# Gelding's & Foals



## VLBUltraHot (Oct 26, 2013)

Today was about as awful as awful comes. 

Like I said before, I've been mare-sitting for two different people the past few weeks off and on because of business related travel. Yesterday we had a temperature drop from about 70 degrees in the morning, to 21 degrees by nightfall. Needless to say all the automatic water buckets were frozen in the barn stalls.

Well, the 338 day pregnant mare is in a wonderful paddock with a super nice shelter filled with straw and plenty of alfalfa. This foaling pen has a gate that separates it from the arena and a surrounding pasture. So due to the the inside automatic water buckets being frozen, the owner and I made an executive decision to turn the 4 geldings and a young mare out in the pasture/arena adjacent to the foaling pen so they could have access to a big tank to drink from. This morning at around 8am the mare had made some changes overnight in terms of milk, but her tail head was still pretty resistant. So I thought she would wait to foal until her owners got home tonight and then I would no longer half to worry and fret over her 

I get a panicked call from the owners at 11:30am saying that the neighbor called with news that the mare had just foaled and that the 5 horses had broken through the gate into the foaling pen. The even more horrifying news was that one of the geldings was viciously attacking the barely born foal. I'm talking grabbing the baby by the neck and throat and throwing it into the air, stomping and kneeling on it in a complete frenzy trying to kill it. The poor mare didn't even have time to stand up and bond with her first foal, and she was screaming helplessly trying to keep the gelding off her baby. Absolutely the most awful situation. By the time I got there the neighbor had managed to get the gelding (who had also turned on him) and all the horses out of the foaling pen.

Baby was laying in the mud shivering and shaking violently. By that time the vet was already pulling in, so we grabbed the foal and rushed it inside the house into the warmth. It's body temperature was 94 degrees (if you don't know, normal temp for a baby is 99.9-101ish) and it was laying pretty listless with it's eyes closed. A beautiful sorrel colt with a unique blaze, what a horrible way to come into this world. 

We frantically grabbed heating pads, warm water bottles, towels, anything to to try to stabilize this poor baby that was not looking good at all. Fluids and antibiotics were administered and a catheter was placed. It took 1.5 hours to get his temp up enough where we could transport him to the university teaching hospital. Once there, initial findings were muscle damage and three broken ribs, and a laceration on his sternum. Surprisingly, no broken bones or brain damage...and no internal bleeding or organ damage was found on ultrasound as of yet. They are tubing him with colostrum and have penned him next to his sweet mama (who retained her placenta, just wonderful) and started him again on fluids and supportive therapy. He's having a hard time standing, but bless his heart...I don't blame him. The next 12 hours are crucial, so please be praying.

Moral of the story, and the reason I'm sharing....PLEASE. If you don't know if your geldings are newborn foal friendly, SEPARATE them as far away as possible and take all precautions to ensure that they cannot get to the mare and baby. The outcome could have been MUCH worse, and we could have had a dead foal. I know stallions in the wild will kill off foals that are not their own so they don't compete with their genetics. I guess the gelding still had that instinct. This is the sweetest and most kid friendly gelding, who gets along well with all their other horses. But something clicked today, and he was not his normal sweet docile gelding self. Regardless, it is the most horrific and helpless thing you can watch. Please be praying this little guy will pull through. And please please please let your mare foal where there is not a chance of a freak gelding getting to it.


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

Omg. That is horrific. I'm so glad the foal is okay. I hope he pulls through. How is momma doing? Is he eating?

SO glad I put in a "dry lot" when my mare foaled last year. I kept her separated for 2 weeks with baby, then let my low girl on the totem pole in. Then at 3 weeks I let the boys in. Baby was good on her feet and momma wouldn't let them even look at her for a few days. 

