# First time Mommies!



## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*OK! I am sooooo exited because our OTTB mare is going to foal in a month and a half! She is 16HH and copper colored, so is the sire. Is there anything that I sould/shouldn't do to her, or the foal? ANY advice is welcome, seeing that this is her first foal and mine also! Thanks guys! *


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## RusticWildFire (Jul 6, 2008)

I've never done it myself so I am not sure but I do know that imprinting right after birth is very important. Touch the baby everywhere, stick your fingers in his ears and nose (not too far of course). Other than that I do not know! I hope it all goes well. This is very exciting for you I'm sure. I hope to do it myself one day


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## MINIATURE SHETLANDS (Nov 26, 2008)

Do you have your foaling kit ready? Keep it where you can grab it without thinking! Because when the baby comes you will be to excited to think at first.
If the mother will let you (this is a bigy with maiden mares if she seems nervous just moniter for a while first to make sure the baby is ok, otherwise if you start messing with the baby and a maiden mare is nervous about it she can refuse the foal, so make sure moma is ok with everything) make sure the nostrils and mouth are clear, dip the umbilical cord in gentle iodine, then back off and let moma and baby bond and rest and best of all NURSE! After a while I go in and start introducing the foal to everything that I can, again only if mama is ok with it. If she isn't just wait until she calms down it may take a week or so thats ok! Introduce things when you can and as often as you can. Other than that have fun, and enjoy you miracle. As for vaccinations etc. talk to you vet as they can advise you of what vaccines are needed for your area.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

M.S. speaks true. Also, when she starts to foal, I would leave her alone unless she shows signs of distress because sometimes a human presence will cause her to be stressed and delay the delivery which can be dangerous to the foal. This is most common with first time dams. I would watch from the other side of the stall bars where you can observe without being intrusive.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*Thanks Guys! Anyone have a good list of things to put in the foaling kit? *
*Yea like half of our extended family wants to watch the birth but im like NO MORE PEOPLE! Cause she only knows our family, and she barley trusts us!*


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Awww congrats!!  How exciting! I hope you'll be posting many photos of the foal after he/she is born!!


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

Hoofprints in the Sand said:


> Awww congrats!!  How exciting! I hope you'll be posting many photos of the foal after he/she is born!!


*WEll of course!*


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## MINIATURE SHETLANDS (Nov 26, 2008)

I'll post you a foaling kit after I finish the barn chores and Thaw out. LOL


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## MINIATURE SHETLANDS (Nov 26, 2008)

Okay need to warm up for a few minutes!

Foal Kit:
bucket (one with a lid preferably can get from hardware stores or TSC)
gentle iodine
clean medicine cup- to dip the umbilical cord in
4x4 sponges
large heavy duty trash bag
Rubber gloves
sharp clean scissors
several clean new shoestrings 1 foot long
small bulb syringe
fleet enemas
large and small towels
vaseline or ky jelly
long OB gloves
sharp knife
Flashlight with NEW batteries
watch
cell phone
paper towels
notebook and pencil (no pens they freeze in cold weather and are useless)
vets number

Human Foaler Kit
M & M's
chocolate chip cookies
soda
pizza delivery number
phone to have pizzas delivered... make sure they are delivered to the barn or the mare might not wait on you!LOL

It's been a couple of years since I bred and foaled anyone out, so if I missed anything add it please.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

MINIATURE SHETLANDS said:


> Okay need to warm up for a few minutes!
> 
> Foal Kit:
> bucket (one with a lid preferably can get from hardware stores or TSC)
> ...


 *Well, unforch pizza people don't deliver all the way out to our middle of no where farm. BUT i could have my mommy make me those frozen ones from like Digorno, those are yummy. thanks! I will also be asking our vet for some of his items, cause he breeds his mares all the time. *


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## MINIATURE SHETLANDS (Nov 26, 2008)

Stormy, if you can print this list take it to your vet, because I keep feeling like I forgot something and have racked my brain. But keep coming up blank.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

MINIATURE SHETLANDS said:


> Stormy, if you can print this list take it to your vet, because I keep feeling like I forgot something and have racked my brain. But keep coming up blank.


 *I will! Don't ypu hate it when that kind of thing happens! It is so funny when we are in school and we forget what we raised our hand for! LOL! haha *


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## equine_friend (Apr 13, 2008)

smrobs said:


> I would watch from the other side of the stall bars where you can observe without being intrusive.


Or you could use a foaling camera, something like Barn cameras, Riverwind Surveillance Supply Company


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

good luck being able to watch the mare foal!!! I have only been able to watch it once!!! 

