Non-professionals on foal watch: hand-holding thread?

[JoZ]

I am so impressed with the professionals that post on this forum -- their beautiful mares and smooth operations. That's just not me, though! ;) I have one mare due this year, a lovely mare and very dear to me. I am quite new to the whole breeding thing though, and small things make me giddy...

My mare is at 1-1/2 red squares on the foal predictor strip! She is bagged up, getting floppy in the rear with prominent tail head. Her vulva is elongating and opening.

This is my second foal from this mare but I bought her bred so this is my first experience from start (choosing stallion) to middle (insemination) to almost-the-end. The sneaky girl had her foal unattended in a paddock at 3:00 in the afternoon the last time (that was 2005). So I'm 0-for-1 in seeing her foal.

I'm experienced enough and have certainly read enough here to know that she could keep me waiting for, oh, MONTHS... but intuitively I think she is close. Today is day 322. By my best calculations (I was missing some "data" though) her last foal was born around day 320-325. I am SOOOOO excited and nervous.

Who else is a hobby breeder waiting for that special one or two? Who has first-time or nearly-first-time jitters? Can we band together for jingles and support?!

[ponyjumper4]

I'll hold your hand. This is my first, maybe not only, but definitely for this mare, foal. I've been around pregnant mares and foals, but never actually bred one or been responsible for everything from start to finish and never foaled one out. This is going to be a special foal as it is out of my old show pony (hopefully show pony again someday!) that I've had for 13 years.

My pony is at day 323 today, but no signs of anything soon. Her due date is the 28th.

[carolprudm]

I'm far from professional but I invested in a breeder alert and foal cam. I knew Bonnie was sneaky and she tried to sneak one out this year but I caught her, thanks to technology:D
At day 362, yesterday around 5:30 AM
At bed check, around 10, she had slightly cloudy, non sticky yellow colostrum but she was restless and didn't lay down for her after dinner snooze so I stayed up and watched the cam.

I caught her, and so did a few other COTHers:lol:

[FourWands]

I am right there with you...
Today is day 322 for my mare as well. This is our first foal and we are doing it ourselves. Our closest experience is with goats and I've had about 25 of them.
I'm nervous too... Excited but nervous!

[AppJumpr08]

I'll hold some hands!
I've got a maiden on day 315..bagging up, dropping belly, and elongated and loosening vulva... it will be my third foal, but I'm still nervous as heck!
We'll all get through it together... I'm sure! :)

[Home Again Farm]

JoZ,

Everyone starts somewhere. I foaled out my first one in 1996 and have learrned a lot since then and foaled out quite a few since then.

I still get the jitters and that sinking feeling in my stomach when I know it is showtime. Anyone who feels too confident and unconcerned has a lot to learn or does not care.

I wish you a safe foaling. Trust your gut and lean on this list when you need it!:yes:

[AppJumpr08]

Soo...checking in with everyone! Any developments?
My mare's udder content is getting milkier every day, and the pH is starting to drop...calcium starting to climb... we're on day 317 now, and I'm hoping for a few more days, but I'm not sure she agrees with me!!! :eek::winkgrin:

[Astraled]

At least you guys have due dates :lol:. My mare was pasture bred over a four month period. This is my second foal and will be my first foaling ever (the first was foaled out by a pro). Good luck to all you other nervous nellies :winkgrin: out there.

[JoZ]

My mare went to 2-1/2 red squares on the foal predictor and... there... she... remains. It's been the same reading for three days. She is agitated though. She stops midway through eating, goes to the back of her stall, pins her ears, looks at her belly, stretches her legs... and then goes back to the hay.

I watched Suerte. I know. I could be watching the Folly Fandango for a looooong time.

[chemteach]

Best of luck to all of you. I hope you all have great foalings. I know you are all excited about your babies. Hope everyone gets fillies! My last foal was over ten years ago so I really enjoy seeing everyone's new babies.

[genevieveg17]

I have foaled out quite a few mares and the maidens still scare me.
You will do great. Do you have a checklist?
I am up on foalwatch now and will be for the next week or two. Feel free to call me (it doesn't matter if it is the middle of the night) if she starts to foal and you panic. It helps to check your watch as soon as things get started. Sometimes it seems like it is taking forever when it reality it has only been a few minutes.
Good luck to all of you, safe foaling.