Praying the little one pulls through...
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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

It can happen with other mares around too.
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## VLBUltraHot (Oct 26, 2013)

CLaPorte432 said:


> Omg. That is horrific. I'm so glad the foal is okay. I hope he pulls through. How is momma doing? Is he eating?
> 
> SO glad I put in a "dry lot" when my mare foaled last year. I kept her separated for 2 weeks with baby, then let my low girl on the totem pole in. Then at 3 weeks I let the boys in. Baby was good on her feet and momma wouldn't let them even look at her for a few days.
> 
> ...


That's a smart idea, I'm definitely going to do something like that with my mare.

Mom finally passed placenta and is just dying to touch and see her baby. What a sweet mare, she is just so concerned about him. Things are looking good for mom. Baby is getting tube fed colostrum every two hours right now because he's having a hard time staying on his feet


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

What a horrific experience! I hope the baby survives.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Oh my, how horrible! Let us know how the foal makes out please.


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## HorseLovinLady (Jul 18, 2011)

How awful!! I'll be praying for the baby.


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## FrostedLilly (Nov 4, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear this vlb. That would be a horrible thing to witness. Foals can be surprisingly resilient, so here's hoping he pulls through. And what a terribly unlucky series of events to even lead up to this.
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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Not all wild studs will kill foals that are not theirs (Example is cloud raising foals from other studs). But domestic horses are a different matter. And something clicked in that gelding that was not good for that foal. Agree on keeping other horses in general (with the exception of a broodmare herd) away from a foaling mare.

Praying the foal pulls through! Jingles his way!


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## Arab Mama (Jun 10, 2012)

Many prayers for a full and speedy recovery. Poor little thing. Sometimes you just dont know what will set a horse off. Herd dynamics can be a tricky thing. We have a bay gelding that will push around our chestnut gelding; the chestnut gelding will push around our black mare, but the black mare will push around the aforementioned bay gelding. Explain that if you can!
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## BellaMFT (Nov 15, 2011)

That is awful. We kept my mare away for my gelding till the foal was two weeks old. I was really worried because my gelding can act studish some times. Lucky for us he took to the baby and almost acted like she was his. I hope the foal is okay. Keep us posted.


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## afellers7456 (Feb 14, 2014)

My eyes are tearing up. I am praying for baby and mother.


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## VLBUltraHot (Oct 26, 2013)

Thank you all for the well wishes for this sweet boy!

As of this morning baby's protein levels are up and kidneys are fully functioning, igG is right on track, there are no skull fractures or brain damage (they gave him a concussion medication just as a precaution) and the broken ribs are far enough back that they run a low risk of puncturing his heart or lungs. He has a bit of an air pocket on his chest along with some crepitation...but they're hoping it has to do with his laceration and not a leaky lung. He is a feisty little thing, I think he'll be a fighter


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

My mares foal in the herds they live in. Some with geldings and I have never seen one attack a foal. Most are very protective and shadow the mare and foal .

I think your gelding was attacking the foal like he would any new horse since he was not pastured with the mare.

I would not place a pregnant mare in a new herd or a mare with a new foal. That would IMO be asking for trouble.

When mares are bred to Star they and their foals are pastured together and he has never attempted to attack one.
Sam has been very friendly to Stars three foals and never aggressive.

I hope all is well ultraviolet and the foal recovers. Good luck. Shalom


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## DeliciousD (Feb 25, 2013)

How awful! Hope the foal is ok!
If the mare isn't used to the herd, don't allow them to foal within it is my moral. Dee and foalie will be separated from the herd in the first week or so, with the herd in sight and then introduced gradually. There are no geldings in the herd. Isn't worth the risk. But dee is alpha so might be different.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Oh the poor little baby and mama! Jingles and prayers that he'll pull through.

I personally worry about introducing babies into herds before they're a few months old because they're just so fragile and clumsy. I used to work at a farm that bred miniature horses, and they usually let foals and mamas in with everyone else after the first month. However, they did this with one little colt, who didn't seem sick or weak in any way, and their normal placid, petting zoo gelded mini donkey went after him with a vengance, and then when the BO's son jumped in to save the colt, the donkey tried to kill the boy. Both the horse and boy now have huge scars, and the boy was actually hospitalized for two weeks due to the severity of his arms and face. No matter how docile our animals are, we must realize that they are big animals with strong instincts.


