How was your foaling season overall?

[Matt73]

Just curious as to what kind of foaling season everyone experienced this year. I've heard many say that it was an odd year (long gestation, dystocias, etc.). Mine was uneventful and textbook (thankfully); 321 days, showed very textbook signs leading up to foaling (starting at around 6 weeks out), and foaled out perfectly and easily at 3:30pm on May 11th. A very different year from her first in '09; 372 days, no signs (maiden), a slight malposition (one foreleg back), and a small cervical tear followed by a subsequent infection that cleared up swiftly with a uterine flush of antibiotics followed by 10 days of oral antibiotics. So how was yours? Also, if you foaled out more than one mare this year what was the percent of live foalings, dystocias, etc.?

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Ours was good. One loss (colt foaled during the day, didn't get out of the sac) and four normal foalings. No dystocias. Three fillies and and two colts. And the girls were pretty good to me this year, gave ample warning signs so we only have to watch them intently two or three days before they foaled. One foaled on her own with no signs. All ran later than normal for them.

 

[minimomNC]

One foal, maiden mare, long gestation, 352 days. Showed goods signs, bagged up, waxed some. Foaled at 6 pm on a Sunday evening in April. Over cooked colt needed some pulling but otherwise everything went well. Great first time mom. Did have a bit of time getting other mares in foal but finally ended the season with I hope three outside mares in foal for 2012.

 

[horsehug]

Four beautiful tiny colts.

They were normal for the gestation of my herd and showed the right signs and had no dystocias thank goodness this year. I was there for every birth. Three were daytime.

Gestations were 311, 315, 319 and between 321 and 327 for the last one that was pasture bred.

Heights were 17.5", 16", 17.25" and 18".

Really happy with these adorable boys.

I'm keeping one of them too

Susan O.

 

[Minimor]

One foal--not a planned one, but we did mark down the date the stallion got over the fence so we did know breeding date once we realized the mare was in foal. She was a maiden pony mare, foaled 5-6 days earlier than the 325 days we'd estimated. She had no problems--popper her filly out without assistance and knew just what to do to be a good mom. Baby was up and nursing without assistance. So, that was all good!

 

[Magic]

Foaling season was pretty good for us this year. Gestations were normal, no dystocias. We did have to put a filly down, there was some kind of stricture to her intestinal tract and that was heartbreaking.

When you have an otherwise pretty much perfect foal, that hurts. The other foals helped ease the pain: three other fillies and one colt, all beautiful, correct and wonderful.

 

[REO]

I foaled out 5 of my mares and 2 outside mares.

4 were maidens. Two of the maidens never got longer bigger vulvas in readiness to foal. They were VERY tight. One of those was upside down. I was able to handle them myself.

All normal gestations etc.

We had 4 fillies and one colt!

http://www.rokominis.com/website1_006.htm

We're very pleased!

 

[Becky]

5 normal foalings here. One aborted foal back in January. Can't believe all 5 foals are colts! I can't remember the last time I've had an all colt foaling season. Normally, the fillies out number colts here. Not ths year! Wonderful and colorful, colts though, so no complaints!

My mares had shorter than normal gestations. 3 nighttime foals. 2 daytime.

What has been abnormal this year is breeding season. Really abnormal heat cycles or no heat cycles. We're relating that to the weather!

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

3 normal foalings for us! 2 fillies and a colt!

Colt: 336 days gestation

Filly: 327 days gestation

Filly: 323 days gestation

They did start bagging up weird, couple seemed to come on really fast/strong like they were going to foal early, and then went into a stand still for a week or two..

 

[chandab]

Lousy... 6 mares bred, no foals. One stallion was gelded this spring, he was infertile, he covered 4 of those mares. The other stallion I believe had a logistics problem with pasture breeding; 31" stallion trying to cover 36" mares with one mare chasing him off the other (he was hand bred previously and the mare he covered carried and foaled just fine, pasture breeding didn't work last year). Hopefully next foaling season will go better, but so far, only one mare has come in heat, since I planned to start breeding this season, that I want the new stallion to cover.

