# New mare, in foal... Help



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

skittle1120 said:


> I acquired a new mare today, she was given to me by someone who can't afford to feed her anymore, and she was on a dead pasture and the hay she was being given didn't look to be very good quality. She is a 15 y/o Standardbred, Arabian cross, and I was told she is in foal, for the first time, for an April baby to either a Paint or a Quarter Horse. I fully intend to be her last owner and the foals only owner, and naturally, I am concerned for her health and the health of her unborn foal. Can anyone point me in the direction of some information to help me find the right feed for her and to make sure this pregnancy is as smooth as possible for her and her foal.
> 
> Any help would be greatly appreciated... I'm going to be making a call to my vet to get her checked out and see how far along she is Tuesday morning, but I don't want to pay a consult fee for everything I'm going to have questions about...


Yes Skittle There is a book called "The Foaling Primer". It is by Cynthia McFarland. It is an excellent book to have. I have helped all my mares foal out. The fact that this is her first foal at 15 year might be difficult on her. I highly recommend this book for you to get. You can get this book at your local feed store like TSC which stands for Tractor Supply Company. With her being a maiden mare you need to get back with the owners of her and find out exactly when she was bred then calculate 343 days from that breeding. This will give you a more accurate due date. I know exactly the due date on my mares even though they go early but I watch them very carefully about 2 weeks from their due date. I would recommend that you be there for the foaling most likely everything will go smoothly just like nature intended but you never know. Has she ever been around any foals? The reason why I am asking is that sometimes first time mares reject their foals because they do not understand what to do next. I had a mare that did it she rejected her foal right after birth. You need to watch them for an hour or so to make sure that she is letting the foal nurse. As for feed I feed Omolene 300. It is specifically formulated for pregnant mares and developing foals. The foaling Primer tells you about some problems that might occur during pregnancy or even while the mare is delivering the foal. Where do you live at? If you were close to Kentucky I might be able to come out in help at the time of foaling. Definitely get your vet to check her out. There is also Legends mare and foal feed. It is similar to the Omolene 300. They both are 16% protein which is what you want to feed your mare. If you have anymore questions pm me and I will help you out. I have just weaned my 2 foals. Caddo 10 days ago and Maggie today. One other thing is keep her off of fescue grass it makes the placenta in the mare to thick for the baby to break through and they end up suffocating. I would dry lot her and feed her a good grain and timothy/orchard grass hay. These 2 hays are great for mares.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I asked her previous owner every question I could think of, but she couldn't even tell me which stallion caught her, let alone when she may have been bred, so I'm just going to watch her close. Fortunatly, I have a part time job and have lots of time to keep an eye on her so I can be by her side when the time comes to drop... 

I got the impression that she's been bounced around from home to home, so I don't know if she's been around foals or not, and because of that there isn't much info on her and her history, but I've worked with cows all my life and know how to convince a cow to take a calf, so I'm hoping if need be I can coax her to take a foal... If not, I'm fully prepared to be able to bottle feed every couple hours... 

Hopefully I'll get lucky, but the vet will be on standby, since I'm sure I won't...


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Oh, and I'll pick up a copy of that book, thanks for the info...


----------



## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Good on you for taking on this enormous task and I wish you all the best.

As a side note on rejection, a lot of maiden mares just need some help. When Zena came to us she had been severely abused and I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it, but she wouldn't let Zierra nurse when she was born. My grandpa said it was fairly common as the first nurse usually hurts them and they react to the pain.

After a few hours, it came down to nitty gritty because Zierra wasn't even trying anymore. We ended up twitching Zena and my grandpa crawled underneath her with Zierra and helped her nurse. After that she had zero problems.

The maternal instincts usually kick in and my best advice would be to give her a good amount of time with the foal before you start messing around. Imprinting can have it's benefits, but so often it's the direct cause of foal rejection because the dam doesn't have adequete time to be introduced to her foal naturally.

Best of luck!