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

The reason my mares foal outside and in a herd is because of the danger of re-introducing the mare and foal into the herd. They also foal in pastures of at least 10 acres or more so there is plenty of room.
When we have missed the birth I can tell the mare has foaled as the others stand in a circle about 25-50 feet away. 

Even the lower ranking mares keep the others away from their foals for the first few days. Shalom


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

I keep forgetting there are new breeders without much experience reading these threads.
One must remember I have plenty of acreage and decades of experience.
What works for me will not work in a boarding situation. Horses there come and go and the herds are not firmly established like those at a farm or ranch would be. Shalom


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## FrostedLilly (Nov 4, 2012)

So glad to hear that the foal's recovery is looking positive VLB. Please keep us posted. 

I'm lucky that Lilly's only pasture mate is a nearly 30 mare. If it doesn't have food written on it, she couldn't be bothered. I am still going to keep them separated, not for the foal's safety, but for hers! Lilly is the dominant of the two and I worry that she might actually hurt the other horse if she happens to be really protective. They'll share a fence line though. 

Also, I hope no one is holding you in any way responsible for this, because this is in no way your fault. Who could have predicted that this gelding would have broken through the fence at the sight of this foal? I know it's also really hard not to feel bad or blame yourself somehow, so I hope you aren't doing that. It can be really hard not to look back and say "If only I had..." because I think you took the correct actions for what the situation (frozen water) warranted.


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## VLBUltraHot (Oct 26, 2013)

I have three geldings with Miley being the only mare. I can GUARANTEE you after this experience, they will be completely padlocked in their stalls and Miley in hers when it comes to foaling time lol. Even though they are a very established herd (Miley is 2nd from the bottom) I do not even remotely want to risk it. 

Thank you, Glynnis. In the grand scheme of things it was just a snowball effect that day. The owners "shouldn't" have had to leave town, it "shouldn't" have frozen, the horses "shouldn't" have been turned out next to her, she "shouldn't" have foaled at that exact moment, they sure as heck "shouldn't" have broken through a fence. But honestly, anyone would have done the same thing if they were in that situation...so there is really no one to fault. Of course I still feel horrible that it happened on my watch. I'm just so happy he's alive and doing well so far.


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## JetdecksComet (Jun 11, 2013)

Glad the foal's doing pretty good, will continue to hope for improvement.


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

Any updates? Hope baby's doing ok
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## Larissa (Jan 25, 2014)

I hope the foal is okay. I think he will pull through. They are strong little things. I actuully had a POA bred to a Appy and she foaled in a pasture with limited shelter. So we took our round pen up and attached to the barn so she had a stall and a turn out with the foal. But we had two geldings. In the pasture which the barn was built inside.(They couldnt get to the mare or foal.) But I know if my paint gelding who was out of some very nice lines could have gotten to the foal, there was a chance it would be bad. He was way to interested. And I was told he was gelded, but he actually was a Cryptor child, I think thats what it is caused. And they only removed one testicle. So he was still pretty study. Long story short, I have seen how some geldings and studdy half geldings can be. So I agree, please everybody be careful. I hope this foal makes it.


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## VLBUltraHot (Oct 26, 2013)

Sorry for the lack of an update, it's been a hectic few days.

Great news, he has made leaps and bounds the last couple of days. His eyes are tracking normally now and all his bloodwork looks fantastic. His feeding tube and urinary catheter were pulled yesterday and he is finally able to stand on his own! He nursed multiple time throughout the day with minimal assistance. Mom just loves him and they are getting along as if nothing happened. As of right now, it looks like he's out of the woods  what a resilient baby. Hopefully he will be released from ICU soon, and will be able to move into the normal hospital barn. 

Thank you all so much for the well wishes, I am SO happy that he is a fighter! I'll let y'all know when he's headed home!


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