Genevieve

[AppJumpr08]

Ok! Day 319 and changes they are a happenin!!!
We're at the creamy stage in milk (slightly sweet) - milky yellow in color, and testing with a calcium level of 200ppm and a pH of 6.4 (down from 7.2 last night)!! Snarffed down her breakfast this morning, and is still acting herself, but perhaps it will be soon?
Vet is coming out tomorrow to geld my yearling, and do an ultrasound on my other broodmare to see if there is a 14 day old speck in there...I'm thinking perhaps I'll have him check the maiden too! :eek::lol:

JoZ - how's your girl looking?

[AppJumpr08]

Oh, and Genevieve and chemteach, thanks for the good wishes!!! I'm hoping everything goes so quickly I won't have time to panic ;)

[FourWands]

We hit 200ppm on the Chemetrics test this morning.... After being about 125 yesterday morning.
We are getting close and foal watch get intense startng tonight!
Have I mentioned I'm nervous?

[JoZ]

Folly is stuck in neutral. Had a lovely time with her yesterday... horsie spa treatment (full grooming, washed her hiney, braided up her tail... with lots of good belly rubbing which she loves).

She's not finishing her hay though. She is the opposite of a picky eater so this must mean SOMETHING (maybe it just means she has no room in there).

Here's a pic of the wide load, picture taken May 3 (http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0WACyDpAaIKRFeF0KFgzbO7vSpbfI7!evOrVcal6EK7wdKs6Ru HzXq4A3LA3JhPEelm4moZSO5XwiYWrBIrN9o4!Twcjfl4M46H! SjDkDN!57A2AOsaBnqMZWwogDJAX0pwAAAP****8/Scary%20Folly%20pic!.JPG?dc=4675622678114333664).

[AppJumpr08]

:eek: My goodness Folly makes my girl look TINY!!!!! :lol:

Though I think my mare last year might have had one of the scariest alien-like dropped bellys! http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2013587090047997541mOegHt?vhost=pets I swear, it looked like the foal was going to pop out the bottom!

[ponyjumper4]

No changes whatsover in my mare, although I'm a little glad right now, because I haven't quite finished "the nursery". I have a feeling she's going to be right on time or late. She's been very aggravated with me every morning and night, checking her udders and lifting up her tail. She stops whatever she's doing and has this annoyed look on her face every time I do it. It's pretty funny.

[Astraled]

Goodness gracious, JoZ! Does she even fit in the barn anymore :lol:?

When did your mare foal last year, AppJumpr08? I've been waiting on Chalour to go pointy but baby is still laying sideways.

[JoZ]

Goodness gracious, JoZ! Does she even fit in the barn anymore :lol:?

Not easily! The secrets are STRAIGHT LINES and RIGHT ANGLES. Straight out the stall door -- left turn onto the aisle -- right turn into the arena -- and so forth. The normal approach of a diagonal line out of the stall or in the arena gate just isn't working any more!! :no:

[FourWands]

Here is our little 11.2 hand pony... If she were to get any bigger, she would drag on the ground!
http://www.theempath.com/day320.jpg

[AppJumpr08]

Astraled - she foaled 2 days later. The mare I'm waiting on this year doesn't have a point, but her whole belly has dropped...given she's a maiden I have no idea if she'll get pointy or not before going.. :sigh: Her milk went from pale yellow this morning to white tonight, so I can only assume we're getting closer! :lol:

[cshmouse]

Good grief I am tired....I don't know about hand holding, but I could use some help to get my work done this morning. Day 335, her bag is bursting and she is all loose and ready to go...last night she was very restless and at times was "slamming" her butt up against the wall like it was some sort of emergency. So, even though there was no wax, I checked on her every couple of hours during the night (nasty thunder storm and all) and still no foal. In fact, I think she is laughing at me! Her bag looks smaller, she looks all comfy and doesn't have a care in the world. :eek: Well, enough complaining, back to dragging my sorry butt around while my mare dozes in the sunshine.

[carolprudm]

I know your pain. Bonnie went 362 days, and never did wax. I loff my barn cam.