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I have every intention of just leaving them be when she foals, I'll watch and make sure everything goes ok then leave them be unless they need intervention. I have complete faith in mother nature...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

That is great that you do have some experience with birthing. The avatar that I have is of Caddo at one day old. He is a great little horse so far. He was born on May 18, 2009. Also most foals are born between the hours of 7 pm and 7 am. If you have anymore questions please do not hesitate to ask.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

equus717 said:


> That is great that you do have some experience with birthing. The avatar that I have is of Caddo at one day old. He is a great little horse so far. He was born on May 18, 2009. Also most foals are born between the hours of 7 pm and 7 am. If you have anymore questions please do not hesitate to ask.


 
Lol at birthing experience... When I was 11, my neighbor had me turn a calf that was breach because my hands were smaller then his, and when I was a senior in high school, my mom came home from work after a 12 hour night shift to find me cleaning off the first puppy in my dogs first litter, covered in amniotic fluid, and decided that she would take a paper into the school for me that was due instead of have me go to school and her have to deal with the terrifed dog... I think I'll be ok with a horse... I just don't know what to do with it once its on the ground....

Got to love learning experiences....


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

That is where this book will help you out. Some of the chapters are like The first 24 hours. The first weeks. One to three months. Four to six months. Weaning time farewell to mom. Weanling to yearling. So this book has helped me out a lot this year and I am already reading it again because Prancing timid a.k.a. PT is going to foal in Feb 15, 2010. She is a gray mare bred to my sorrel and white stallion. I am very excited about this foal as well. Take a lot of pics they change a lot in the first year. Caddo and Maggie are already getting their winter coats on. Keep us updated on the pregnancy and the foaling as well.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Thanks again for the advice, I'll be getting that book asap... 
I'm pretty excited about the baby, I just hope he's put together a little better then his mother... She looks to be a little out of proportion, her head and neck seem to big for her, although I'm seeing her pregnant and with a shaggy winter coat... Regardless, all I want is a good trail horse, so looks are not important, I just want a healthy happy horse.

That foal in your avatar is gorgeous, I'm hoping my little one will be a paint, but again, as long as he/she is healthy, I couldn't care if its purple lol...


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Good on you for taking on this enormous task and Imprinting can have it's benefits, but so often it's the direct cause of foal rejection because the dam doesn't have adequete time to be introduced to her foal naturally.


What exactly is imprinting? I've heard the term before but never asked because I never dreamed I'd need to know...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Imprinting is where you handle the foal right at birth. This can be a good thing or not so great. Caddo and Maggie both were imprinted at birth. Caddo is doing great at being touched but Maggie is not. You will want to put a halter on the new one before you let them out by themselves. Like I was saying imprinting didn't work very well with Maggie because she had too many people trying to handle her at once. In some ways it scared her but it didn't help though that she had a really close bond to her dam as well. I should of been the only one handling her. Then at a week old Maggie got ran through a fence and cut her leg up so when I called the vet out he had to put her totally under to sew her leg. So she has had a rough start but now she is doing great especially since I have weaned her from mom. Caddo on the other hand excepted human contact from the beginning but it helped because I was the only one handling him. If you are unsure then just let nature take its course. You want to handle the foal right after birth like put the navel cord in novascan. You also want to make sure that the foal has broken through the placenta and is breathing. I cut the placenta as soon as the head and shoulders were clear. Most mares deliver when there is noone around. I am thankful that I was around because caddo would of ended up dying because cinnamon delivered next to the wall even though her stall is 12X14. If I had not been there to get Cinnamon up and get her to lay down in the middle of the stall Caddo might have died from suffocation or a broken neck. Something else that you want to think about is the fact that she is older she might get tired giving birth Dee did with Maggie and I ended up helping at the end mostly just talking to her and coaxing her to push. I held onto the front legs and only pulled when she pushed. It was all over with 2 more pushes but I wonder though what might have happened if I hadn't of been there to help her. I would try your best to see the birth of the foal and to see the birth. I am not trying to scare you skittle just letting you know what could happen. Take care my friend.


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Wow! My respect for taking her in! I can't help much with it, but wish you all the best!


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I'm not to worried about the actual labor, my concern at the moment is making sure she is healthy enough to carry and deliever a healthy foal...

Were can I find the info I need to research what she needs now so I can get everything she needs ASAP?