 

[albahurst]

I purchased a mare in foal and she foaled out a gorgeous black pinto show colt by Little Kings Black Velvet! No problems at all. Breeding season has gone well here, too, this year.

 

[Sandy B]

3 mares bred for 2011 foals (2 were actually pregnant). One foaled at approx 315 days and had very bad dystocia- lost both mare & foal. The second mare foaled during daytime, with no labor warnings (although she did have a nice bag on her), 30 minutes after we checked her. We lost the foal as it did not make it out of the sac. This mare was about 335 days. This was our first mini foaling season and almost made my daughter (now 12 yrs old) give up. However the mini community blessed my daughter and she ended up with 3 more A/R mares ( all past show horses) as well as a mini filly. Then I traded a medium sized pony for another AMHA Buckskin mare. Of our growing broodmare herd of 7, all but one seem to be in foal (only one came back in heat and we teased for a minimum of 35 days from the last breeding date). Hopefully 2012 will be a busy and uneventful foaling season.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

3 mares were bred, lost first mare & foal at 315 days-premature labor/dystocia in February. In March 2nd mare foaled 341 days healthy colt, had one leg back by jaw, but no other problems. Last mare foaled in April, an adorable colt 333 days no problems at all.

 

[lucky lodge]

Iam siiting here crying after reading about the mares and foals that died iam really sorry sending big big hugs

Iam a first time breeder and iam excited but craping my self to

 

[kaykay]

Ours was pretty stressful. 3 foals all 3 had longer gestations. 3 dystocias. Ughh. All are fine and playing so at least its a happy ending. We have not bred any mares back for 2012.

 

[targetsmom]

Our foaling season was pretty "normal" for us - no live foals. Two mares in foal, one early abortion last fall. Our entire herd got sick late last summer from something we picked up at a horse show in August, and by the time we figured out it was Rhino, the other bred mare had gotten it. She carried to term - more or less - foaling at 299 days while on Mare Stare but a day before the Equipage was due to go on. No signs except a slight bag. Foal was either born dead or did not get out of sack, with the placenta delivered with the foal, so almost certainly from the Rhino.

 

[sfmini]

We bred our mares late. Had one late term abortion, beautiful black colt. Then a nice black pinto colt at the beginning of July, a bay splash overo colt a week ago (that color was really a surprise!), and Monday a pretty bay filly. The two babies this month were both inbreedings using SF Mahogany Bay to his dam and 1/2 sister and did it ever work well. The three mares are of "advanced maternal ages" two are 19 and his dam is 25 and they all did great.

The first baby is by my stallion LM Im A Buckin Hawk which is his first foal.

We debated breeding so late again but decided that since the foals are so nice and the mares are older that we would go ahead and repeat the breedings so this weekend we will be rearranging horses so the boys and mares can have their own turnouts together and whatever happens will happen.

We actually thought the older mare was done, as she hasn't had a foal in years so she was just turned out with him as a barren companion. Fooled us and worried us because of her age, but she did great and is doing great and the vet gave her a clean bill of health and said no reason not to let her try again, if she needs to stop she will stop on her own but we will keep an eagle eye on her. She has been our best producing mare so if at any time we think she needs to retire, then that is what she will do, go into forced retirement.

 

[Suzie]

Our foaling season was great. We got a gorgeous blue eyed palomino colt and a coal black Mickey Mouse great granddaughter! Both definitely keepers for us. We don't breed many any more, but seems we are getting the very best every time. After all these years of breeding, we are rewarding ourselves by keeping some of our best foals yet.

We don't have any mares bred for next year- personally taking a year off to see what it is like to sleep through March and April...can't remember! Going to spend our time concentrating on working with the horses we have to make them better in the show ring.

 

[Jill]

Ours was honest to God perfect. I couldn't be happier with what we got, however, a maiden mare did surprise me going sooner than I thought judging from her physical indications... but that's par for the course when it comes to maidens. Three healthy, pretty, intensely Buckeroo double dilute fillies. If they weren't already mine, I'd wish I could buy them.

Divine:



Design:



Delight:

 

[Joanne]

Nine live foals, one loss. All pintos !!!

Including these. I am thrilled with this years foal crop.