Sometimes mares like to be private, so even a quick trip to the bathroom could cause you to miss out. My Chloe would stand a couple days with dripping milk (she has had five babies, 3 with previous owner and 2 with me) and I only was able to catch one!!! The previous owner was my neighbor and she wasnt able to catch it either. 

Im sure everything will be just fine though, horses have great mothering instincts. Just keep us posted!!!


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## MrsB (Dec 2, 2008)

How exciting! You'll have to keep us updated with everything!

Ill be putting my WB mare in foal for the first time next season. (first for her, and me!! :shock. Its 10 months away until I put her in foal, and I'm already nervous!


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*thanks guys! I will def keep you posted! we are going to use a foaling alarm, so I don't think we have a high chance of missing it! knock on wood! lol I'm exited as well as nervous because our vet lives a few hours away and the vet close to us took care of our cat and a few days later we found the cat dead:shockwe don't know what happened) we will never have him treat an animal of ours again. my riding trainer has had foals before though and she only lives about 40 minutes away!*


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## CheyAut (Nov 26, 2008)

Which alarm are you talking about? The one that is sewn in? If so, keep in mind not to rely on that 100percent only because if there is a positional problem that is preventing the foal from progressing, it won't go off. If it's the kind that goes off (beeper) when they lay down, well... be prepared to be woken a LOT!  A barn camera in your bedroom comes in VERY handy in that case! 

I have a breeder alert (the one that goes off when they lay down), a barn camera to a TV in my room (wonderful with the breeder alert) and a camera online with MareStare (see link in my sig... my mare is on right now, although I turn it off during the day when she's turned out until she's a little closer... she's due really soon). 

Here are some books I recomend: 
Complete Book of Foaling Amazon.com: The Complete Book of Foaling: An Illustrated Guide for the Foaling Attendant (Howell reference books): Karen E. N. Hayes: Books
Complete Foaling Manual Amazon.com: Complete Foaling Manual: Theresa Jones: Books

And keep in mind mares don't go by due dates. Last year my mare Ruby foaled at day 326 and my mare Casi foaled at day 368! They were due six weeks apart and foaled one night apart  My other mare foaled one week prior to them, I forget what day she was at, somewhere around 330...

Jessi


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

CheyAut- you make a good point with foaling dates. 

I would recommend checking her for milk veins and her bag getting hard. Dont try to get anything out of them though. The mare should start to form wax beads on her nipples... then you know you are with in days/hours of the birth. She will also get a "soft" look in her back end. These are just things that I have noticed when foaling.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

CheyAut said:


> Which alarm are you talking about? The one that is sewn in? If so, keep in mind not to rely on that 100percent only because if there is a positional problem that is preventing the foal from progressing, it won't go off. If it's the kind that goes off (beeper) when they lay down, well... be prepared to be woken a LOT!  A barn camera in your bedroom comes in VERY handy in that case!
> 
> I have a breeder alert (the one that goes off when they lay down), a barn camera to a TV in my room (wonderful with the breeder alert) and a camera online with MareStare (see link in my sig... my mare is on right now, although I turn it off during the day when she's turned out until she's a little closer... she's due really soon).
> 
> ...


 *I'm not sure what kind we are going to get, but we have an apartment type thing just a 30 second walk from our barn(house a little ways away) and I might stay in there, so i can jog over and check on her if needed. Yes, the vet said to start checking her around the 1 of Febuary, but I have been checking now! lol she is due the 15th! 9 days after my bday!:shock:*


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## vicki (Dec 25, 2008)

Congratulations, it must be a very exciting time for you, i got my foal at three months old and i think the most important thing to do with a foal as someone else says and if mommy approves is get it used to being touched all over so as it grows it will have no human fear, my foal loves to be handled most of the time and it feels so nice to be trusted by such an innocent baby, best of luck and i cant wait for the pica, they are so cute when they are babies


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

Definitely set up a security camera in her stall in case something goes wrong and you're not out there.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

shmurmer4 said:


> Definitely set up a security camera in her stall in case something goes wrong and you're not out there.


 *we are going to be there, i am pretty sure of it. we have already decided that someone will ALWAYS be home, no matter what. we are getting a foaling chip put in*


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## Kim (Jan 23, 2009)

My mare is pregnant with both of our first foal... so I'm in the same boat as u!! Except she is only 4 months along so we have a fair way to go yet... but it's all so exciting!!


