but perhaps based on this and knowing her 2011 foal was in May, then best guess she might go in April or May of this year. How's that for an educated guess that I more or less just pulled out of the air. And, since they don't read the foaling manual, she could have a foal at absolutely any time. I'm not help at all am I? Good luck with her and hope you have an uneventful foaling with a healthy, bouncy foal as a result.

 

[AnnaC]

It may be a guess Chanda, but it sounds pretty sensible to me.

 

[Crystallos]

That's good reasoning, but unfortunately we don't know if she had a foal in 2012. Here's a picture from tonight. I think her udder is well used and shows it. I scared myself tonight because in the first picture I took her nipples were pointing down, but I figured out it was because she stepped sideways when I took the picture.

 

[Crystallos]

I forgot to mention it is soft to the touch.

 

[Crystallos]

I discovered that Bridie is a Houdini pony. We've been having freezing fog for the last few days and my hot wire is coated with ice. Add to that an active and curious 2 year old mini with 3-4 inch long winter coat and you have a tiny horse that can go under/through fences. The first time it happened I found her just outside the main gate waiting for me. I opened the gate and she walked right in. I checked the fence and couldn't find the problem at the time. Went out again and found her in with the big horses. Again, I opened a gate and she walked right through like she was waiting for me. This time I check the fence and find what I think was the problem and fix it. Problem solved, right?

So, I went out to feed this evening and found the big horses standing at the field side of the fence staring at something. It was Bridie grazing in our 15 acre hay field in the fog at dusk. When I went to catch her, my aunt's TB mare put up a fuss and started bucking and running the other horses around, which caused Bridie to run and refuse to be caught. She's just the right color to get lost in fog and it was getting dark. Visibility was about 15 feet.

I called my neighbor for help and while I was waiting for her to come over, I fed the horses. I figured it might calm them down, then Bridie will stop running too. I went to meet the neighbor, who brought her pony-crazy 7 year old, and we walked out into the field. The neighbor checked the part of the field Bridie had ran off to last time and I checked behind the building. As I was walking over, I squinted into the fog, looking for something mini shaped. And there she was, standing at a hay pile with the TB mare like nothing happened. I caught her up and put her in a stall. Then I went to find my neighbor wandering around my dark and foggy field with her daughter. It looked like a set for a horror film. Anyway, my neighbor was able to find her way back and we went over to introduce them to Bridie. Shy little Bridie allowed the girl to pet her nose. I think she likes short people. Then we went over to say hi to some of my other horses. It's so great to have neighbors you can call and have come over to help you.

TLDR: Bridie is a houdini and horsey neighbors are great..

 

[Crystallos]

Update on Katya: We had some local mini breeders over to take a look at her and they think she looks about 4 months along. Of course, she could also be bred to a small stallion or the foal could be hiding in her long back. We're going to be taking her to a vet in our area that has more experience with pregnant miniatures to determine when she's due more accurately. Just waiting on getting our trailer back from the shop.

Edited to add: Does anyone have advice for feeding a previously foundered pregnant mare? Our farrier told us the orange color of her hooves is from a founder episode. I've never had to deal with a foundered horse before and I know pregnant mares need a special diet. We will be discussing it with the vet when we go, but I'd like to hear about your experiences as well. As for her current body condition, she's a little fat, but not bad and her neck is floppy, but not fallen. She is living with two other minis in a paddock with very little grass. All three are getting our own grass hay and are supplemented with orchard hay. Thanks!

 

[kehranc]

hahaha well Bridie sounds like a real charachter ...lol.. I am glad you found her nice and safe and it sounds like she may have a little 7 year old visitor coming over to see her more often...I hope the vet can give you a more accurate due date as it will definitely make your life alot easier.. Cant wait for more pictures

 

[Crystallos]

Well, Bridie's definitely figured out how to get out. She does it every time my back is turned now. Also figured out how to open one of the gates when it isn't locked.

Here she is saying "Hi" to the big horses before I put her back.







Here's a movie of her doing it. We need to rethink our fencing.

