Grants Pass Auction Minis - Katya - colt born June 22

New is always exciting!! Keep us posted!

 

[Evelynk2000]

Poor Katya. She's doing the waddle dance with both front and back legs now.



She's so uncomfortable, she makes me squirm! She finally gave up trying to monitor her surroundings and laid down:



Niece worked on her new bedroom and I held things for her and kept her company. We have shavings down now, but will have wheat straw soon. I wish I could put memory foam down for her:



I did get a shot of her hoohah, but you might get a stiff neck!



Nothing like an appy mare, right?

I took her out to graze on some grass outside their paddock, and she discovered clover! Must be like eating candy. It actually took her mind off her stomach for a while. We checked the foaling kit and all is ready. OK, Katyanna, have at it!

 

[Evelynk2000]

I think I need some encouragement here.

I am a wee bit worried about Katya's lethargy. Bad day? Bouncing baby? Concern? She's obviously very close to delivery, since the alien within has almost completely taken over her body. I just need to know she's acting normally. If not, the vet will be making a call posthaste. We've changed hay feeding to hay bags because they waste so much when they're ground fed, and then they pee on it

. I'm wondering if that might be part of the problem, because a grazing horse's neck is fully extended down, creating a different demand on the rest of the body. Maybe we should offer a compromise for her dining pleasure. I say all this because I took her for a short stroll through spring grass and clover and she was totally a different horse.

 

[Gone_Riding]

My mini mare loves the clover too, and she's fine. Some days the mare will feel better and others, she won't. She may just be so uncomfortable with the baby's position that she isn't up to doing anything. She could also be resting up for delivery. My girl, if I keep her in her pen, she won't even leave her stall to poop and potty (she has free turnout). I've been turning her loose everyday just to make her get some walking in. Luckily, my mare won't go anywhere or bother anything so I can do that. I just put her in at night. She's got a whole beautiful, green pasture to herself, but she won't go out in it...

Clover is only an issue when it is dead (at least the kind I have). I do know that my mare's feet seem a lot more tender due to the extra weight of baby, her udder hurts her a lot, and only food can motivate my girl. I hope that helps!

Oh, what kind of lethargy are you noticing in her?

 

[Evelynk2000]

I'm going to try this again. I have a *stupid* computer that I will probably replace shortly because it seems to have a mind of its own about where it wants to type. The cursor bounces around at will. Somehow it erased a whole message this morning, and I left in a huff

.

By lethargic, I mean that she stands in one place rocking back and forth on her back feet. Every so often, she softens the dirt up by pawing at it, and eventually she lays down and dozes. She's doing very little movement, and when she does move, she's extremely awkward, rocking and swaying, splaying both front and back legs (whoa, I'm getting seasick!). The only action I've seen from her in the past 2 days was when I took her for a grass-walk. She perked right up then. I was wondering about feeding hay in hay bags. She's not having to extend her neck down to eat from the hay bag, so maybe she'd be more comfortable if we scattered it again? Just a thought. I don't know what would make her more comfortable

 

[chandab]

I don't know what would make her more comfortable

Foaling...

 

What will make her comfortable is to have that baby!!! LOL (just saw your reply come in Chanda -- we were posting at the same time !)

Everything you're saying is sounding just fine -- so no worries. This late in pregnancy, I'm sure EVERYTHING is uncomfortable for her. But tempting her with the clover just shows you where her mind is really at! FOOD!!!!!!!

Not to worry. She is looking great, and it won't be much longer until this little one arrives and you can just play and have some fun!!

 

[Evelynk2000]

I'm SO glad

. Virgin birthing coach, here.

I keep looking at her and wondering how much bigger the alien can get. . .

 

Oh.......about THIS big -- or THIS big..........and these were almost 4 weeks before foaling!!!

 

[Evelynk2000]

OH!!!

My poor baby!!! I think I'm glad she has a long torso. Those poor mares. Thanks for the visuals, although if Katya starts looking like that, I will seriously wonder if she hasn't been visited by a 16hh stud!

She's had 6 other foals in the past. I wish I had more information about her foaling patterns. We are seeing some increase in her udder, still not big, but not flaccid, as it was before. I have one more picture of her, taken by Crystallos, who has given permission for its inclusion here:



She can't keep her back legs together any more (the hussy), so you get a shot of her hooha, too! I'm so glad Crystallos braided her tail. It makes things much easier!

