N00b w/prego rescue mini

[Vansplic]

God , I love you gals!!!

Seriously, I would be in a rubber stall spinning and drooling while muttering to myself if it were not for you guys! This would be as opposed to spinning and muttering to myself while cleaning a stall in case you were unsure of the difference

We are getting fewer kicks but a lot more movement so sounds good!

Thank you for the well wishes... All will be OK as long as I am with it enough should charm foal and need help. Unfortunately a big reason for the medication is insomnia... Yeh, like I am going to sleep between now and when she foals! HA! Ok, there might be some chance if my boyfriend can work the glitches out of the mare cam!

OH, seeing as the vets around here are nutty... I was told to give the foal an enema shortly after birth to make sure it has its first poo but I don't think I saw that in the foaling kit. Is that true for minis or is that a big horse thing or just bad advice?

Thanks!

 

[Eagle]

Hi Cam, I am sorry you aren't feeling well, I hope you are better soon. As Anna has said, foal would not be able to move around that much if it was big so don't worry about that. Who told you that rubbish anyway?

I usually give my foals an enema if they are straining so yes vet is right

 

[Vansplic]

Aunties are the BEST!!!

My experience is that every boarding stable has or has had that one boarder from heck. Well... This is mine and sadly she is grandfathered into my lease or I would have tossed her a long time ago. I have aspbergers syndrome and have a strong need to know every detail of how to do something correctly. She has found a soft spot in my having a prego mare. I have read everything I can get my hands on, watched video after video, studied anatomy, you name it... But this is one of those things that you really have to do and do a lot of to be proficient. I have not had that opportunity... SO... I pester the Aunties with pictures, questions and rambling paranoia! It seems that you all are too well caffeinated, nicotined, and sleep deprived to really be phased

Anyway... The bulge yesterday that made me think of the movie Aliens seems to be just about the right size for the head of a foal who is nearly ready to show us how beautiful s/he is!

 

[Vansplic]

Oops... Forgot... She did have one pile in her stall that looked more like a cow patty than horse but belly is still round, no more milk than yesterday and hooha is still zipped tight... Think she just wants to rotate signs to make sure I know all of them!

 

[Eagle]

We are here to help you and your girl get this foal safely on the ground and no question is a silly question here. Judging by what you have described it sounds lile baby was turning. Try and get some pics up when you are feeling better so we can take a look.

Oh and you are right, nothing phases us

 

[Vansplic]

OK... Aunties need their fix...







this was the difficult one to get this evening

and... just because... this is Charm when she got here...

 

YOU are doing everything just fine. Tell the "doom-sayer" to move along!! Babies turn, and this one has been moving around by the looks of the last 2 sets of pictures. As Anna and Renee have said, if baby was too big -- you wouldn't see much or no movement at all.

She's looking just perfect to me. Nice lop-sided baby belly, and moving ahead just fine. I think I would happily tell your "friend" that if she's going to be so negative, that you would just prefer she keep her opinions to herself. You can say it kindly, but no one needs added burdens twhen they're already worrying about their mares and upcoming foals.

Belly is lop-sided, but moving forward as it should! All is looking just PERFECT -- so NO worries! We'll help you get this precious little one on the ground -- so continue to ask any questions you want -- we're here to help you develop a comfort level and feel ready to help, should she need it. But she's looking just fine!

 

[Vansplic]

Better pics...

Do I see a V?

 

[AnnaC]

Not quite a V from your picture - but angles with a camera can be deceiving! However she does look close enough to be able to 'go' at any time so keep watching closely.

Some folks give an enema automatically, but like Renee says, most of us try to avoid handling the babies early on if not necessary (can stress them and their poor Mommas) so usually watch to make sure baby passes that first 'poo' before springing into action - first 'poo' is often not passed until baby has had a good drink, and takes a bit of straining to pass, so you wont miss what is happening, especially as you will be glued in wonderment and delight watching the first few hours of a new life - before collapsing into the nearest bed for some shuteye!! LOL!!

 

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Looks like she has a bit of edema in front of her udder -- that will be moving back, and then her belly shape will be more pronounced! Without that edema -- you can see her belly has moved forward nicely, and she'll be showing her present soon, I believe.

As to enemas, I give them to all my foals, a simple precaution as I'm usually "on-the-move" and not watching carefully enough to see as I generally leave momma and baby alone to bond. I do it slowly, no "grabbing" baby, and use a children's Fleet enema. Baby goes right away, and then I just watch what I get to know whether I need to continue watching for straining -- or if it looks good, I can take a deep breath and know that part is done! Then pretty much I leave them along for the first 3 days to just bond together. (I do sneak in during momma's feeding times to sit in the corner and play with baby -- who is generally very inquisitive and finds out quickly scratches are GREAT!

