Really thinking about selling them all

[HGStables]

I am at the point I am considering selling all my minis off. I work my butt off to make sure they have the best food, suppliements, everything. And I get another aborted foal. I am so tired of the heart break I was really excited about this foal now its gone. Izzy was 7 months pregnant up to date on all shots including Pneumabort K. Nothing has changed in her routine food all of that. She was perfectly happy last night, ate her dinner, hay, drank her water. I came out this morning to feed them and there was a fetus laying on the floor in her stall.

 

[MountainWoman]

I'm so very sorry for your loss. It's really heartbreaking to lose a baby.

 

[Margo_C-T]

I completely sympathize with you in your loss...but with all due respect, you need to realize that this is OFTEN the reality of breeding miniature horses...and can in fact happen with ANY horses. There is often NO discernible reason for foal loss through abortion, esp. with miniatures. If you cannot handle that, perhaps you should no longer try to breed. There are MANY who are still breeding, producing foals at all levels of quality; it is imminently possible to buy one of those youngsters, and enjoy most of the 'fun' of a foal w/o many of the risks/possible heartbreak that can go along with breeding your own.

My opinion based on 20 years of breeding miniatures.

Margo

 

[Marty]

I understand how heartbreaking it is to loose any pet, expecially when you have driven yourself crazy doing everything under the sun for them.

I was lucky not to have lost a foal or a mare but I did choose to stop breeding before something happened. You need time. Perhaps choose not to breed for a while and just love the little guys you have for what they have to offer without re-producing, but don't rush off and sell out just yet without giving yourself time to get through this. I'm so sorry. Hugs.

 

[mshasta88]

I'm so sorry to hear that

Keep your chin up, I think we have all been there and it usually only happens to the one you are banking on.



This is just part of the business of breeding horses. I wouldn’t throw in the towel just because of this. There could have been many factors related to how the foal was aborted and nutrition probably wasn’t one of them.

 

[eagles ring farm]

I would listen to Marty with give it some time to think before you rush into selling

I know the feeling of disappointment and sadness. But it is definitely part of breeding miniatures.

It is devastating to lose a foal we have lost 2 due to abortions 1 this June (unknown reasons) and 1 full term hip lock filly

we lost

in the 9 years we have been breeding. And it does take time to bounce back with excitement to continue.

My biggest fear is our mares, I always feel as long as the mare is OK we are blessed and move on through the dissapointment

 

[targetsmom]

I am so sorry for your loss, but I have to agree with Lori at Eagles Ring that as long as the mare is OK, we feel blessed. I would not do anything hasty, as Marty says, but you need to realize that this is an unfortunate part of breeding minis and not everyone can deal with it. No one will fault you if you decide breeding is not for you - it is certainly not for the faint of heart. One of our MANY losses was a late term abortion and our mare was only saved through the wonderful (and expensive) work of the vets at the hospital 2 hours away. Until this year when we were truly blessed with 3 live foals, our record was 2 live foals from 8 confirmed pregnancies over 5 years. There are so many other things that you can do with minis besides breeding them, I urge you to think of that too.

 

[Knottymare]

First, let me offer my sincerest condolences. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to find that poor little foal...

After years of reading the foaling threads on this board, I decided, as badly as I wanted a foal, I was just not emotionally fit to breed my mares. If anything were to happen to them, I'd be lost. And if I lost the foals, I'd grieve. And if everything went perfectly, the time leading up to foaling would kill me with worry. I just don't have it in me.

Thankfully, there are others with the fortitude I don't have. I finally found my perfect little foal to raise and am enjoying him immensly.

Give yourself time. Enjoy your horses. I have two mares that were both broodies that are now pulling me around in carts. We are all having a ball.

Please give yourself a hug...

 

[minimomNC]

I thought you wanted to show them, so why would you just up and sell them all just because you lost a foal? I know its hard, I lost a very late term foal, 10 months, to a twisted cord. Beautiful palomino colt. It happens and while it was hard, it didn't mean the end of horses for me. I have had 4 live foals since then. I now choose not to breed because people no longer want to pay a reasonable price for a healthy, sane, happy foal. So enjoy your minis in other ways, no one ever said every miniature mare had to reproduce. Find things you like doing with them all, might find that breeding isn't for you but something else is, just takes time to find out what.

 

[disneyhorse]

Sorry to hear that. Contrary to the belief of many, miniature horses are not only good for breeding. They are fun to show, drive, or just pet and enjoy.

If breeding is too heartbreaking, you don't have to sell them all. Any stallion can be gelded, and you can show or enjoy them as pets and companions.

 

[Jill]

I'm sorry this happened.

There have been a few times where if someone turned up with a trailer, I'd ahve let them take every single horse off my hands. It's so hard when something bad happens!

My husband and I had planned for years before our first homebred foal was born. We learned, we showed, we thought it out long and hard. Then when our first foal was trying to be born, we lost both the baby AND the mare! A mare we loved, who was fun to drive, nice to show and that came from a friend who also loved her. Our vet was here with us from around 2am until it was light outside (and he got here w/n 45 minutes of me calling him out).

That was my all time low in horses. If i had a magic wand, I would have waved them all away to someone else. Plus, we had 2 other mares due to foal any day right here and one down at our friends also due to foal any day. It felt like I was strapped into a rollercoaster and had no way to get off the ride.

Just don't make any choices for a couple of days. Every time I have felt "THAT" bad about horses, it hasn't lasted long. A little time and, if it works for you as it has for me, you will soon be happy they're part of your life. And just do with them what you feel like. What YOU really want, not what you think you should be doing because so-and-so does. So many different things that you can do with the minis, and you don't have to do them all, or all at once. Don't put too much pressure on yourself because remembe -- this is supposed to be fun!