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Skittle another thing that you need to do to insure a healthy mare and foal is to have your mare vaccinated at 5, 7, and 9 months. The book will tell you all the vaccinations that the mare needs. I used a 5 way on the mares. Go pick up Omolene 300 or the Legends mare and foal at Southern States not sure if they have the legends there but the Omolene is made by Purina.
"pocomoonskyeyes" here: Dottie's other half. Sorry but for some reason I can't sign in on our computer??
What I wanted to add is that there are a lot of universities and state agricultural extension services that can give you a whole lot of nutritional information for your mare. This is a pdf file that has nutrition for pregnant/gravid broodmares.
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/asc112.pdf
or
Managing Your Pregnant Mare and Her Foal, EC 1476
These are from college/Universities which is my first preference For information of this type, as I am leery of businesses trying to "hawk" their wares over other sources. Not saying they don't provide good feed, just saying I want knowledge before I look at brands of feed. Here it is probably a little different as for vet questions... no consult fee. Our Vet's are used to all kind of weird questions from us. If you have a question that you would like us to ask,without paying a consult fee just let us know. Our Vet is always just a phone call away(during business hours). And they are used to some "off the wall" questions coming from us! LOL


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Thanks a lot, I'm sure I'll have lots more questions as I get time to think about them...

Now, if I could just convince my mares that it is ok to be tied long enough to eat and theres no need to destroy their run in because of it, we'd be set...

My mtn mare, in my avatar, has always been tied to eat because I don't have stalls yet, without a single problem until we brought the arab cross home... 

They sure like to keep a person guessing don't they


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

*New Mare Pics*

Here's some pics of the new girl.. You can tell lookin at her that she's carrying... If it'd been my choice, I would not have had her bred, but...

Now she needs a new name...










And a pic of Sand Dollar...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

She looks like a Dee to me. She looks really sweet. You could also call her Belle.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

She is a sweetie... My little cousin named her Storm today, and I'm happy with that...


----------



## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

Since you work full time, as she approaches her due date I would recommend (if possible) stream a cam thru places like MareWatchers.com and others will help you watch your mare for you online so you can take breaks and get some rest. Should she go into labor while you're resting, someone will call you asap.

If you're online at work, you can watch her from there this way as well. Wonderful thing you taking her in!!


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

That would be a great idea if it was possible, but alas it is not... What I'm planning on doing is watching her closely n when she starts to wax up, I'll take time off work until she drops, that way I can be with her as much as possible....

Won't be the first time I've fallen asleep in a pile of straw waitin on a baby... lol... Its just that last time it was a calf I was waiting for...


----------



## CheyAut (Nov 26, 2008)

Just note that not all mares wax... mine never do (although it's more uncommon to wax in minis than it is to actually wax)


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Hey Skittle have you had your vet out to look at Storm yet? Storm is a great name. My oldest boy Robbie named a cat at the barn today. The cats name was storm but Robbie said he didn't like it so I asked him what he wanted to name him and he said to name him Boots. I like that name. Robbie and Bret are excited about PT's baby because they get to help with the naming of this baby.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

No, I haven't found a vet I like... There is one local that says she'll come look at her, but she bathed my boyfriend in Rabies vaccine when we took my dogs and cat in for their shots, so there's no way I want her anywere near my horses.... Besides that, Justin will be mad if he found out I had her out here... 

Finding a good vet is the worst thing about living as far from a major city as we do... There's a few around here, but ones almost better off to not call them cause they just overcharge you to do something you could have done yourself... That's why I've figured out how to do a lot of the vet care myself...


----------



## CheyAut (Nov 26, 2008)

skittle1120 said:


> but she bathed my boyfriend in Rabies vaccine when we took my dogs and cat in for their shots, so there's no way I want her anywere near my horses....


She did what?


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

CheyAut said:


> She did what?


She was so busy b*itchin at me because my Aussie was a couple days overdue for his vaccine that she wasn't paying attention to what she was doing and put the needle back out through the skin on my beagles leg and instead of the vac goin into the dog, it shot all over my boyfriends shirt... Then the stupid twit didn't even apologize, and tried to blame me for it, while I was standing in the corner holding the cat...

