tagalong
Well-Known Member
Dr. Taylor is right about some horse owners interfering too early in foaling - especially, it seems, mini people. Watching MareStare drives me crazy at times - people are in there yanking, pulling straight out instead of down towards the mare's hocks, having a crowd and a dog or two in the stall for all the fun.... it is like a 3 ring circus. I even watched a foaling (not mini) where 4 people took turns pulling in the wrong direction and not with contractions and then they slapped a halter TIGHT on that foal before the back legs were even clear of the mare. Some voice off camera said that was "the best way to break 'em".
A couple of years ago, a mini mare foaling on MareStare had to contend with a crowd in her stall - it was sad to watch her pin her ears and challenge people (and dogs and kids) and try to protect her foal who was handed from one person to the next, still wet and before he had even gotten on his feet. The poor mare was frantic. The people (a couple of them were smoking - in the stall - with all that straw!) were oblivious to her distress. I sat there in disbelief and watched that go on for over an hour...
In over 25 years of foaling - I have only had 3 bad dystocias (all minis) that I could not fix ... including one dog sitting one last year that required the mare to be sedated to get that large foal repositioned and out of there.... the vet was on his way (and he knows if I am calling him for foaling issues it must be BAD) while I held the front half of that foal in my lap and he bawled and writhed ... and died. It was the WORST foaling I have ever experienced and so I tend to get a bit frustrated with inexperienced people who think all foaling is a lark. It isn't. That mare and that foal's life depend on YOU - the vet may too far away to help when you only have a few minutes to set things right.
I fixed a hip lock (big horse) on the phone with a friend a few years ago - she was frantic and called me when there seemed to be an issue (closest vet for miles was out on another emergency) and I talked her through it. Mare & foal were fine.
A few years ago, a poster here on LB said that foaling was always easy and that some of us were exaggerating about dystocias etc. to scare off the newbies so we could get more $$$$ selling our foals - a sort of bizarre way to corner the market. That was a very.... odd... comment. Very odd.
A couple of years ago, a mini mare foaling on MareStare had to contend with a crowd in her stall - it was sad to watch her pin her ears and challenge people (and dogs and kids) and try to protect her foal who was handed from one person to the next, still wet and before he had even gotten on his feet. The poor mare was frantic. The people (a couple of them were smoking - in the stall - with all that straw!) were oblivious to her distress. I sat there in disbelief and watched that go on for over an hour...
In over 25 years of foaling - I have only had 3 bad dystocias (all minis) that I could not fix ... including one dog sitting one last year that required the mare to be sedated to get that large foal repositioned and out of there.... the vet was on his way (and he knows if I am calling him for foaling issues it must be BAD) while I held the front half of that foal in my lap and he bawled and writhed ... and died. It was the WORST foaling I have ever experienced and so I tend to get a bit frustrated with inexperienced people who think all foaling is a lark. It isn't. That mare and that foal's life depend on YOU - the vet may too far away to help when you only have a few minutes to set things right.
I fixed a hip lock (big horse) on the phone with a friend a few years ago - she was frantic and called me when there seemed to be an issue (closest vet for miles was out on another emergency) and I talked her through it. Mare & foal were fine.
A few years ago, a poster here on LB said that foaling was always easy and that some of us were exaggerating about dystocias etc. to scare off the newbies so we could get more $$$$ selling our foals - a sort of bizarre way to corner the market. That was a very.... odd... comment. Very odd.
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