Good luck.

 

[Sandee]

Losing a foal or getting any big trouble or disappointment is difficult to get past. Could be worse you could have lost the mare(s) too. I lost the only foal that I ever bred for myself just this year. To top it off she carried it full term and someone was there at delivery but the foal never drew breath. Oh, and we had just gelded our stallion last fall because we only wanted the one foal (we felt we were getting too old to add any more to our "herd").

So I feel I can honestly tell you to hold off on any big decision until you have recovered. I should mention that it took me most of this summer before I could look at or feel good about anyone else's foals.

 

[wingnut]

After years of reading the foaling threads on this board, I decided, as badly as I wanted a foal, I was just not emotionally fit to breed my mares. If anything were to happen to them, I'd be lost. And if I lost the foals, I'd grieve. And if everything went perfectly, the time leading up to foaling would kill me with worry. I just don't have it in me.

This is me as well. Mainly because of experiences such as the one you just suffered being posted here on these boards. I shared many of these stories with my husband to show him just what kind of thing we could face and how, knowing me as he does, this would emotionally destroy me. I'm a tough cookie when I need to be, but circumstances like these tragic losses would take a heavy toll.

{{{{{{ hugs }}}}}}

 

[HGStables]

I have 4 other foals due in spring/summer now im terrified it will happen to all of them. 3 are minis 1 is my quarter horse. I bred my mares because I wanted to show my own babies, i did tons of research talked to breeders and veta. Last year was my first try the same mare aborted twice once 4 months preg the other maybe 2 months we tested her and found out she could no longer carry so I rehomed her shes now just shown by a little girl and her grandmother. Izzy is ok physically but mentally shes not right. She just stays away from the herd and sulks and I cant do alot for her beyond attention. I cleaned the stall to try to get rid of the smell of the foal so she dosen't go in it tonight and look for it. A few breeders said I need to open the sack and look but I cant, its in the fridge incase the vet wants to test it but it didnt sound like it.

 

[HGFarm]

Breeding is not for everyone. After breeding full sized horses, these Minis are a nightmare. I agree though, dont make a sudden decisions. There have been a couple of times I wanted to just throw in the towel, but a month later I decided no, have stuck with it and had many rewarding times with new foals.

Hugs, it is always heartbreaking, but it does happen- a lot more with Minis that the big ones it seems. So sorry for your loss.

 

[MindyLee]

Ive lost 2 due to missing the births. 1 in 2010, found my dream filly frozen to death. The other, this spring. Another dream filly and it got stuck and had to cut it out. I never beat myself up over it and didnt give up cause I told myself always that this can and will happen. I was just glad I didnt loose my mares.

Dont give up as your other mares are depending on you. And hope all goes well with them. When ya help birth out a foal, its all worth the goods and the bads in the end!!!

 

[CMC]

So sorry for this. I know it happens but it is very hard to go through it. Prayers for strength coming your way!

 

[bevann]

I'm so sorry for your loss.I know the feeling well.I bred miniatures for almost 20 years and NEVER had 1 year when I didn't lose a foal and sometimes mare and foal.I used to come on this site and read about people who had never lost a foal.I think I had their share.I slept in the stalls, installed monitors and did everything else to assure live foals.I finally sent the mares out to a friend who has a foaling facility and 24-7 mare watch.Even then I lost foals.I also had lots of dwarf foals.I LOVE FOALS and I kept breeding much longer than I probably should have.I have had some very nice foals and sold some to friends who are still winning in the ring with 15 year old horses.I also had some beautiful foals who were sold to good homes (I thought) who are now dead due to owner stupidity and not listening to my 20+years of experience with Minis and 50 years experience with other equine.Since you have other mares due your chances of getting a healthy foal are good.Enjoy the ones you have and then re think this decision.Maybe you just need to show and enjoy and not breed.Mini breeding is far more difficult than big horses.I recently had to make the difficult decision to place many of my horses due to my health issues and my aging process, but we need to do what is best for the animals.Again I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[ohmt]

Sorry for your loss. Sadly, this is what comes with breeding. Everyone loses some, just count yourself lucky you still have your mare. Last year we lost two-one colt had his umbilical cord twisted over a dozen times around him and the vet worked for two hrs to get him out (didn't make it of course). The other was aborted at 7 months and my poor mare tried so hard to wake him up.

Both mares vet checked thoroughly and nothing came up. Just the luck if the draw, but my girls were ok and that's what really matters.

 

[Magic]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I've been there, many times. I agree with what has already been said, breeding is not for the faint of heart. There will be heartaches and sometimes even the toughest of breeders sometimes feel like throwing in the towel. Earlier this year I was expecting just ONE foal (we have several stallions and over 20 breeding age mares but had cut way back for the year) and it happened to be my dream colt, a cream dilute champagne colt with an appy blanket and spots, but he was hiplocked and by the time we finally got him out, he was gone. I tried CPR, I sobbed, and I wanted to quit, it just hurt too much. But I had to take care of my traumatized mare (and I was extremely thankful that she survived) and gradually I grieved and got past the loss. I will never forget that little colt, but I bred some mares for next year since people are interested in purchasing, and with all of the years and effort I have put into breeding, I'm not going to just quit, not yet anyway. I'm lucky if I even break even on breeding, but my passion is miniature horses and I'm going to keep striving to improve the breed in my own way. Nothing in life that is worthwhile is easy.