Needless to say, I was NOT pleased... My animals will go without vaccines before they go back there... Fortunatly there is a good small animal vet not far away and one that's quite a bit further away that I can get vacs for the horses from and give them myself...


----------



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I have a few mares that I breed every year and I leave them out on mmountain pasture untill they foal. I have had mares at home to foal but horses rarely have the same problems as cattle do. You can just about bet that the closer you watch her the more likely she will foal while you are at the store getting a pop or eating dinner. Another way to tell if a horse is getting close is to look at the vulva. When it gets big and loose looking then the time is near but this varies to particularly with maiden mares.


----------



## CheyAut (Nov 26, 2008)

Wow! I agree, not a nice vet to deal with then!


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Yeah, I won't be dealing with that vet again. I do need to find out what shots Storm needs before she foals so I can get her up to date... 

Storm had a little bit of a runny nose and watery eyes, but they've cleared up and she's looking very good now...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Have you gotten the book that I told you about? That book will give you the vaccines and when they need to be given to her. I will only have one mare giving birth next year my gray mare named PT.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I asked my mom for it for my birthday, so I should have it by the end of the month... I could get it myself, but I don't know what else to ask for lol...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Oh okay. You really need to have a vet palpate her to see how far along she is. It might be too late to give her any shots. She does need shots at 3,5,7,and 9 months. One shot is EHV it helps to keep the mare from aborting her baby later in pregnancy.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I was told she should foal toward the end of April... but...

Ya, I need to get her to a vet...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

That is good to know. I can't wait until my mare foals out in feb. cold though.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I'm hoping she doesn't foal much sooner then April... I don't have a barn yet, so I don't have a nice warm stall to put her in...

It won't be a problem letting the foal run in the pasture right away will it? Provided there are no problems with it or with either mare accepting it...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

No as long as everything goes good with the delivery you can let them out together. It shouldn't be a problem. What kind of fencing do you have. I would put flags up on the fence so that the foal can see it better and not as likely to run into it and get caught.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I have double strand electric, steel t-posts 20 feet apart, with flourescent green flags every 10 feet on both strands, alternating between top and bottom strands so theres actually a flag every 5 feet....

There are lots of deer running around here that like to crash my fence every other day, so flags are a must... 

My Rocky mare has only gotten out once (thanks to the deer), and she just stayed in the yard were there was lots of grass, so I'm not overly concerned, but of course, I want them to stay in...


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Well, I just heard from her previous owner... She got her late last spring, and didn't give her any shots at all, so now I'm not sure what she got from the owner before that... and she was caught sometime mid-may, so I have a better idea of how far along she is at least... I'm callin the vet as soon as they open...


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Well, good news and bad news...

Bad news - The vet can't answer my questions about what shots she needs... So it's up to me and my crappy dial up connection to figure it out...

Good news - rode her this morning for the first time, just a 20 minute walk around our property, and she's not great, but I got exactly what I expected from her... A little testing of her new rider, and some anxeity about going out alone, but no major issues... I think she's going to be a great horse!!!


----------



## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

If the vet can't answer you questions about vaccinations, then he/she obviously isn't a good vet. Are there any more you could just call and ask over the phone? Both the vets I use can answer anything about equine vaccinations... I wouldn't trust one who couldn't answer a simple question like that...

A lot of horses are just fine without vaccs., though... a Walking horse breeder I know hardly ever vaccinates his horses and he's never lost any of his horses because of lack of vaccinating... a broken leg once, yes, but never any more. My own mare, when we bred her a few years ago, was vaccinated before being bred, then both she and her foal were vaccinated in my boy's first year, but they haven't been vaccinated since and they're both doing just fine.

You can also ride your preggers mare up until the last two weeks of her pregnancy safely, and as long as you go easy, you can ride her up until the day she has the baby if you wanted. I rode my girl up til the week she had her foal and after exactly a week after foaling I was riding her again and let the baby follow us... after he was halter-broke at two weeks old, I ponied him and we rode all over the place.

During her last three months you should probably take your are off any Fescue grass/Fescue hay... anything Fescue. Fescue can make a mare abort the foal if they get too much of it. Also, during the last couple months you may want to up her feed ration a little, as she's eating for two and the unborn foal will take a lot of the nutrients the mare is eating. I'd also keep her feed ration upped even after birth until weaning-time, because all the nutrients go straight to the mares milk and she'll need a bit more to keep her own weight up with the foal suckling.


