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Post by spanishsagegrullas on May 22, 2009 17:55:24 GMT -5
Last Sunday evening, I went to the foaling pen to check on my mare before bed, around 9:30 at night, and noticed my overdue Beatty Butte mare, Zottara, was standing away from her pile of hay, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Why are you standing over there, Miss Z? I asked her. She squatted and peed, seemed somewhat relieved, and then did it again .... an unending stream. That's not pee, I figured. What followed I have never witnessed (although I have learned it is not uncommon) but I watched her give birth ENTIRELY standing up!! I was conflicted with whether it meant she was in trouble and I should intervene or not, but there seemed to be progress, so I just observed. What seemed to me to be an eternity, but was probably no more than 30 seconds, and there was this lovely little colt, opening his eyes, twitching his ears, sitting up, and shaking his head, the loving mother nickering and licking...Should I name him "Nightfall?" At 16 hours, the next afternoon -- Diane P.  |
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Post by DianneC on May 22, 2009 18:55:21 GMT -5
How thrilling for you to get to see it! I've heard of this before but not seen it. As the foal drops to the ground the mom turns, which keeps him from falling on his head and also breaks the umbilical. Is that what you saw as well?
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Post by stormyranch on May 22, 2009 22:41:26 GMT -5
Congrats on a nice baby boy!
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Post by kigerfan on May 22, 2009 23:01:27 GMT -5
Congrats on a nice healthy boy!  |
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Post by spanishsagegrullas on May 23, 2009 9:32:46 GMT -5
Thanks for the compliments, guys.
Dianne, I was really kind of terrified at the time, so I was more keeping an eagle eye on whether there was progress in the birth or not. You must realise that a million scary thoughts were racing through my mind including whether for some reason the foal had died in the final days, and that is why she was giving birth this way. I since learned that many mares do this, some just causally take a break from eating their hay, have the foal, clean it up, and go back to eating!!
However, she did not turn at all, and not back towards the foal until he was entirely on the ground. I had rushed over to check whether he was a live foal, and had pulled back the amniotic sac from his head. That's how I got to see the little eye open, the ear twitch, and then him sittiing up with a shake of the head.
He never was in a free fall during the birthing. Whether he was unusually long, or just it is how it is, his front legs touched the ground before the birth was complete. So it was like he was laid down rather than dropped. When the hips and hind legs came out with her final contraction, they just completed the birth with a flop (for lack of a better term), sort of over the front end of the foal, and away from the mare. So, when he was born, his head was facing the mare's hind legs, and his rear legs away from the mare. It did not cause much of an impact to his head.
In thinking about it, I thought perhaps this way of foaling might have advantages, in that if the contractions and going through the birth canal push the fluid out of the lungs, this flop may serve to expell any last lingering fluid in there, sort of like when you have the wind knocked out of you. In addition to the advantages of gravity helping after the shoulders and ribcage are out.
Anyway, it was a new one on me, and I am just glad to find it is one of the normal ways for a mare to give birth, and that these days they they continue to do fine, the colt now driving mom crazy with the running and bucking away from her!
BTW in looking at the pic, it must have been closer to 6 PM when I took that pic, so he was about 20 hours old.
Diane P.
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Post by fantasykiger on May 23, 2009 10:55:00 GMT -5
THAT is so absolutley AWESOME! ;D what a great story to share and tell. Congratulations on your new wonderful colt. What a great privledge to be able to witness such an event.
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Post by Michelle Clarke on May 23, 2009 18:14:03 GMT -5
How cool Diane! Nice looking colt too...more picts when he fluffs out! Who is the sire?
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Post by mustangdara on May 23, 2009 22:41:22 GMT -5
I think your name Nightfall is soooo prefect and original!! He looks like a very handsome boy.
I too saw my mare give birth from start to finish and it is very amazing and scarry all at the same time....CONGRATS!
Dara
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Post by spanishsagegrullas on Jun 5, 2009 18:44:34 GMT -5
Who is the sire? Unless otherwise stated, all my foals are by my stallion, Silver Bullet. I just posted a blurb about him, with pictures, under the Stallion Category. Here are some pictures from last Sunday, at two weeks old, when I put mom and baby out in the long grass pasture. I know you guys like those prancing trot pictures, but he had just two gaits -- stop and RUN!!! Diane P.    |
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Post by kimk on Jun 5, 2009 18:59:56 GMT -5
Congrats Diane! Is Eclipse due this year??
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Post by fantasykiger on Jun 7, 2009 11:22:26 GMT -5
WOW! That boy has got some legs for running too  I love the pictures of him putting them to work and the all four in the air  Thanks for sharing. |
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Post by DianneC on Jun 7, 2009 11:54:15 GMT -5
Very nice colt Diane, bet you are on cloud 9.
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Post by stlkigers on Jun 7, 2009 23:09:14 GMT -5
Diane:
His nickname ought to be Full Throttle....Hehehe....Love those long flying legs! Nice colt....
Angela
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Post by stormyranch on Jun 7, 2009 23:28:56 GMT -5
He sure is a cutie! I love the flying horse picture too!
Lisa
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I love the pictures of him putting them to work and the all four in the air 
Thanks for sharing.