[Astraled]

There's thunderstorms forecast for KY tonight; maybe we'll get some action :D.

Anybody else going to have storms?

[FourWands]

Astraled - I am counting on it!
Chemetrics test at around 300 and slight amount of wax...
Bring on the thunder and the foals!

[Astraled]

Any updates? I've got a full bag, possibly some vulva changes, and she's picking at her dinner so this is going to be my first night on full foal watch mode. Yikes :D.

[JoZ]

Folly is up to 3 red squares and one almost red one (3-1/2?!) on the predict-a-foal strip... she is slow to progress! I have her set up on the webcam though so I'm much more relaxed. She'll be glad I'm not popping in at all hours to annoy her (and not bring her more food every ONE of those times)!!! I figure it'll be in the next few days, she said with innocent optimism...

[ponyjumper4]

I still have nothing :( due date is a little less than a week away.

[Astraled]

I've got nothing but an irritated mare :lol:. Hurry up and wait; story of my life.

[FourWands]

I said I was counting on those Kentucky thunderstorms a week ago tonight...
With the thunderstorms and the rain came this:

http://theempath.com/filly1.jpg

She's so cute she should be illegal.

[AppJumpr08]

Aw FourWands she's adorable :)

I'm still waiting on my girl... her milk came in... and the pH dropped... and the calcium stayed around 200... and then it went away..all the way back to the yellow pee stage... and now she's moved back to real milk again.. and the pH is dropping... and the calcium is at 200... but her belly has dropped a hair... so perhaps there's hope!!! :lol::lol:

[Astraled]

Congrats, Fourwands! I love pony foals. She's definitely a Sabeeeeeeno! Does darling have a name?

[FourWands]

Congrats, Fourwands! I love pony foals. She's definitely a Sabeeeeeeno! Does darling have a name?

FourWands Bellaire "Belle" for short. :)
(Mom is Caprice with 3 other foals named after cars, Dad is Bellshazzar)

Here she is harassing the dog:
http://aspergersjournal.com/3days.jpg

Sabino... but going gray quickly. One blue eye and lots of gray hair around her eyes and all through her coat.

I miss her foaling! I checked the mare as I left the house at 7AM that morning, took my daughter to school, dropped my husband off at work, came home at 8AM, looked into the monitor and saw something white sitting on the ground. I raced outside and this little lady looked right back at me. Mom was cleaning her off. No sign of labor but we knew she was close. Fortunately, all went well.

[JoZ]

Last night she got wax! And spent the night pacing, stretching, cramping, pushing her butt against the walls, etc. Everything short of giving birth.

Reminds me of another fat red mare, but I guess this time I've been Follied! Or I suppose since Suerte DEFINED this state, I've been Suerte'd by Folly.

[Sacha]

i'm watching 3 of our mares, the one who is day 331 has wax, slack tail, and has had a massive bag for a few days now. The one on 325 though seems the cloest, totally slackened off two days ago, milk is cloudy bit not white white yet and is so uncomfortable poor girl. Back to check them at 12 and see if there has been any progress. Don't think they are quite at boiling point but...

[carolprudm]

Lil is about day 330 and her bag gets bigger every time I look. Her belly has dropped so much her spine sticks up.

She's miserable. She wants to go out at night and I make her stay IN. Mean Mommy.

We moved the cam from Bonnie's stall to hers and can't get it to work. However the birds have been "fertilizing" it for a month now....hope they didn't wreck it.

[AppJumpr08]

Welll no slack muscles yet, but we had wax this morning, and white milk.. and she was rubbing her butt on her feed tub..belly isn't super super dropped, but it's low.
Guess I'll put the straw down today and see if it makes her go another week :lol::lol:

[Astraled]

Now, I'm getting anxious over everyone else's mares, too. Just what I need ! :winkgrin:

[ponyjumper4]

Day 238, still nothing :( I thought her muscles felt a little relaxed yesterday afternoon, but then I took her in the wash stall to give her a bath and felt again, and now think it was just a figment of my imagination.

[JoZ]

Antics until 4:00 a.m. from Ms Folly, SERIOUS body slamming kind of antics... and then she lay down and went to sleep. As did I (with the alarm set to check the foalcam/TV every 1/2 hour). She doesn't have to work, she can lie around all day today and doesn't have to be coherent. Lucky her!