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

I am guessing then that she is right on schedule for her due date. I am looking in the book to tell you what vaccines your mare needs. These are the names of the vaccines that she needs to be vaccinated against Skittle. This is given in a 5 way or a 7 way. One shot does it all. This is what she is vaccinated against(EEE, Influenza, PHF which stands for Potomac Horse fever, Rhino, Rotavirus A, Strangles, Tetanus, West Nile virus, and WEE. (Rabies which the vet has to administer this shot) Rhino needs to be given at 5, 7, and 9 months of gestation. I hope this helps.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Britt - I plan on riding her lightly all winter, but I'll give her a break about a month before she's due, so that she's got time to get used to me getting near here not meaning we're going riding lol...

And there isn't any Fescue here, and her hay is an alfalfa, timothy, orchard grass mix, so I don't think that'll be a problem...

Equus - She seems to be healthy, and I know my other mare was exposed to strangles at her last barn, so I might just wait till after she drops the foal and then vacinate all of them at once. As for the rabies vac, I know I've never had a vet come give a horse shots for me, and my appendix was always given his rabies shots... Maybe my vet isn't supposed to be handing them out over the counter, but I'm not going to argue about it, saves me money that way...

If she was vaccinated last spring, giving her more shots now won't hurt her will it? I hate it when the vet tells me its up to me and can't recommend anything... I knew I should have went to vet school outta highschool....


----------



## CheyAut (Nov 26, 2008)

She needs a booster of the regular shots you give her 30 days before foaling to help the foal's immunity.

If you do the rhino shots, it's done at 5, 7 and 9 months. But make sure you get the one for pregnant mares, there are two different kinds. Personally I won't use the Ft Dodge one, my mares had a reaction to it and so have many other people's mares (and of course many have NOT, but since mine personally did, I won't use it again).


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

No it won't hurt her. She does need some of those shots. The rhino helps her to not abort the baby later in gestation. I would recommend her being vaccinated maybe not the strangles but the other shot I would definitely do.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I'll call the vet again Monday and get her her shots then, and I'm guessing its time to learn to trim feet myself too since my farrier won't return my calls...

I hate relying on other people to help me do anything, but when its something that I could learn to do myself its just that much more aggrevating...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

I wished that we lived in the same town because I do all of my own trimming. I had that problem to so I learned how to do it. I had my farrier show me what I need to do to get the feet trimmed up right.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I'm really aggrevated this morning... I can't catch Sandy (my palomino) and all I wanted to do was feed her, incidentaly, Storm (the new horse) lets me walk right up to her... I could strangle Sandy's previous owners for making her so untrusting... Their feet need done and my farrier hasn't called me back, the vets in my area are worthless, I gotta go to work in 3 hours....

grr.... Sorry, I'm being whiny... I feel a little better now... Guess Sandy will get her grain when I get home from work... I have discovered if I'm even remotely angry theres no point in messing with her at all, just makes her harder to catch and me angrier... its a nasty cycle, and no way to nurture what little trust she does have...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Something that you might want to do with Sandy is when she starts trotting away from you walk after her. Don't get mad just walk like you are not interested in her. Walk behind her and eventually she will stop and come up. When she does pet her and tell how good she was to come up then let her go again and keep repeating this exercise. You will find that it gets easier to catch her in time. Cinnamon used to do that and still did but she got a lot easier in the end. I finally said good bye to her on Sat. My friends moved her off of the farm.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I just ignore her until she comes to me, doesn't always work, but a lot of the time it does... If that doesn't work, I push her to lunge around me until she's tired and begging me to let her stop, then I can catch her...
I just have to make sure the ground is dry if I go the lunging route, cause she's gets panicky at first and will fall if its not...


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Well, I've found a new farrier, he's coming tomorrow morning, so we'll see if he's any good.... And I've found pics of the two studs my mare was pastured with, I'm hoping for a paint lol...