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## g8ted4me (Sep 3, 2008)

Congrats!
I was in that boat last year- I found out the mare that I bought (in September) was in foal (Feburary)- so that was quite a shocker - :shock:

First time mom (me) with a new horse and no idea how she would be with it all- She was great! I believe she was quite sick of me as I was checking her a million times a day for the last month and a half- oh well! 
My vet even came out to check her and thought she was showing signs and thought it would be relatively soon.....well she held on for a while yet. Finally I was getting so exhausted from checking on her all the time (she is 10 minutes away from my home) that I decided I couldn't wake up every morning at 4:30am to drive over there before work that I started sleeping in otherwise I was going to be a mess when the baby finally came (too tired to work with him or her!) Well I lightened up and one day my Dad went over to do morning chores as normal and a little colt was staring up at him when he walked by- my mare did it all on her own and it worked out perfectly.
I bought a foaling kit (pre made one) and then just added extras in a rubber maid container (flashlight- towels, baby wipes, ect) 
It all worked out great and my little guy is almost 7 months old now....time sure flies. 
One thing I do suggest is reading Blessed are the broodmares- very good book! Also I kept a journal of my mare's progress- things that I noticed- butt muscles changing, milk veins showing, ect and took pictures so I knew for sure and it wasn't just my mind "seeing" what I wanted. It helped alot and if I ever breed her again I can reference that again since they normally do follow similar behavior. 
Good Luck to you and your mare!


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## hntrjmpr (Jan 11, 2009)

Woohoo! I'm in the same boat as you! My welsh pony mare is due May 25th, and it can't come fast enough! It's so funny seeing her body change and her getting fatter and fatter (its the first foal for both of us!) 
I can't wait till she REALLY poofs up haha she's so cute!
I'm so nervous though too...I'm just too paranoid, I even keep having DREAMS about something going wrong...the 2 most current ones I've had:
-The due date came around and we waited and waited but no baby, so the vet came out and said she was never pregnant to begin with she was just getting fat? [ya, it was weird haha]
-The baby was born and it had a leg sticking out of its head! AHH it was so terrifying! I woke up all sweaty and gross...
I hope my little shygirl can handle it because frankly, I don't know if I can!

Also, to those of you who have had babies before, I was writing down what I needed for a foaling kit, and thats when I saw 'enemas'. I've heard of them before, I just didn't know EXACTLY what they were used for...so I looked it up and um ew. Anyway, where in the world do I buy this little gadget procedure thing? haha do I just go into Wal-Mart and ask where do you keep the enemas? haha


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*Hey thanks guys! I acctaully have Blessed are the Broodmares right beside me now! Really need to start reading it! lol yea i didn't know what an enema was until I googled it!:shock: lol thank goodness our vet is a breeder and he is lending us his foaling kit!*


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## Zipster (Jul 30, 2007)

My mare started draining milk like a water faucet. I stayed with her. This was at 10:39am well at 11:10 I had a new colt. Boy is he beautiful.


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## pepperminttwist (Jan 24, 2009)

You have been givin some good advice already but,I would like to add (if you haven't already) add your vet/trainer on speed dial.Make sure when the mare starts to foal you see a white bag not red!! thats an emergency.Make sure you see hoof first with the head slighlty tilted.This way you know the foal is in the right postion.I don't want to alarm you or anything.Chances are she is going to be just fine.Just be prepared.Most mares show signs of impending foaling like you will see her apperence change.When she gets close she belly will be in like a v shape real loose in the hind quarters like jello.Her vulva with lenghten she may or may not go off her feed.Dripping milk is a indication foaling will happen real soon.Keep us posted.If you have any other questions feel free to ask.Delivering foals is what I do for a living.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*Ok thanks! She is already picky with her feed, so don't know how much the feed indicator will help us!:wink: Her milk bag is filling just a little, but we have about another 2 1/2 weeks. We are going to spray down her stall soon. Ok well here is another question, do you need a foal feeder? We had one, but Ariel pooped in it!*


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## hntrjmpr (Jan 11, 2009)

pepperminttwist: do you know where I can get an enema? haha
I feel so silly asking


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Enemas are found in the medical section of Wal Mart. 

Do not neglect your Navels, guys. My colt is a rare survivor of Joint Ill. The only thing we did differently on him was use the navel treatment our vet gave us, instead of our usual medication. 

And BE CAREFUL! I have known sweet, gentle mares turn into meat-eating Dragons when they have a foal. Do not ignore your mare when you go to see your new baby. If she gets stressed about you being in there with HER baby, she may feel the need to protect it. Watch her feet, her ears, and her teeth, and give her much needed pampering. 

