Patty is starting to get big

[Kim P]

Thanks Paula, I loved our snow! One of the grand babies ended up sick, but it was worth it. She was quite proud of her snow girl in the hot pink hat and purple scarf! Yes, I just have to work with my wishbone, he is going to have a good summer this year. They all will. They are in good health now. Ole Peanut is just rotten!

 

[chandab]

The average gestation for full size horses is 340 days, but minis average about 10 days less. That's just an average, they can go longer or shorter. Shortest for viable foal is about 300 days for a mini.

One of mine went 307, the others were around 320 or so; I'd have to look it up to be certain.

 

[paintponylvr]

Kim -

Did you state at the beginning of your post when Patty was bred? I can't remember and haven't had time to go and search for it. Patty is doing great and so are you.

We've had mares carry as long as 369 days and we consistently had one mare that foaled @ 310 - 314 days after her last cover date. I don't believe that we've had one foal earlier than 310 days - but we've also had plenty of pasture bred mares that we don't know exact days on.

here are some pics of one of our mares. She was only bred one time, so easy to get a count of days! Sorry, I didn't get inside vulva pics (she'd have killed me - I plan on living a LONG life).

And this is a pic taken @ 0345. He was born around 2 am. So a little over 12 hours from the pics above to this end result. Echo is now coming 2 yrs old and is a VERY FITTING end to our 1st stallion's career and life. For now, Echo is remaining our Jr Stallion prospect. He's a LOVE and more.

I'd have to do some research to find out how many days this mare carried with her foal that she was bred for when I purchased her. Toying with breeding her again this year... Don't know for sure yet. BUT both colts she's had for us are AWESOME. Oly is now owned by a friend and is one of 4 we are taking to college on Monday for a "gelding party".

 

[Kim P]

Oh my! Tory got huge! Beautiful little baby!

No I don't know the exact date. I know that we brought them here right before Easter. I saw them breed but don't know the date. It was still chilly out. I do remember that. I also know that it was shortly after we got them. So it was either at the end of March or in April. I really can't tell you exactly. Just a guess bc I did not think he could get her pregnant bc of his age. Yeah lol. That is all I can tell anyone. I am ready really. I just want it to be warm for the baby. Especially since I have never owned horses much less have a mare give birth to a baby. I would feel better if it was born in warm weather. It scares me knowing I am responsible for helping take care of a new baby in this nasty weather we are having. I know, like I can control nature! I also don't have the nice barns and all the neat stuff I see everyone else with. I do have Patty in her own space, in the pen. I have heat lamps for them. It just bothers me that their pen gets muddy, and that we are having yuck weather. Yeah, I know, I am a pansy. I see all these pics of people in these serious snow situations and I complain about a little cold and rain. I just don't want the baby to get cold and die bc I did not do something right, or notice something that I should have. Okay I am rambling again. I have to get dressed and go out in the cold and start working on cleaning their pen and getting ready for a baby! It is pretty out. The sun is shining. It is still cold. The horses can get out and run in the yard today instead of being cooped up in the pen.

 

[MountainWoman]

I think you'll have warm weather and you still have time left before she foals. Seriously, lots of people don't have barns or fancy stuff. All you need to make sure of is when the foal is born you are there and then you need to dry off the foal as soon after the birth as possible. That's your biggest danger in cold weather - a wet, shivering foal with no one there to assist in drying him or her off. And hopefully this cold weather is on its way out.

 

[lkblazin]

Is gelding party code for snip snip party? Lol poor boys would think there going somewhere fun =-O

 

She's looking good in the pictures. Definitely getting slab-sided but with a slight bulge on the side. But since she's showing some udder development, hopefully she'll take some more time to fill the udder and take you into next month at least. But remember, things can change quite suddenly so since she's close, just keep a good eye on her, and note changes in her personality as she nears her delivery date.

And as to changing color, yes, if you spread the lips of her labia, you will probably see a light pink/salmon color. As she nears delivery, this will darken to more red. As it gets redder she is moving forward to her delivery. That, with the looseness and elongation are good signs of impending delivery, especially if you note changes in her personality. All things work together on trying to guesstimate impending birth.

 

[paintponylvr]

Several others said the best parts of the preparation of Patty.

On the pen, you are fine! To help with a muddy pen - in a pinch - you can layer hay/straw. The deeper it is the drier the top part(s) will be when she foals. HOWEVER, it could be a mess to clean up later.

You've got all the essentials you need, so take a deep breath (*maybe pour a glass of wine?) and relax a bit. You will both be great!

 

[paintponylvr]

I love chanda's pics of one of her mares - didn't look pregnant before lunch - after lunch she has a foal next to her... LOL.

We had a 3/4 TB paint horse mare that did that too, (after the vet saying she wasn't pregnant) but I don't have pics of her (didn't take lots of pics in the 70/80s) right before/after.

Do you have any new pics of the boys?