 

[chandab]

Edited to add: Does anyone have advice for feeding a previously foundered pregnant mare? Our farrier told us the orange color of her hooves is from a founder episode. I've never had to deal with a foundered horse before and I know pregnant mares need a special diet. We will be discussing it with the vet when we go, but I'd like to hear about your experiences as well. As for her current body condition, she's a little fat, but not bad and her neck is floppy, but not fallen. She is living with two other minis in a paddock with very little grass. All three are getting our own grass hay and are supplemented with orchard hay. Thanks!

What is she currently eating? Did the farrier say anything as to how long ago her founder episode was? If its still showing, then it had to be within the last year or so, as horses grow a whole new hoof every year (takes about a year for new hoof to grow from coronet to ground, so if you can see something strange in the hoof, it likely occurred in the last year). [unless there is damage to the coronet, then you might have ongoing issues; like my gelding that damaged his coronet, so had a weird "knot" in his hoof wall in that area.] The stress of where she came from might be enough to cause changes in her hooves without it being a full-blown founder incident.

I bred a previously foundered mare in 2011, and she had a colt in 2012; she did fine on her normal diet that I only had to add a small amount of Triple Crown growth to to help her keep her topline looking good and with foal at foot she was able to graze for the first time since foundering. One of the big things to watch is the sugar and starch content of the feed you use, so stay away from sweet feeds and molasses laiden pelleted feeds (not all pelleted feeds are molasses laiden but some are, and not all feeds are as "innocent" as they sound). There are several feeds in the Triple Crown line-up that might be a good choice for her.

 

[chandab]

Well, Bridie's definitely figured out how to get out. She does it every time my back is turned now. Also figured out how to open one of the gates when it isn't locked.

Looks like the mini paddock is going ot need some mesh fence or closer lines of electric to keep that one in. From the looks of her standing under it, that line wasn't hot.

 

[Crystallos]

The wire was hot, but also covered in a layer of ice. I think her winter coat is so thick she can't feel the zap. It's aluminum wire, I think we're going to be changing it to steel now.

 

[chandab]

The wire was hot, but also covered in a layer of ice. I think her winter coat is so thick she can't feel the zap. It's aluminum wire, I think we're going to be changing it to steel now.

Hard to tell for sure in those pics, but you might consider lowering your bottom line around the mini paddock, so its not as easy for them to shimmy under.

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

We have one of those, escape artist. She is a 29" Boones Little Buckeroo grand-daughter. We have field fencing and if it's not touching the ground; she's out. Right know she is as wide as she is tall. Due the first of April and a tade overweight, she still can shimmy under the fencing. I don't knoe how she does it, as fat as she is, but she does.

We had a Mustang/QH that could shimmy through a four strand barb wire without hurting herself. We watched her. She broke her leg last year(with a month old filly at side) and had to put her down. We still have her daughter.

 

[AnnaC]

Yes, even a couple of electric strands below your lowest one may well help - so she catches her nose/front of her face rather than her hairy thick mane!! She's certainly got the escaping down to a fine art LOL!!

Regarding the possible laminitis/founder, I have never heard about hooves being 'orange'?? Are they actually orange in colour? A lot of laminitic horses will have ridged lines down their feet, are her's ridged or smooth to look at. A lot of the time laminitic mares carrying a foal will not get a attack as the foal is helping to 'drain' the mare (if you understand me?), but it never hurts to keep the starch and sugar level reduced when feeding mini horses anyway.

 

[Crystallos]

I'll try to get a picture if her hooves today. They really are orange. I know they are unhealthy, but the color is rather pretty, kind of a sunset orange.

 

[Rhondaalaska]

Oh what a little clown you little one is. She is definitely going to need a new fence. And then I bet she will try that one too.

She is a smart one. You will have fun with her.

 

[Never2Mini]

Aw Birdie is so cute ! I have a couple that does the limbo to.

We ended up putting a lower strand then that fix the issues.

Now keeping are pygmy goats in is a whole another issue. A couple of them even get out of are field fencing. They are looking for new homes.

I think I am getting out of the pygmys all together and looking for a couple of Alpacas. Something with little more size. lol !

 

[Crystallos]

Katya's orange hoof.

 

[chandab]

Wow,it sure does look orange. And, that wild coloring gives an odd look to the shape of her hoof; perhaps its the picture angle.

She doesn't look to have the typical ridges and other growth irregularities that often come with founder; so I'm going to guess it was a different stress in her life that caused the odd coloring, perhaps a sudden change in diet or something like that.