If you are going to imprint, do not go overboard. Don't stress the mare out, don't blow the little one's mind. Personally, we don't do much beyond a bit of petting and doctoring. We like to let the mare and foal bond, and do not get too intrusive. But to each their own.  

I don't know how many foals I have seen born(I am the foal watch at our farm), but when it was MY first baby, to be registered in MY name, and out of MY special mare, I was freaking out. I don't know how many times I asked "Is she okay? How is she doing? Is everything going alright?" I was as nervous as if it were my first time ever. And will probably be the same in May. 

Manual foal watch is much better than a camera(though I would like one anyway). There is NOTHING like going out at 3am on a cool, clear night to the moist pastures and watching the silhouettes of horses sleeping or grazing, or leaning back against your favorite girl and looking at the stars. It is so quiet, still, and simply amazing.

Here's hoping for a healthy foal, a safe mom, and a full head of hair for all of you when your colties come.


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## hntrjmpr (Jan 11, 2009)

Do you think you, or anyone could explain to me exactly how to take care of the naval?
Out at this big fancy farm that I used to work at, they had the cutest little palomino foal and they ended up having to put her down because her naval got so badly infected 
I was only like 14 at the time and just mucked stalls so I'm not too sure of what they did wrong exactly..
I'm so paranoid as it is, and I know its impossible to do EVERYTHING EXACTLY right, but I want to come as possibly close to it as I can. So ANY extra tips would be helpful! I feel as if I have read every foaling book out there, but its impossible to know everything right?
I'd also like to hear about your personal experiences and how the foaling went (if you were present of course =]) and the step by step procedures you all did


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## Zipster (Jul 30, 2007)

You don't always need a enema. you can give her her feed and 1 scoop of wheat bran with it. Give this to her till the babies stools are a little loose. Then slowly take it away. about a 1/4 scoop at a time. I have never had to use one with this method. My mare bagged up about 4 weeks before she was due. the day she foaled her milk was puoring like a faucet turned on. She never slowed down her eating either. I was there when her milk came down and she had the baby with in the hour.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

When we doctor our navel, we put whatever we are using(we use a type of Iodine), into something small like a styrofoam cup cut in half, or a dixie cup or something and dip the navel really well. It is best having three people to do this. One to hold the mare, one to hold the foal, and one to get the navel. 

Do you know how to restrain a foal? You might want to have someone show you if you don't. It can be awkward at first, restraining a squirming, possibly bucking, little horse.

How big is your foal right now? (click the link) ~Fetus Development Time Line - Eagle Ridge Farm~ 

"The Horse" is a great resource for you. 
The Horse: Foal Handling And Restraint
The Horse: Administering Foal Enemas
The Horse: Fundamentals Of Foaling
The Horse: Postpartum Care for Mares
The Horse: Fetal Development and Foal Growth

Do a search, there are many many more good articles.

For those of you expecting who have never done this: just dry foals are SOOOOOO soft. 

Don't worry about them crashing, or falling on their noses, or getting tangled up in their legs. Don't try to steady him, or catch him, maybe direct him away from things unsafe that he could fall on(if possible remove them  ) or into(don't let him trip head first into the wall for example). 

If you are nervous, get an old timer, or someone who has experience with foaling to sit with you. I was SO nervous, because my baby got up before my mare. It was her first foal and she was really crampy, I thought something was wrong. Thank gooness nothing was. 

This is just a theory, but I would go out and start rambling on and on to your mare's belly. They say human bellies can hear in the womb, there is no reason why a colt wouldn't. I talk to that particular mare way more than any normal person should, and when my colt was born... there was strangely no normal baby skeptecism of people. He was totally comfortable with me from hour one. It really helped when he got sick. He had to have four shots a day for ten days. Luckily the vet didn't have to flush his joint. (Just a note, he was the first baby in about 20 years that my family had a colt get joint ill. The first one died. While it is a worry, it was the first case I had ever seen. You shouldn't be TOO worried about it.) To think after all that poking, he still was a friendly little guy. I have never had a baby like him, and I hope you all get babies like him. 

I haven't talked to my mare that much for this baby, because of school, so we are going see how this one acts.


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## pepperminttwist (Jan 24, 2009)

Good point Ladydreamer! also you said she is a first time Mommy? I would start touching her udders to get her used to the feel.Some mares hate it some love it.LOL I found that thoroughbred/arabians seem to be more protective so be careful.I wouldn't worrie to much about imprimting (just my thing) do the navel and then let mom and foal bond this is important.I have seen more rejected foals due to human interference then otherwise.Just remember what a foal learns the first week of his life he will remember forever.So you will have a whole week to imprint.