 

[Kim P]

Oh Paula, I have already had the wine. I have to hold off a bit on that. A while back I broke out on hives. My friend had made me some delicious home made wine. I had messed with alfalfa and taken aleve .So I have stayed away from it all. Last week another one of my friends made me some awesome blueberry wine. I had messed with those alfalfa pellets and taken aleve again! I am just getting over the hives again. I may feel brave and try it again. It made my face swell up and my lips numb though, so I am thinking it was the wine! My husband told me to leave that home made stuff alone and just drink store bought. I guess that is what I am going to have to do. It really is good wine though. I don't understand bc I have drank it several times before and it never bothered me.

It is not so much the shed it is the yard in their pen. I put out hay and straw all over their pen yesterday! Yes I am going to have a fun time cleaning it all up. It is beautiful today. They are in the yard running and playing. I have been out here for a while with them. I brushed them all real good. Yes even wishbone walked up for his turn in the yard. He also just stood there and enjoyed it. He is such a turkey. He has been letting me take him back and forth no problem. I have come to realize that he only does this when others are around (the running away). As long as I am by myself he does pretty good. Most of the time.

Now mind when you look at their pics, I just brushed them. No baths. We live on this iron ore so I have red horses! The boys are really good friends now that they are gelded. Peanut chases and aggravates wishbone until he chases him. I love to see them running. I am so glad my husband did our yard like he did. It is so relaxing. I just sat on the bottom deck steps and brushed everyone. So much easier on my back!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Great Pics

they are definitely enjoying the sunshine

 

[Kim P]

I posted in a topic on the miniature horse forum about Patty under locking stifle. I need a little input please.

 

[Kim P]

I am a little bummed out. I went to tractor supply today for feed. Of course I had to check out the clearance aisle in back. I was so excited to find two harnesses on sale for 5.99 a piece! They were for colts. I just knew one was going to fit Patty for sure! They were hot pink and turquoise. Well neither one fit. I keep furnishing my sons girlfriends horses with neat stuff! At least I was only out $13.00. I guess I am going to have to go to Shreveport, 30 miles away to buy proper mini stuff. I told Kate to go back to TC and get the other one that I did not buy, it was for a full size horse and was neon green for $5.99. They were the break away ones too!

 

[Kim P]

Maybe I should just Patty's info over here. I don't know where to put it. Would pregnancy cause lock and stifle. Her back legs seem to lock up or something. She walks stiff legged for a sec, kicking her legs out, then she is fine. Maybe baby is laying on nerves?

 

[Kim P]

This seems to be happening since I have kept them in the pen with all this rain. I had noticed it but my son noticed it today. He seemed to have gotten a little worried and said to keep her penned up, but I would think that she needs to stretch it out and get exercise. I feel like it is happening bc of pregnancy and being cooped up, then again I don't know much about all this stuff.

 

[chandab]

It could be because of being cooped up, or even less movement due to pregnancy. Exercise and proper hoof trimming is important, but that is about all I know.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Me too , I know you say she is a little unbalanced at the moment but could she manage a light walk out on the lead ?

 

[MyGoldenSunny]

I have a mare that did that only when she was in foal, and only a few times when she was really big and ready to foal. Not sure why....interesting

 

[AnnaC]

Hi Kim. I did reply to your other post on the main forum - turned on my laptop this morning to find that amazingly I had internet connection, have been having soooooooooooo much trouble with it lately! OK, I also had a mare who would do this with some of her pregnancies in the last couple of weeks (like Jessie above), it seemed to happen once the foal had dropped and therefore caused the mare to walk/waddle differently to balance the weight. Once she had foaled it went away and none of her sons or daughters never suffered from it. You need to do two things - get your farrier asap to trim her hind feet particularly the toes (see my reply on the main forum) and secondly get her OUTSIDE! Any horse with stifle problems should be out 24/7 if possible, not penned up. Also it is very important that Patty has continual outside time anyway - all horses should have the opportunity to keep 'on the move' for the sake of their general health, but it is essential with brood mares particularly in the late stages of pregnancy. Yes they might chew up your paddocks, but that is just unfortunate. If for some reason your paddock area is small then mares should be taken for walks at least once a day for at least a half hour or so to give them the 'moving' exercise that they need. Dont worry about the weather - if they have a run in pen or some sort of possible shelter (hedge/trees/solid area of fencing to hide behind) and plenty of hay during bad weather, they will be fine.

Better leave it there as laptop is doing funny things again and I may lose my connection - my apologies to you all for my lack of posts recently - hopefully full service will be resumed once (if) I get the problem sorted!!

 

You can post ANYTHING here, that's why we're called the Nutty Nursery -- we talk about everything while we're waiting.

I agree with Anna. Lot's of open exercise is important in these pregnant ladies, and letting her have freedom to wander will be helpful for the locking stifle, too, as well as keeping things moving along in her pregnancy.

The shifting baby can be causing her some distress, and if you're more comfortable walking her.... do that. But the exercise or walking will help baby shift around and may help relieve some of her discomfort. If she's never had stifle problems before, I would chalk it up to pregnancy, and expect it to go away once baby is born.

Just keep us posted on the condition and what you're seeing, and we may have more to add to help you with this.