----------



## Horselady44 (Nov 11, 2009)

Pretty boys! Either way you will have a beautiful baby! Id love to see pictures of the soon to be momma as well please When is she due? Sorry...I might have missed it somewhere


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

She's due sometime in April, and there are 3 pics of her on page 2 of this thread... I'm hoping to get a new camera and get some new shots of her soon... She's looking a lot better now that she's eating regularly...


----------



## Horselady44 (Nov 11, 2009)

Found them! Shes beautiful! Looking forward to April! Thats going to be a stunning baby:wink:


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Thanks, I'm a little anxious about it myself, seeing as how its her first foal and mine too... 

She's not bad looking, but I wouldn't have had her bred... Her head is a little too large for her body, and her neck just looks funny to me, but that may be because i've been comparing her to my petite palomino... 

Personality wise, she's a sweetie, we're just working through some issues with her being spoiled rotten by her previous owners and being extremely buddy-sour... But all the "arguments" about her leaving her buddy when we go out alone will go a long way toward building up her muscle tone so she doesn't have to much trouble foaling lol...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

It sounds like she is doing good. I haven't been on in a while because of moving this last couple of weeks.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Equus - Hope the move went well... Storm is doing great, I'm just nervous about her complete lack of muscle tone... I need to get her worked into shape... A 20 minute walk carrying me around shouldn't cause her to sweat like she's run a marathon.... Granted 10 minutes of that was an argument about who was in charge, but still, she didn't fight me that hard...


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Woot, just had the new farrier here, and Storm was fantastic for him!!! Sandy was even pretty good considering her history with farriers...

Got some new pics of Storm too, she's looking pretty good for a chunky butt lol...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

She is looking good. I am glad that she did good for the farrier. It sounds like she has settled in really great. Did you ever get the book that I was telling you about? It really helped me out last year and it has also been a great help with Prancing timid's pregnancy so far.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Thanks, she's looking better every day... And no, I haven't got that book yet, but my birthday is Friday, so I should have it by nnext weekend... 

And I still gotta call the vet to get her her shots, I'm only working 3 days this week, so I should be able to get that done Monday....


----------



## kiester (Nov 15, 2009)

My paint mare I just got a couple months back from auction is supposed to be prego for april or may foal. My second foal. My first foal was with a mini and she did it by herself. The mother wouldnt let it nurse so I had my mother hold the mare and I helped the baby nurse. 
We are an old cow farm-corn prices jacked and meat prices went down-so we all have had birthing expierence. As harsh as this sounds, I had to help pull out a calf so the mother could live. She wouldnt get up or at least roll over and push. She was so tired. The baby didnt make it. But the mother did. She became a good friend of mine too. 
I dont even know how to tell if my paint _is_ pregnant or not. She's extremely round. I dont want to pay for the vet to come out and tell me yes or no. I'm just going to wair until March and see what she looks like. If she appears to be, I'll put her in the milking parlor so it wont be breazy.


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Hey Kiester can you post a pic of your mare I might be able to tell you by the pic. Is her milk vein showing it runs underneath the belly but you can see it from the side. PT is showing. 
Skittle that is good. I will be following your pregnancy till it happens so if you have any questions just ask me.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Equus - I appreciate your willingness to help me out, I'm sure as her pregnancy progresses, I'll think of all kinds of questions...

My main question now is should I try working her regularly to try and build up muscle or will she be ok with occasional light riding and her freedom in the pasture? I've never seen a horse so out of shape before... I'm concerned that with her age and this being her first, she might not be in good enough shape to deliver without help...

Also, she seems to have a bit of a runny nose, and her eyes are always watery and she always has a whitish discharge from her eyes... I thought when I first brought her home that the switch of her food would make her a little sick so I didn't worry right away, and she does seem to be clearing up slowly, but its been 4 weeks now, surely she's adjusted to her new feed by now. How concerned should I be?


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

The thing about the exercise I would do it. Of course you do not want to overdue it but she can get into shape before the baby arrives. I would do a lot of walk/trot with her. If you have some hills get her to do those at least 2 a week. Take it slow but she will put muscle on. 
As far as her runny nose take her temp and see if she is running a fever. If no fever she might have an allergy to the feed. I would consult your vet and see what they think. I would watch her for signs that she isn't feeling real well. I would be more concerned about it if she goes off her feed and doesn't drink nearly as much as she should. Keep me posted.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

She's eating very well, and is always the first to greet me when I come out with feed, she's just a slow eater... Although I've noticed in the last couple days she's been getting really pushy about feed, so we're working on that...