As an aside, I wonder if the foalcam will work after I dropped it in her water bucket. Right now it isn't working but the placement is tricky to get a signal, so I hope that's all it is. Note to self -- do NOT place the foalcam directly above a water source... if indeed I still *have* a functional camera... :no:

[teacher]

FourWands---Belle is just the most precious little girl---wish I could come over and hug her!

JoZ-I can't believe the size of Folly!:eek:

[FourWands]

Thank you Teacher...
The best part is that she wants you to come over and hug her! She loves attention! :)

[JoZ]

JoZ-I can't believe the size of Folly!:eek:

Yeah, that's quite the pic, isn't it? Oddly, she is not as large any more. That was the acme, the pinnacle of plumpitude. Some of it is probably due to "water weight" from the moisture in the grass (she is in the barn now and on hay), and also that was the last day before the baby really started to move BACK and DOWN.

Here's a funny pic from the same day -- Folly and her best buddy (http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0YgDKDtAeIBRoOkBsSbbmZeZqYIbhqbiSK5NVGX1fN2MP42WKM FSM7Nog*WEWR0O0HavVTm4g5gTsGW30dlJIxihiFv55U8PH4Gg DXD5nfcArl2c*RdTfOz4!a36C!kRa5K89bNTRVNp!oMXssocni g/P?dc=4675624090095744623) hightailing it to the gate to see if we had brought them any goodies. The ground shaking probably had some locals thinking it was an earthquake.

[AppJumpr08]

JoZ that pic is PRICELESS!! :D

Well my little maiden started dripping milk about half an hour ago...small drops and not super frequent yet, but it's coming!
Calcium went up yesterday and pH is lower now then it was last night...she spent most of last night looking thoughtful..and rubbing her butt on her water buckets.
Poor girl is very uncomfortable, and of course it's going to be 96 today :eek: She's currently standing in her stall with her face to a fan.. :)
Fingers crossed that it will go quickly and smoothly (and before 10pm tonight - I want some rest!)

[JoZ]

Fingers crossed that it will go quickly and smoothly (and before 10pm tonight - I want some rest!)

Good luck! Jingles and best wishes for you and your mare!!!! :yes:

[carolprudm]

Fingers crossed that it will go quickly and smoothly (and before 10pm tonight - I want some rest!)

Good luck....it took me a week to recover from Bonnie's 5 am delivery. All nighters used to be easier:lol:

Now LIL is due and I can't get t he cam to wotk:(

[AppJumpr08]

Thanks ! :)
No change yet...just the picture of misery standing by her fan. I'm thinking it's time for a quick shower - it's 98 degrees out and the poor girl is all sweaty.

[Astraled]

It's almost 11 PM, I hope she's foaled for you. :)

[carolprudm]

Thanks ! :)
No change yet...just the picture of misery standing by her fan. I'm thinking it's time for a quick shower - it's 98 degrees out and the poor girl is all sweaty.
WOW, it's cooler here, but LIL's miserable, too, and I can't get the cam to work either. I've still got the fans on.

[AppJumpr08]

No baby yet... she's alternating between looking totally miserable and acting like nothing is wrong...
Mares! :rolleyes::lol:
Thank goodness for my roommate, who is helping me with foal watch tonight... I'm more then a little bleary eyed right now!

[carolprudm]

Liul's halter alert went off aqnd the cam wasn't working so I got to hike down to the barn. She was down with her butt against the wall so I mage her move and now she's not doing anything. However I did get the cam up.

[Sacha]

The mare I have been watching the closest still hasn't foaled. But one of the others did, with very little warning. Day 334 so not particuarly early but of the three mares, she was the one I 'thought' would hold on the longest. So we have our first foal of the year. a bay Trakehenr colt - Valiant. Lets hope one of the others takes the hint and gets a move on tonight.

[DancingPretense]

Good luck everyone!

[ponyjumper4]

Wonder's bag looks a little bigger today, but that's about it.

[Sacha]

still watching Gerty, who still looks ready to go, but now my old grey Trakehner mare seems to be catching her up and also looking very close.

