# HELP!! Mare gave birth to dead foal



## ridingintherayne (May 8, 2014)

Hello, my miniature mare gave birth to a dead foal this morning, a perfect little paint filly, so perfect, I don't know what happened.. I'm heartbroken. But maybe not as much as poor Dolly. It's horrible to watch her pace and whinny and nicker to her dead baby. It's painful to watch. 

I have been contacting everyone, feed stores, auctions, horse friends, posting on Craigslist, seeing if anyone had an orphaned or abandoned foal that needed a mama. An auction house just got back to me, telling me they would sell me a full sized mare and her 2 day old foal to me for a decent price. 

Would that help my poor mini mares greving process at all? At ALL? I can't find ANYONE who has a miniature orphaned foal. I'm not saying I would rip this foal away from its mother, it's just I'm out of ideas and I was wondering if this could work. Please, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it all. We did all we could for the baby, but it was just chance that she died. Thank you.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I have zero breeding experience so really have no ideas to offer, but I wanted to pass along my condolences. That is heartbreaking for you and mama. 
I hope you get answers as to what went wrong and I hope you find a way to ease mama's grief.
((hugs))


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

would she let you milk her? I was just thinking if she would, at the very least you could get the valuable colostrum, to help out an orphan foal at some time in the future.

so sorry you had this sad thing happen. I'm sure you little mama will get over it, but it must be heart rending to not be able to help her.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Maybe a baby goat????? 
Just a thought.
Poor little mare. That's sad.


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## Dehda01 (Jul 25, 2013)

You just need to let the mare grieve. In a few hours she will realize the foal is dead and you can take the body away. I would not milk her because it will make the drying up process go slower. Take away all grain for a few days to encourage her to stop making milk.

I am sorry. Miniature horses are at greater risks for birthing complications because of their conformation and should never foal unsupervised. Complications can always happen with foaling and live foals or mares are, unfortunately, never guaranteed.


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## ridingintherayne (May 8, 2014)

I'm going to look at the mare and foal right now, and possibly pick up a bottle baby goat also. I have to try something. I'll keep everyone updated.


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

I know nothing about breeding but know some reccmend leaving the foal in with the mother for a day or so. Then she will figure out what's happened and won't be crying for a baby that's not there


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Not sure what help a full size mare and foal will be for your mare, just leave her with her baby and she'll realize that there is no baby to look after. Sorry for your loss


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

I actually think bringing on another mare and foal pair will make things worse for your mare. I would worry she would try to steal the baby from the other (bigger) mare and wind up hurt.

I am so sorry for your loss, but like the others have said.. leave the foal in there with her for the next day or so and the mare will come to terms with it.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

If you leave them in with the dead foal for a day or two, they will walk off from it and be OK.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

ridingintherayne said:


> I'm going to look at the mare and foal right now, and possibly pick up a bottle baby goat also. I have to try something. I'll keep everyone updated.


She doesn't want anothers baby, she wants her baby. As others said leave the dead foal there until she walks away.
I can't see how a different mare & her foal will help at all.


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

If your mini-mare sees that mare and baby, she is probably going to freak out more. 
My BO lost two foals this year. The first was stillborn and the second was euthanized. When they saw the other babies they would obsessive call, wondering if it was there own. One was even calling to a goat, which was farther away. We moved them both out of site of the babies.

Leave her for a day or a few hour with the dead body, she will realize its not going to get up. She will still likely scream for her a day or two, a friend is not going to help. Mares rarely take an orphan foal willingly, or easily.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I think you got some good advice here. Leaving the dead baby with the mare for a few hours is a very good idea. She is going to have to grieve, I would recommend having her vet checked if you haven't already to make sure she is healthy. Minis are very high risk pregnancies. They baby may have suffocated while she was giving birth, I'm assuming you were not there when she had it. But the advice you have received is pretty good. I agree with not bringing in another mare and baby. That won't help at all.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

I have had a mare loose a foal before ( red bag ), and they will get over it, in a few days, as soon as that milk and those hormones adjust
You could register her with the mare registry, to match a mare that has lost a foal, with an orphaned foal, but she is a mini, thus can't very well nurture a normal sized foal


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

So sorry for the loss. Everyone else has already given you good advise.


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## ridingintherayne (May 8, 2014)

Yes, I understand. I guess that plan was kind of crazy anyways, I don't know what I was thinking. I still wanted to try something, so I bought a bottle baby boer goat, and my mini mare really doesn't like her. She's already forgotten about her foal. I had to try something though, and I wanted to get a goat anyways... Thank you all for the advice.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Sometimes shock and grief make you forget logic, I know I have done odd things in the midst of a stressful situation. I am glad to hear she is settling down. 
And it sounds like you have a welcome new addition to your family, though it was not the baby you expected. Baby goats are so precious in their own way!


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