Diane: We'll try to keep updated on her hooha for you speckled people. I can see that she has a couple of polyps on the lips. I don't think they should present a problem, but should they be looked at eventually?

What about the hay bag issue? No-one answered that question.

 

[Eagle]

Yes to the hay question. I don't like the idea of feeding in haynets cos as you said it isn't a natural position and they are standing still for too long. What I did when it was muddy and I was losing hay is I bought several mini haybags that lay on the floor and scattered them around. I found this site the other day whilst surfing:

http://thehaypillow.com/

I bet she is just fed up and feeling big, it is normal for them to get quiet at the end. If she was the same on grass then I would be worried but if she is bouncy back when she hits the green then all sounds good.

 

[Evelynk2000]

Well, I'm pleased to hear that logic and past animal experience (though not with horses) serves me well. I'm used to cats and dogs, who birth litters and sometimes don't even look PG. I have both sympathy and empathy for Katya's plight, so the more I know about "normal" behavior, the better I feel about whatever I can do to make things easier for her.

I think having a hay net on the floor is a great idea for her. We had the first net on the floor because we hadn't a way to hang it. The ladies would graze it all over the enclosure.

I live 30 miles away from Katya and Crystallos, so I drive over every day to monitor her progress. I'll eventually end up spending the night and leave the care of my geriatric cat to my neighbor. Don't want to do that sooner than necessary!

Thanks for the link to the hay pillow. It confirmed my thoughts about horses eating with their heads down and gave reasons

 

Next time you get a hooha picture, I'll pay attention to look for the polyps. Probably nothing, but we'll see what they look like!

 

[Evelynk2000]

No more hooha pics yet. I'll get them up later in the week. Her milk bar seems to be firming up a bit, though. I'm wondering if she's as far along as we might think she is????

Considering the hugeness of the mares in the pictures Diane posted, perhaps we're 'way ahead of ourselves in thinking she'll foal soon. . . I HATE NOT KNOWING!

Sorry, patience isn't my strongest attribute. I want a spotty baby on the ground, NOW. OK, I'm better now.

I'm spending my time reading the other posts and learning so much from all of you. I don't anticipate ever needing this knowledge again, of course, but as they say: Knowing is half the battle. So many of the mares look like they swallowed beach balls, that I don't have a clue where Katya is in the process. I know: pictures.

 

[Eagle]

Remember that all mares carry different just like us ladies. Some mares get huge others don't.

Look at this girl of mine for example:

here she is emty in the spring



and here she is just before foaling



There isn't that much difference if you think of Diane's mares.

 

[Evelynk2000]

OK!

We'll just keep watching her udder and her hooha, then. I'm taking pictures today, so I'll post them when I get home. We've got the hay net on the ground now, and Katya seems better with that. She'll get some spring grass and clover while I'm there, too. I'm her food goddess, you know.

Question: why do they start rubbing their butts before they give birth?

 

[Eagle]

They start to feel pressure as the foal moves into position, I think it must be a bit like us when baby has it's head down in the last few days and you feel the need to hold your tummy up.

 

[AnnaC]

That said, I have to add that very few of my mares have ever done butt rubbing at all. LOL!! So dont count on it as a sign that she' getting closer!

 

Mine will either rub their butts or just push the wall with their butts, relieving the pressure, I think.

All sounds like things are moving ahead very nicely! She's doing great -- and so are you!

 

[Evelynk2000]

Why, thank you kindly, ma'am.

PICTURES!!!

First, the nose, because it's spectacularly speckled:



She was very curious about what I was doing!

Next, the milk bar:



Oddly, she seems to have more milk in one side than the other!

Hooha, outside:



I'll be cleaning her up some, now that she is becoming more used to us touching her.

Hooha, inside:



We've been shedding her almost daily, and the SPOTS are showing more on her butt!

I so want a spotty baby. I speak to her constantly about it, and she seems to be listening intently, but you know how pregnant females are, especially after all her experience. She just smiles and nods.

I'm thinking we've got a bit of a ways to go yet, what do you think????