[AppJumpr08]

*sigh* mine keeps lying down and moaning and stretching and looking close.. and then she gets up and starts eating her hay again like nothing has happened!!
Third night of foal watch.. and it's already kicking my ass!!!

[JoZ]

I've posted on two OTHER threads, but not here (the thread I started!)... Folly had a big bay breeding stock colt at approx. 6:00 p.m. yesterday. They are both doing well. The official announcement and a link to pics are here (http://chronicleforums.com/Forum/showpost.php?p=2459909&postcount=1181).

AppJ, Folly did that too, drove me crazy. I would be watching her on the foalcam, see a particularly strong reaction or a new movement, and be halfway out the door when I'd notice she was eating hay calmly.

On the day she did foal, she paced non-stop all day. NONE of the butt-pushing, weaving, leaning stuff... just walking endlessly. At about 5:40 p.m. she pawed, rolled and started biting at her sides. Water broke at 5:56, baby was out at 6:09. Wait wait wait wait wooooosh.

[AppJumpr08]

Congratulations :D

Mine spent the whole night lying down... and getting up... and lying down... and getting up...
Her tail looks like a bottle brush she's been rubbing her butt so much... her udder is so huge I can't belive milk isn't just streaming out of it.. I'm so sleep deprived all I want to do is cry... and she'll happily plowing through her breakfast without a care in the world.


Why do we do this again?!?!?! :lol::lol:

[Astraled]

Only one foal, JoZ? I was sure Folly was going to have a litter :lol:.

Congratulations, that's a nice little guy, even without spots.

[ponyjumper4]

Awww, Joz your baby is adorable!

So, Wonder's official due date is tomorrow. Bag is the same size as it was yesterday, still no milk, but belly has dropped a little more, or so it appeared this morning. I hate the anticipation. I don't like going anywhere in case she's going to surprise me. I would very much like it to happen this week as next week I have two appointments that will be all day appointments.

[ponyjumper4]

Well, I got a little milk this morning. Wonder is approaching the "Folly" stage of belly, but not quite that drastic.

[AppJumpr08]

Mine is still making me crazy... dripping a bit of milk now and then but her hind end isn't as relaxed as it was the other day... she hits day 340 on June 3rd so maybe she's waiting for that!

[Astraled]

Well, I finally got some clear liquid from Chalour's teat. I'm mostly stunned she let me touch her bag. She was raised au naturale on the Canadian prairie and wasn't too sure about some things. I didn't even bother buying a milk testing kit because I thought it would take months to get her civilized.

[ponyjumper4]

I passed on the kit too. My mare always has clear fluid in the summer, it was explained to me at one point why, but can't remember the details, and she hasn't been too bothered about me messing with her teets until this morning--she gave me a little warning. Her muscles have not relaxed much yet.

[Astraled]

It's hormones in the grass, maybe clover specifically :confused:. I know clover makes them drool more. Or foam at the mouth. :lol: I'm sure there's something about clover, at any rate.

We're moving from our old house to the new house starting Friday; I bet my mare will hold out until the most inconvenient time this weekend.

[ponyjumper4]

Well I had an interesting morning. Woke up around 3:30am or so because my brother in law called trying to get ahold of my husband because their father is in the hospital, and my kitten woke me up, so my husband wakes up to go to the bathroom and looks out the window and there is the foal--without mama! Naturally I was panicing and ran down stairs and grabbed towels (had no signs last night that she was going to foal) and starting drying off the foal. Sent husband to get Wonder--hiding in the corner of the pasture--but she wouldn't come--still had placenta hanging out. So I call vet and leave message and call my boss, also old trainer, and then went and got Wonder. Once she came over and started nickering at the foal, mama mode fortunately kicked in.

Anyway, she had a beautifully little filly with a huge blaze and one tiny little half a sock just like her mama but on the other front leg. Once she stood up and got her bearings, that little filly was gone. She just walked around all over the pasture and started trotting around a little. It took her a while but she finally figured out how to nurse and then was cantering later on. When I left for work she was crashed in the shade.

I only have a pic on my phone and can't figure out how to email it to myself so I'll have to post a pic later.

