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Post by butterfly on Jan 8, 2008 22:31:08 GMT 1
Just been talking to my mum about horses and foalies .... she said (and you know mums know everything) Horses arent like any other animal. they can hold onto their foals until no one is looking then out they pop.
One minute nothing .... next a foal!! She even told me if Polly was in foal and I kept her in then she might wait until she was out and behind a tree just to annoy me.
Dont lose any sleep sarah .... it will happen when it happens ... probably at the most inconvenient time .. like when you are just about to set of to spain!
She is lovely btw. glad you dressed up for the photos!!
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Post by indibindi on Jan 8, 2008 22:37:59 GMT 1
Its difficult to explain but at the end there was no mistaking that the mares were in foal, it dropped hugely and moved backwards. The hindquarters slackened off a lot too and went to jelly... These were Smudge's nimples 3 days before foaling - see how massive they are and the nips have started pointing in because they are so full? Smudge waxed up 2 days before foaling (had 2 foals before), Indi bagged up like this but didn't wax or run milk... so the milk is not a reliable indicator.
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Post by indibindi on Jan 8, 2008 22:41:05 GMT 1
Found one of Smudge 3 days before foaling: Can you see how her hindquarters have slackened and she has those lines down? And Indi managed this - 7am in the morning, in the mud, in the field, on her own in about 35 mins - and I loved every second of it:
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Post by emsxx on Jan 8, 2008 23:09:42 GMT 1
Yes, the milk is supposed to be a very reliable indicator. However, you will always get them having the foal on the sly!! The other really good indicator is the hormone relaxin that humans get too. In horses the vulva elongates and the rump muscles relax making the spine by the tail bone stick out though this is less reliable than the colour of the milk. Comparing her to my mare whose dates I know she looks about 6-8 weeks further ahead so I would guess at March foal... This is her at around 3 months preggers... This is her a few weeks ago at just over 7 months...
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Post by emsxx on Jan 8, 2008 23:11:35 GMT 1
Smudge your mares are gorgeous - and how lovely for them to have healthy happy births - lucky thing xxx
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Post by sarahfox on Jan 8, 2008 23:50:39 GMT 1
Thanks guys! very useful having pics to compare and show me what they look like! I love your foalies markings btw smudge! Glad you liked my outfit this morning butterfly,you dont think I overdid it do you???!
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Post by indibindi on Jan 9, 2008 0:31:47 GMT 1
Thanks both. Thats a good comparison ems of the 3 months versus 7 months - you don't see the difference when you look at them every day! This was Ollie the morning he was born (I missed his birth and found him all cleaned off in the stable!!): Out to play morning he was born: he was so friendly! I love foals *broody broody broody* LOL
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Post by butterfly on Jan 9, 2008 0:36:35 GMT 1
Aww they are amazing arnt they.
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Post by sarahfox on Jan 9, 2008 0:39:48 GMT 1
aaw! lovely pics smudge! I think I might notice when its out though! I shall drop them off with you if you like,you arent far!teehee!!
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shelley2
Grand Prix Poster
Thats my boy!
Posts: 1,471
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Post by shelley2 on Jan 9, 2008 0:44:56 GMT 1
sarah glad to see through all the stress you have still got a s.o.h. hope you find a nice loan home for the mare
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catg
Olympic Poster
Olympic Poster
Posts: 635
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Post by catg on Jan 9, 2008 1:56:32 GMT 1
Sarah - it's completely possible and probable for them to be sly. About 10 years ago we had a pony on loan for our daughter Daisy. She was getting rather fat, (the pony, not Daisy!), so we put her on restricted grazing. We turned up one morning and there was a gorgeous little filly. The owner of the pony said she had no idea how it got there, and Daisy was riding her until a couple of days before. ? We also had a mare who we were absolutely convinced was in foal and David actually slept on the straw bales outside her stable for about 3 or 4 nights. Turned out it was a phantom pregnancy ! And that mare looked like she had a foal in her and there was definately movement there. We now normally breed between 2 and 6 foals a year now (QH's) but we know when they're bred and have them scanned at 17 days to make sure there are no twins or complications. But we did have a mare here who we knew was in foal, but who we knew would stress big time if we brought her in and away from the herd, so she foaled out and was absolutely fine. They are 90% of the time born at night, but we have had a couple who have foaled at lunchtime, which is lovely because it's a far more civilized hour! Difficult to say but certainly the teats are a good indication usually when they wax up and then start running milk. But they are all different.
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Post by indibindi on Jan 9, 2008 12:13:42 GMT 1
Argh, no - the whole foaling thing nearly killed me last time - very stressful!! I watched loads of births on You Tube so I could see what was normal and what wasn't and nearly missed one and totally missed the second! First was a maiden mare so I was across that field in my nighty and slippers very fast indeed but she was fine with me and the foal (I was flapping she might want to kill us both)
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Post by indibindi on Jan 9, 2008 12:14:43 GMT 1
PS - a friend of mine named her foal Jesus. She bought a mare back from Ireland and she was doing the night check before she went to bed just 2 days later and there was a colt standing looking at her - her first words were "JESUS CHRIST" pmsl ;D
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Post by sarahfox on Jan 9, 2008 13:04:33 GMT 1
Lol! smudge! Thanks catg.
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Post by rosetila on Jan 9, 2008 14:01:29 GMT 1
Yes I agree, my inlaws breed now and again and there generally born in the night, I have read that they'l hold back until your away at times.. and all of theres did, waxing up was usually 2 days before birth. Its just a waiting game now Sarah..
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