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## hntrjmpr (Jan 11, 2009)

Wow! Thanks so much you guys!

Shylo's baby is about 130 days right now! (That was a great and interesting site thanks so much!) 
I will definitely print those articles out and add them to my notebook (I have a 3-ring binder i've been adding articles I've found online to it) 

I have started 'feeling her up' haha all over, udders and all...she seems too like it...a lot haha.
I talk to the foal ALL THE TIME! hahaha I'm so glad that it's normal and I'm not going crazy  I love reading all this stuff! Thanks again!


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Also mess with her flanks. When she give birth she will be touchy. A girl who does foal watch at one of the big TB farms said there was a mare who even after a week would still squeal like a sow when the baby would go to nurse.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*Yea, I've been messing with Ariel's uders.*


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

I would add, a wormer for the mare that is safe for lactating mares, *not all are*
keep all the afterbirth for the vet to examine to make sure the mare passes it all

Has the mare been seen by the Vet at regular intervals for the Rhino shots.??
given at 3, 5, 7, 9 months during the pregnancy. Make sure the foal nurses with in the first few hours after birth. so the baby gets the colosterm
(*:* milk secreted for a few days after parturition and characterized by high protein and antibody content )


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## hntrjmpr (Jan 11, 2009)

RegalCharm said:


> Has the mare been seen by the Vet at regular intervals for the Rhino shots.??
> given at 3, 5, 7, 9 months during the pregnancy.



My vet said that I only had to do the Rhino shots at 5, 7, and 9 months? Should I have done one at 3? I'm just going with what my vet told me :?


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## hntrjmpr (Jan 11, 2009)

oh and LadyDreamer thanks so much for the awesome articles on horse.com I always thought that was a website/magazine for more medical stuff but there is SO much foaling info on there I spend hours at a time reading through it all! Thanks!


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

No problem! It is a great website isn't it. It is like a switch is flipped in your reading magazines where technical articles become good reads. I'll take an article on foot structure and others over a show report/breed article/riding tip writeup any day. Nutrition is fun to read about. 

Foaling is about the oldest, most common "medical" procedure that any one of us can witness/partake in. I hope you all are lucky and only have to watch. 

Also look into an IGG test: Equine Foal IgG - IDEXX


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*Yea, Air had her last shots two weeks ago, and the vet is coming out soon to put the foaling alarm in.*


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## southerncowgirl93 (Feb 5, 2009)

Congratulations! This has helped me too, cause I have a mare about to foal. lol I'm glad I found this site.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

southerncowgirl93 said:


> Congratulations! This has helped me too, cause I have a mare about to foal. lol I'm glad I found this site.


 haha! Yea! lol the vet said Air still has another 3 weeks! UGH!


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## hrsjmpr32 (Nov 4, 2008)

I too have learned alot as I will be breeding my mare this year both of our firsts too.and just one question about the list for the foaling kit what the heck are the shoe strings used for?


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## southerncowgirl93 (Feb 5, 2009)

StormyBlues said:


> haha! Yea! lol the vet said Air still has another 3 weeks! UGH!



Ugh. Peaches still has another month or month and a half. :-|


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

southerncowgirl93 said:


> Ugh. Peaches still has another month or month and a half. :-|


ah waiting, so much fun. NOT


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## hntrjmpr (Jan 11, 2009)

oh you guys be quiet! I still have...3 MONTHS!!! AHHH


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## southerncowgirl93 (Feb 5, 2009)

hntrjmpr said:


> oh you guys be quiet! I still have...3 MONTHS!!! AHHH


 haha....that stinks. it is gonna seem so long.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

hntrjmpr said:


> oh you guys be quiet! I still have...3 MONTHS!!! AHHH


 that must seem like forever!


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## bumble (Jan 30, 2009)

it'd be cute if the foal was born tomorrow! i've been reading this thread and already can't wait to see the little guy!!!


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

bumble said:


> it'd be cute if the foal was born tomorrow! i've been reading this thread and already can't wait to see the little guy!!!


 I know! It was her due date on Sunday, but the vet says that she still has awhile. *sigh*


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## Tayz (Jan 24, 2009)

Goodluck!
I hope the pregnacy goes all well. 
You must post pici's of it when the foal is born.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Hah, I have to wait until May you guys, for my colt. Don't rub it in. At least I get to play with the baby TBs at work. They are so ugly and rotten, but cute.


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

Ariel foaled taody!


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## southerncowgirl93 (Feb 5, 2009)

YAY!!! Sorry, I just got on today. is it cute. I wanna see pictures! is it a boy or girl? What'd you name it? I'm so happy for you!


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