N00b w/prego rescue mini

[AnnaC]

Oh my, does she ever stop!! Poor Charm. LOL!! But dont worry, not long now and Charm will give up running after her and just watch indulgently as her spaced out daughter zooms past!!

So sorry that you are having such a hard time. I really hope things come right for you and you can find the peace that you deserve.

 

Me too. Praying something will just fall in your lap that will make everything right for you and your horses!

In the mean time -- this little one is certainly something! Just a WHIZ! Anna's right though, pretty soon you'll see momma standing in the center of the circle eating -- just keeping an eye on this WHIZ-KID!!

 

[Eagle]

Yes, it always makes me smile when the mums are over protective straight after birth, I let them know that soon they will be begging me to baby sit

Britt and Odette would always groom each other whilst I was in the field playing with their babies, you could see that they were quite happy for me to step in for a while.

 

[countrymini]

Love it. Now I'm thinking you're feeding her too much msg, colour and preservatives. Thats what used to set my kids off lol.

 

[Vansplic]

ROFL! Yes, it must be all that sugar and red food dye!

Well, we had a fun evening... I brought Charm her dinner while my son came in to clean the stall... and lil miss decided to bolt down the barn isle! The door was not open enough for charm to follow after so she called but was VERY calm about it all. I stepped in and caught our little pistol and carried her back to momma and set her down pointing into the stall... she was NOT happy! She wanted play time! So it took a bit of nudging in the behind to get her back in the stall on her own four hooves but she finally went... with a buck and a stomp in case we had missed her displeasure! OH to have video!!!!

Charm came in so untrusting that it brings tears to my eyes to have her trust me with her precious little filly and for her to be learning trust from seeing me with the filly. Tonight she watched the filly paw on my leg and I simply did one firm paw on the ground just like momma does. Filly stopped the behavior but more importantly momma came over to me on her own!!! I think she is learning that if I don't punish the foal harshly then I am not going to punish her harshly either. Mom and filly both played with my jacket for a bit after the filly got over the shock of my taking my "fur" off!

 

[Eagle]

Taking your fur off. You are a scream

 

[Vansplic]

I have been neglect in my duties!!!

Momma got her feet trimmed today and was mildly stressed but behaved very well.

Found a pile from baby in the pasture... apparently she is gumming a lot more grass and hay than I thought she was getting down! This was then followed by her vigorously pouncing mommas dinner plate ( see attached pics). Is this OK? she isn't even a week old yet. If Baby is stealing mommas chow I assume I need to increase the rations or give her her own. I am still soaking the grain as baby has been interested in it since day one and I did not want baby to choke if she got a hold of some... which apparently she is!

Nibbles

Move over momma, this is good!





Baby will let me touch her every where but is a little iffy about the ears. She will also let me wrap her in a great big hug. She picks up all four... for as long as she can balance on three.

 

I'm sure she really isn't taking much -- so give momma and extra cup or so.

She's such a pretty girl -- just like her momma!

 

[Vansplic]

Thanks!

I don't think she is getting too much either and she steals a couple nibbles then runs off I just wanted to be sure it was OK for her to be into real food this early. I have to admit though I was shocked but the amount of hay/grass textured material in her poo already.

Oh, and she is TOTALLY desensitized to cameras and flashes

We only have some 2,000 pic so far.

 

Just as you are supposed to have, after waiting so long for this precious little one! PERFECT!

 

[Vansplic]

I know I have brought this up before but it still worries me

Momma really does not have a bag. Baby is feeding often but only a few sips at each teat. Baby has lots of spunk but is also getting into the hay, grass and grain and I am concerned she is eating these other things early because she isn't getting enough milk?

 

[chandab]

I know not a horse, but we are in the middle of calving, and the calves are tasting hay within just a day or two of birth; once they are about a week old, they are even more interested (still most of their diet is milk).

foals tend to drink small amounts often. I was worried about Dolly when she was born, Caddy didn't seem to have much of a bag; but Dolly was spunky, so I was told not to worry.

Here are Dolly pics from just a few days old, as you can see she came out chubby, and stayed chubby:

Birthday:



Two days old:



about two weeks old:



And about two months old:



I honestly don't rememeber when Dolly started tasting her dam's feed, but...

My APHA mare when she was born, her dam did seem to be short on milk and Hayley started really eating feed at only a few days old. I built her a creep feeder at about a week old. Vet had no problem with her eating mare/foal feed at such a young age. I think I started her on a cup or two 2x daily, and it didn't take her long to be eating a decent amount. She turned out just fine.

Mare and Foal on birthday:



Didn't have a digital camera back then, so few pics on computer.

Here's an adult pic of her, she matured just fine (she's 11 in this pic):

 

[AnnaC]

Some babies suck, some slurp and some sip, but as long as they full of energy and doing lots of running and playing, things are usually ok. Many little ones also mouth/nibble at their Momma's food with no problem - which is why a good quality mare and foal feed is recommended. I prefer my babies not to have access to water for the first few days as I want them to make full use of Momma's milk, but after that water is available at all times - I do watch to make sure that a foal is not drinking more than the odd sip at the water supply as some can overdrink which is not good for them at this stage.

 

[Vansplic]

Thanks! I am a little neurotic about this little one!

I saw a pic yesterday of one of the other mares that was with Charm when I picked her up. So sad the condition she is in and the foal looks bad too (although he had wonderful coloring). Sad to think my baby girl could have been born into that. Wish I had the resources to go pick up the other mare

.

I was noticing that the other foal was born about a week and a half before charms baby. The other foals feet already seemed to be looking like skis, sloping out an up with the foal walking back on the heal. Which got me curious as I have seen it with others. Is this an excersize, nutrition, genetic thing? When do foals start needing their feet trimmed?

 

[Vansplic]

Thanks for rounding up the pictures Chanda! Seeing it really helps! What beauties!

 

[Eagle]

some foals are born with their "slippers" on which come of once they walk around or can be taken off and some foals are born with lax tendons which looks bad but is nothing serious, they straighten up with exercise. I believe it is due to selenium dificiency.

 

Baby's feet can grow extremely quickly. I always have the farrier check out all the baby feet on the place when he comes for his visit, and I occassionally rasp down baby's toes if they are growing too long. Lax tendons can make baby walk on the back of their heels until they strengthen, but if it's been several weeks, then I would think baby needs his feet looked at and the toes corrected.

 

[Vansplic]

I got to see my little ones slippers but the little booger wouldn't be still long enough for me to get a picture of them. SO much to learn!!

Te he he... These little ones are a blast!

Me thinks me got bit by the mini bug.... Ruh ro. Didn't I read something around here about a 3:1 ratio on minis to big horses

 

[Eagle]

They are just like potato chips, you can never have just 1.

 

[chandab]

Didn't I read something around here about a 3:1 ratio on minis to big horses

Depends on what size you like... If you like the tinies, its probably closer to 4:1; if you like the taller ones, then probably 3:1. [i have mostly bigger minis, so figure 3:1.] Just don't forget, they get the exact same shots as full-size, farrier costs the same, vet costs the same. But, you do save on feed and dewormer, as those are based on weight.