New Filly Dwarf????

[TPs flat rock acres]

my mare just had her foal last night. As I am still learning I wasn't sure if this baby is just a small little girl or if she might be a dwarf and if she is what do I need to do in regards to care? thank you

 

[Royal Crescent]

Why, other then size, do you think she might be a dwarf? Do you have pictures?

 

[Jill]

Could you post pictures? She may just be small.

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

Well I am not sure as I know foals have to "unfold" but not sure to what degree. She looks very normal I think other then her front feet turn up some and so don't the rear feet. Again this is only my 5th baby and I know all babies are different esp if from better pedigrees etc I do have a photo just need to figure out how to repost as I haven't been on in awhile

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

Ok I tried to post a photo but it didn't work can you refresh my mind on how to do it?

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

can someone please tell me how to post photos I have forgotten how to do it thank you or you can see her on my site at http://www.orientsprideakitas.net/minifoals.html

 

[Genie]

From that picture on the website it seems that there may be some characteristics that are suspect. I am no expert.

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

I no expert but was thinking its odd. but again still learning. Do they usually come up on their feet more?

 

[Jill]

I'm trying to add the picture for you...

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

thank you for adding it

 

[Jill]

I think I do see indications, too.

With the feet, I haven't had any dwarf foals, but on other foals, we've had some "gumby" legs and feet that have improved rapidly within a matter of days. However, I think with dwarves, they can have more of an on going problem with limb issues.

Wishing you the best and hoping others here will have more insight and can help with advice.

 

[Jill]

PS to add the picture, all I did was cut and paste it from your link

 

[Genie]

I have certainly seen foals "down" but maybe not just like she is.

There are also a few other things from the picture that make me suspect some dwarf characteristics. She is a cutie.

I hope some others will offer you an opinion and possibly contradict mine.

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

Like I said I really don't know alot about horses but think I can see some things that might not quit be right. Looking at her in the flesh she seems pretty normal but her chest seems wider then my other foals mind you the others arent as good breeding as this ones suppose to be. . I bought this mare bred This foal is just hours old so hopefully in the next few days she will get better... at least I hope. If not what do you have to do with dwarfs? care wise?

 

[Jill]

I think she is adorable and if she is a dwarf, I'm thinking she isn't severely effected BUT I am not an expert in this area.

To me, what stood out is that she is a bit "thick" or big boned.

Also, just relating to my own experience, we have had foals here where before they unfolded, I had concerns if they could be a dwarf, too. None of them were. For whatever that is worth. She may just need some unfolding AND I know camera angles can also distort things. No matter what, though, she is cute cute cute

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

thank you yes she seems thick to me but again comparing her to the foals I have had she has better bloodline so I am not sure what excellent bred babies are suppose to look like. I love her head and her body seems to be nice legs straight from the side and I think would be straight if it wasn't for the feet but she has thick leather or feather not sure what you call it on her feet still but not sure what she will do when that wears off. I think if she can get up on her feet she will have very nice straight legs but chest I find thick and shes very stocky but not used to a very small foal. Her mom is about 32" tall sire I am not sure my other mares are about 34" tall so their babies weren't really that small a little on the taller side. I hope shes not a dwarf but hope she really is healthy and no problems.

 

[Carolyn R]

The angle of the photo is not great to judge her length of neck, head, or girth. A shot level to her of a side view with her head and neck straight forward and possibly a shot aiming straight on of her face,neck, chest and front legs, also from her level, would be more helpful to draw opinions from. Many times dwarves have the appearance of being little tanks, way more weight/muscling appearance to them than the average foal. Necks are often close to or the same size of the head when measures from pole (right behind the ears) to the tip of the nose, this can be accompanied by few to no other traits or tos of other medical issues.

I think there are many bloodlines that may or may not carry the gene, many not so good lines and also many good lines, until there is a genetic test, it will just keep us all guessing.

Have you had a vet out to do a foal check to make sure her lungs and heart sound good as well as possible making some suggestions such as vitamin E/selenium for her joints?

 

[Mona]

Cute foal! I think you may be right though, in thinking she may be a dwarf. From what I can see, she definitely has several suspect indicators. What I see when I look at that ONE photo, from that ONE angle that would make me suspect dwarf, is:

1. She appears weak in the fetlock joints. That in itself happens to many foals, but is quite prevalent in dwarfs. Usually normal foals come up on them rather quickly yet the dwarf foals seem to stay "down" on them much longer, and often indefinitely without corrective measures.
   
2. She also seems to have a "thick" build...that is, heavy boned.
   
3. She has what I consider, a more "bull-doggish" type chest, pushing her out at the elbows.
   
4. Short, thick neck.
   

This said, even with her problems, she appears to be one of the "healthier" type dwarf foals. You'll find that as time goes on, she'll develop that bigger belly that many have, and that is from having larger internal organs than their little body can hold without expanding so much. I think overall, as far as dwarfs are concerned, there's a good chance that she'll be one of the "healthier" ones, but will still require some extra care such as hooves, possibly teeth/feeding, as there is a good chance she's likely undershot too.

Good Luck with whatever you decide to do with her.

 

[Riverdance]

The angle makes it a little more difficult to tell, but the first thing i saw was dwarf. She is thick bodied, short neck, big head, week legs and most of all, her nostrils are on top of her head, rather than forward. As she matures, the characteristics will become more and more apparent. I would get a farrier or vet out to help get her on her feet. Magic Shoes, you can find them on Lilbeginnings, makes shoes that will help get hr on her hooves. Still, she is a cutie.

Many of the top bloodlines carry the dwarf gene. Like the lethal white gene, we need a test to be able to know which Mini's carry the gene so that we make sure not to breed them together. To get a better idea of some of the top bloodline foals, go onto the owners and breeders pages to see what those foals look like.

Good luck with her, she will still make an adorable, affectionate pet.

 

[Mona]

Just to show you the change they can go through, here is one I had born here several years ago. When "Star" was born, I could immediately see she was much "clunkier" than a normal foal, and had that bull-doggy type chest/shoulder combination and short neck. I think we as breeders find it harder to identify these ones that are a little more minimally expressed at birth, than perhaps onlookers can see. We fall instantly in love with them, like they are our own, making it more difficult. I remember when Star was born. immediately thinking dwarf, but then going back and forth, argueing with myself whether she was actually a dwarf or if she just had poor conformation instead. I got to the point where I knew if I knew deep down that she wqas a dwarf and if I was questioning myself that strongly, she must be! (and I was right!)

When she was born, she looked fairly normal while still wet.

Then as she dried off and stood, I started noticing the signs that had me questioning her. This next set of photos were take of her when she was a few days old to a few weeks old.

Then this one at just a little over 2 months old:

And this one I think was sent later that Summer/Fall after she went to her new home.

So my point in posting these, was just sort of to let you know that sometimes we seem to know in our hearts that they are not "normal" but find it hard to accept unless they signs are BLARING OBVIOUS. This was the second dwarf foal born to this mare (2 different sires), and she was not used again for breeding.