As for exercise, I was just thinking some nice walks on trails would be good for her... Like I'd said in a previous post though, her sweating like she does after a 20 minute ride just makes me nervous... I don't want to push her to hard...


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Although it did just occur to me that maybe some low intensity exercise may make her feel better too...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Yeah it will. I know that when i was pregnant when I did a walk it made me feel much better. Maybe start her at working her only for 10 minutes then hand walk her another 10 minutes. If you are concerned about her sweating a lot take it this way and see if it helps her and you.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I took her for a 45 minute ride this morning, half uphill and then down on the way back, and she was a little sweaty, but not bad... She also fought me a bit leaving her buddy, but seemed to settle down and try to trust me after she couldn't hear Sandy anymore... 

I think she's going to be good health wise and be a great riding horse once she gains some trust....


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

great that someone gets to ride right now. with moving onto the farm I haven't had much time to ride this week but hopefully this weekend I will get the chance to ride. It will be fun if I get to ride. I miss it right now.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I'm glad the weather here in western PA is cooperating so I can get the girls out... It should be cold and snowing here now, but I'm not complaining...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

That is great. By the way Happy early Birthday. I forgot what day you said your birthday was on so here it is. I have to get off I have to go to work this afternoon so talk to you later.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Thank you...

Have fun at work lol


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

You are quite welcome. Enjoy your day.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I've noticed over the last couple days her eyes are clearing up and her nose isn't running anymore, so maybe I just didn't give her enough time to settle in before I got worried...


----------



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I didn't read all the posts, but if someone hasn't mentioned the book _Blessed Are The Broodmares_, you need to pick up a copy.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Thanks Speed Racer, I'll get a hold of that one too... It's not possible to have too much information lol...


----------



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Exactly! Forewarned is forearmed!


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Also thanks Speed Racer I will go and pick that one up for my library as well. I don't have that one either. Never heard of that one who is it by?


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Well, I got a copy of that book, (sorry it took me so long to get back here)...

After reading the first 5 chapters, I'm finding myself glad I don't get worried easy... I'm thinking anyone that reads it first would never breed their mare... Its kinda scary to think about all the things that could go wrong but most likely won't...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Great that you got the book. I am also reading mine again right now. My vet came out yesterday to look at PT she palpated her everything is fine so far. She thinks that she is going to foal out in January instead of Feb 10. Her new due date is January 17, 2010. I am glad that I have gotten a winter foal blanket for her baby.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Glad to hear everything is going well with your mare, I'm still trying to find a good vet around here... It's aggrevating to say the least...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

It helps that my vet is also a friend of mine. She was the one that owned this particular mare. She wants to see what she produces out of my bf stud to see if she wants to breed to him next year.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

It must be nice to know a good vet that well... I'd be happy just to find a good vet at this point... Oh well, its a good thing that I can handle most emergencies myself...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Hey you will. Just be patient my friend. Things will work out for you.


----------



## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

Goodluck !!


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Thanks, a little optimism once in a while helps...

Fortunatly, she's healthy and I'm getting her into better shape, so all should go well...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

It will. Keep me posted and I will try to help you out as much as I can my friend.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

So far, all is well... Went for a nice long ride yesterday, me on Sandy and my cousin on Storm, and it went very well... All along the road guys were sighting in guns for the first day of deer season today, and the horses were very calm about the gunfire... And Storm came back barely sweating... She's getting into shape pretty quickly for me...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

That is good about storm. It is also good that she doesn't mind all the gunfire and all. Post some pics of her as she is improving and I will post some pics of Prancing timid (PT) as well. That way you can have a look at my mare. I might be able to do this tomorrow sometime after I brush her. She will have cockaburrs in her mane so overlook that alright. She has been out at pasture for a while.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Ya, that sounds good... I'll try to get some pictures posted Sunday... With deer season in full swing, I'm up to my eyeballs in meat to process.... As soon as we're done, I'll get pics up...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Hey Skittle these are some pics of Prancing Timid aka. PT. She is the one that is preggo and is going to foal early in the new year. Enjoy the pics of her.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

She's a beauty, but she looks to have the same attitude toward mud that my palomino has... lol...