 

[Vansplic]

Momma is going to have a lot of feeding times if that is when I get to play with baby!

OK, so this is starting to feel rather... ahhhhh... REAL! OMG a foal! Going to have a little one trotting about here!

I didn't see much change this morning so she is out munching grass. I will get Pics this evening unless something big shifts.

 

[SummerTime]

Hi Cam! I just got through reading your thread... I've been kinda out of it since my mare had her baby, so i apologize that I have not been "Up to date"!

Yes Renee! A reply to you post.... Lol I almost .... So close.... Did it to myself again!! I managed to pull my self to my senses! Lol!

Cam, I just love your sense of humor! You crack me up!

Your mare is so pretty and I can't wait to see what color you will get!

On a side note... My oldest has an Autism Spectrum Disorder... (that's what the drs call it anyway, which in other words means "we dont know what kind of autism it is") they said he is to social to have Aspergers, but I don't know about that. Anyway, he has taught me so much and I just love the way he thinks! He does his best thinking while stimming... pacing, wringing his hands together, and making these little humming sounds. So you made me laugh when you said you were spinning in the stall drooling! LOL

Glad your here! These ladies are great! They helped me so much, and put up with my sleep deprived craziness!!

And I guess you and I are the only ones who haven't been drivin to smoking, but am so happy I can go back to drinking my jack and coke at night, I refused to drink at all while on night watch!!! lol

 

[Vansplic]

Rofl! I am going to get a bad habit hanging with you ladies yet!

I have aspbergers (before they changed the DSM) and my son has autism too. It is a pretty interesting house! My boyfriend likely has some form of it too... So we all have our stimms, obsessions and features! We manage to keep it all going though.

Lil miss is enjoying the cool sunshine and fresh grass. Having her lunch brought to her in the nether regions of the pasture made her day! Nope, no spoiled horses (or cats or dogs) in this barn!! The pasture is all nice, fresh and green. I would almost rather she have her foal there. I keep stripping and cleaning her stall but she is in the middle of the barn and even with everything open there is little fresh air.

 

[AnnaC]

Sorry, but I cant remember exactly what you are feeding her at the moment, but if she is able to enjoy some good weather days out on fresh green grass, then you may be able to cut back slightly on the amount of food she is eating. Also remember that her tummy is pretty full up with the foal at the moment so keep any feeds small and often, but grazing on the grass is really good for her now - slow trickle feeding on Dr Green will keep her system working gently and smoothly.

 

[Vansplic]

I am currently feeding mare and foal feed three times a day in smaller rations, free feed alfalfa hay when she is stalled and then we have plenty of grass. I keep an eye on her in the pasture so that I have some idea how much she is getting. She is not one of those horses that always has her head down munching. She will just stand out there enjoying the sun and breeze so I don't worry too much about her over eating right now. Honestly she only seems to be grazing about half the time she is out if that. I think baby is taking up too much room in there!

 

[AnnaC]

Sounds perfect!!

 

[Vansplic]

Thanks!

Ok, her last foal was born April 24th. We have figured she did not take on the foaling heat so where does that put us on days? She would have to be well over 300 by now. 335?

Also, after the foal is born how long do you keep straw down and then is there a preference on what to put down next? We have sawdust, pelleted bedding and the corn cob stuff but I can get pine shavings if that would be better. We have crushed limestone stalls with rubber matting under what ever I put down. And is it best for them to have a large stall or should she be moved to a normal 10x12 stall where the little one has less room to chase her in?

 

[Eagle]

The bigger stall would be much better as she will need plenty of space to foal and then baby will need to zoom about and try out his/her new legs

I worked her out to be 332 days but it is late here and I have been drinking

I personally prefer straw to bed down mares on as it is so much safer and warmer. I leave them on it for about 10 days to 2 weeks and then I switch them back to shavings which is what I use for the rest of the year.

 

[Vansplic]

Ooh for a good drink!!!

Yep, got plenty of zoom room!!!

Went out to get Charm tonight a bit later than usual... it seems she filed a complaint with the boarders that I was late on our evening scritches... poor girl was having to do it herself.... under the hay feeder!

OK... Pics for the Aunties...



OK so maybe I am a little tipsy without the drink!





Her Ph was at about 7.6ish Calcium still holding at 300ish.

 

[Vansplic]

forgot... she is much more agitated tonight. She threw two kicks and while she wanted her scritches she could only stand being lovable for about ten minutes as opposed to the half hour we had been spending on scritches.