[LAZ]

Mine is making me crazy--she is a maiden, at day 351, has progressed to dripping white, very sticky milk (3 days), relaxed muscles, elongated vulva, starting waxing on April 30th (!). She's fooled me at least 4 times, I left her at the vet clinic last weekend while I was at a show and she fooled them on Saturday night as well. She's standing in her stall, out of the sun, munching hay right now. I sure hope she goes soon, my sense of humor is getting really tested.

We'll be doing an ICG (or whatever the letters are) on the foal for sure!

[AppJumpr08]

Congrats Ponyjumper! Maybe my mare will take the hint!!!

Shes not looking as ready right now... though she's still dripping milk...
It's a wonder we don't get committed to insane asylums!!

[Sacha]

my two are still looking ripe and ready, been showing the last two days, just got back to relieve OH of foal watch duties for a bit and I leave at 7am back to the show again

[AppJumpr08]

Well she fooled me!!
Looked like she might be thinking about doing something late yesterday afternoon... and then went back to her normally scheduled programming..
I checked her at midnight, 2, and 4, and all looked normal.. overslept my alarm and came back out at 8am and there he was!
Lovely bay-will-go-grey colt with 2 hind whites and a pretty stripe down his face. Mamma is very attentive, but not wild about the nursing thing - she'll stand for him under protest, but he's a bit wobbly on his feet (though he's got a strong sucking reflex), so I've bottle fed him just to get something into his system - I'm sure that by this afternoon they'll have it figured out :)

I'll get some pictures pulled together shortly.

[ponyjumper4]

Yay for you!

Here is the result of Wonder (QH) and Makuba (GRP). Currently called the "filly" as I haven't picked a name yet.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2274816350095649033bHmpTr

Mom (at 10 months)
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2034807300095649033OvQKFv

Dad (from the belloaks farm website)
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2071334630095649033gBilcF

[Astraled]

:sleepy: I'm glad you guys are <yawn> gettings such nice surprises. Congratulationsszzzzzzzz:sleepy:.

[AppJumpr08]

Aww it's going to happen soon! Promise!! Just sleep through your alarm, and I can tell you that there will be a baby when you wake up!! :lol:

[carolprudm]

Lil's looking "Maybe" but it's probably "maybe not"

Wish I could figure out why the video feed is so crappy

[Sacha]

Got back from a big show at 7, checked Gerty - she was sweating and pouring milk, by 9 we had a huge chestnut filly!!! Thrilled to bits, and will have to get some photos sorted this afternoon, and a name!

[AppJumpr08]

Congratulations :)
Give her an extra hug for me!


I lost my baby today... some kind of infection... test results will be back last week...

So please everyone give your foals an extra hug... they can leave us so quickly.

[Tasker]

AppJumper - I am so sorry to hear about your loss! :( :cry: Jingles and hugs for you and your mare!

[ponyjumper4]

that's terrible App, he was beautiful, i'm so sorry

[LAZ]

I had to go to a show this weekend, so I took my overdue maiden mare to the vet clinic for the weekend. When I took her off the trailer they laughed and said "we'll be calling you in a few hours!".

She had a chestnut colt with 4 high whites and a big blaze at 12:30 AM 6/2. The birth went smoothly and the baby was on his feet by 1:30 and nursing. Bugsy had been leaking milk for weeks, so they milked her and added immunoserum and tubed the baby, and then did it again the next morning. His IGG's were good when they checked and the little bugger is agile and strong.

I think he's darn near perfect!

It was really hard to leave as I was sure it would be last Thursday and when she hadn't had it by Friday morning I knew I'd miss the birth, but I'm really glad I left them in such good hands.

Appjumper, I am so sorry for your loss.

[Astraled]

Oh no, AppJumper :(. I just got my internet access back, I'm so sorry to hear about your boy. You said he seemed wobbly when he was born, was he sick this whole time?

I was just thinking about you this morning because I slept through my alarm (still no baby).

[cheekyhorse]

Hooray!! May 30th my stallion's first foal was FINALLY born!! A filly, and she's a beauty!! Check her out on my website.

www.millcreektrakehners.com/resources.html

[AppJumpr08]

Astraled - it's possible, but we're waiting on tissue samples to find out what really happened...His wobbles seemed more like normal baby stuff to me...
There's a longer post about what happened on the eventing board...