Here's the pics I could get to upload (I hate dialup) of Storm...

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/bizkit_421/Horses/Storm002.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/bizkit_421/Horses/Storm004-1.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/bizkit_421/Horses/Storm001.jpg


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

grr... I'm having issues with pictures today...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

My favorite one is of her in her feed bucket. she has a very long tail. PT did before I cut it off. That is why her tail is so short in the pics that I posted.


----------



## Kenz and Dixie (Dec 3, 2009)

I wish you all the luck but I don`t know what to tell you.


----------



## Kenz and Dixie (Dec 3, 2009)

I hate dail-up too


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Kenz - Thanks, we're muddling along fairly well so far... I just hope all keeps going well

Equus - When she's standing flat and level, her tail is an inch off the ground... I need to start getting her used to it being wrapped up because I don't want to cut it if I don't have to


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

I agree. I didn't have a choice but to cut PT's.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Did she find a huge burdock patch? Cause those are terrible... Fortunatly, there aren't any in my pasture yet and I'm hoping to keep it that way...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Yeah the pasture that she is in has them. Since they have died they got caught up in her mane and tail. Actually all of my horses mane and tail may have to be cut. The sooner I do it though the longer their mane and tails will be in the spring.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Ya, burdocks suck... my cousins morgan is notorious for finding the only ones we missed...


----------



## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

equus717 said:


> Yeah the pasture that she is in has them. Since they have died they got caught up in her mane and tail. Actually all of my horses mane and tail may have to be cut. The sooner I do it though the longer their mane and tails will be in the spring.


I HATE those.I don't have any in my pasture but my friend does.They suck lol

It took us hours to pick them out of her mare's LONG mane and tail.


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Yeah they do hopefully next year we won't have them!!! By the way what is the best way to kill them so that they do not come back up?


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

The easiest way I've found to get rid of them is cut them down before they seed and burn the plants....


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Thanks skittle. I will have to give that a try. Do I need to do it now or wait until spring?


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Keep an eye on were they are so you know for sure which plants you're pulling, and pull them out by as many roots as you can next spring.... then burn the plants you pull out... If you do it now, they'll scatter seeds and reseed everywere.... That should get rid of them for you... If you want, just to make sure, spray some weed killer on were you pull them from, but just pulling them should solve the problem...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Thanks again I will do this in the spring then.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Your welcome... If theres a lot of them, you might need to make sure through the summer that you got them all... As long as you get them out before the seed pods start forming, you should be ok...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Thanks I just cleaned up Cutter from all of hers. I had to cut her mane but I only ended up cutting about 3 inches off of her tail which she needed anyway since it was pretty close to the ground.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Both my horses need tail trims... Storm is an inch away from the ground, and Sandy is on the ground...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Yeah I think though I took off more than what I wanted to on Cutter but she looks a lot better. I still need to trim her mane up some but I like it anyway. I rode her today and she did great for not being rode in several months.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Thats good... I thought about taking Sandy out today, but I didn't feel like fighting with her... She's gotten really buddy sour since we got Sandy and its driving me insane...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

You may just have to ride her anyway. She might learn that if she throws a big enough fuss then you will let her have her way and put her back.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

When I take her out, I don't let her win the battle, I just didn't feel like fighting her today... I can make her go if I feel like arguing... 

I just fed and groomed her today... She's getting easier to catch now too, so I am making some progress...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

That's great. Yeah I know what you mean about fighting. there are days that I have to do that to especially if it is cold outside.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

I don't have the argument about the cold, just the leaving the buddy one...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

It will work out. Maybe see if someone can ride Storm. That way both horses can go for the outing instead of just one.


----------



## skittle1120 (Oct 24, 2009)

Ya, they're great when I have someone to go along, I just like to ride by myself once in a while...


----------



## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Yeah I know that feeling nothing like riding your horse and forgetting about everything and everyone even if for a little while. That is one reason why I rode Cutter yesterday.


----------

