Your closest "near misses" in foaling

[Charlotte]

Oh, These are FUNNYYYYYYYYYYYY !!! Make me laugh :bgrin

I've had 3 sneaky ones that I should have missed except for dumb luck!

One was Lace. Her....4th foal I think. She was progressing normally and I figured getting fairly close. Big bag, but soft. Milk had a 'little' substance to it, but not thick and sticky yet. she'd been in the paddock all day with the other 'close' mares. Brought everyone in and did the evening feeding. Checked Lace again as she was munching away and still the same.

We finished in the barn and walked back down the aisle on the opposite side of the barn (checking door latches as usual) and Frank and I were standing there looking across at Lace and discussing whether we should put the BA on her or wait another night or 2. Lace is TERRIBLE with the BA on. She keeps the beeper going ALL night! As we stood there debating Lace turned around, lay down and started pushing! By the time we got to her stall she had two little feet out! Stinker!

She hadn't given any signs at all all day long and we watch those mares in the 'close' paddock constantly and know their habits very well. she hadn't done anything different all day!

Then there was Phanny with her first foal and no bag! She was at 309 days and I just decided to put the BA on her to get a feel for what she normally did at night. 4 hours later the pager went off and she was down and pushing! Now was that dumb luck or what?????

I just thank heaven for the guardian angels who watch over my precious mares and their babies.

:

Charlotte

 

[Miniv]

We've had several.

:

What is it with horses named "Misty"??? Last year we had TWO Mistys and BOTH pulled fast ones!

First it was our Misty Pony. She wasn't showing any signs but she was in a paddock right outside our kitchen window (thank heaven). I was visiting with our grown Foster daughter, happened to glance out the window and saw Misty go down. We yelled for Larry and all three of us were out in a flash! Jess and Larry hurled themselves over the fence.......and I ran for the foaling kit, some towels and a clean sheet. I made it back in time (JUST) to slip the sheet under Misty's butt as her new pinto colt slid out! Whew!

The second Misty was our oldster who we didn't even think was pregnant! And she foaled out in the pasture without us.....We got to her just after she foaled and all went perfectly. (A beautiful black filly, just like mom.)

Two years ago - at our old place, I had Terra, a mare of our breeding in the barn but not under camera yet. It was Mother's Day evening and Larry was on the road. As I started to get into bed, a voice in my head said to me,"You need to check the barn." I was exhausted and crawled into bed anyway. But the voice yelled at me,"No! You need to check the barn!" So I went out and there was Terra whinnying at me with a brand new foal still in the sack! I thought he was dead, but I tore the sack off and he started panting like a little fish out of water. So I gave him nose to mouth rescussitation and he started struggling to his feet! I thank God that I finally listened to my "Guardian Angel" because I know that's who yelled at me. The colt ended up being our special little guy, "Gabriel".......

MA

 

[capall beag]

I had a small pony mare. I was clueless about foaling and she was mad and wild as could be! I could not even touch her past her shoulder. She arrived "possibly in foal".

I looked in on her at 5.30pm, left to go to a fourth of July bbq arrived home at 7.45pm and went to check her. Standing next to her was a beautiful dry healthy pinto filly. She looked full of herself. It brought me to tears I could not believe how amazingly alive the filly was! I have lots of experience with cats and dogs but to see a foal be bright eyed and bushy tailed so soon after birth is a real sight!! The mare looked completely relaxed and acted as if nothing had happened, just back to munching on her hay

 

[Hosscrazy]

It was Misty-Mama, when she was pregnant with Cody. I had used the milk test strips on her, and she finally hit 4-squares, so I was pretty sure that this was the night. I had her stall completely prepared, foaling kit ready, and her under camera, etc. I watched and watched...by 4:30AM nothing had happened. I was exhaused, I left the room for a minute and when I returned, Misty was no longer in her stall!

She somehow managed to get the gate open (I later found out she was a PRO at opening gates!) and moved into the next stall, which was NOT under camera, and led to the outside turnout area! When I got outside, she was literally walking around, with Cody 1/3 of the way out - white sac with legs coming out!! I was able to coax her back into her stall, where she had a quick and easy deliver.

How, oh HOW do they know we're watching?!!!

Liz R.