countdown to Fantasy's foal

[DianneC]

I think you're right. After the foal is born is too late to strike fear into the other horses and make them respect her. I will move a mare to her own place for foaling if I can and give them a couple days to bond without the other horses.

[fantasykiger]

My mares have their foals in a foaling stall, they have been pretty good about keeping birth inside the barn (knock on wood)..LOL. I usually stick a new mare and her foal with a baby sitter, in my one grass pasture reserved for mares and babies. The babysitter is a mare or filly that is lower in the herd then the mare and that the mare is close to and would feel comfortable sharing the pasture with her and the foal. Also a horse I feel secure in that would cause no harm or grief to the mare or foal. They will remain that way for the first few weeks then when the foal is stronger and halter trained they both will be moved to the big pasture to join the herd.

[fantasykiger]

We got wax forming ;D every morning when I go out to release Fantasy into the big pasture there is a ball of wax on one nipple these past 2 days. So things are moving along She seems more flat sided to me so I believe she has dropped. I plan on getting more pictures later today...I would have taken pics this morning but darn if I grabbed the camera and the battery was dead. So I am charging it right now.

[prizmbluekigers]

Sounds like things are progressing at your place. How exciting this is. My first time mom to be is very grumpy. She actually nipped at me yesterday and she has never even been mouthy. She has always been at the bottom of the pecking order, but I fear she is morphing. She still has two months to go so I am putting her back with the stud and a colt now cause the stud runs the show and will keep her in line. I'll put her back with her dam and her dam's new foal a few weeks after this birth and I want her to foal in the same pasture as her dam- maybe the dam will pass some sense along to her. I plan to pay close attention to that birth and one of us will be on hand the entire night if necessary when her time comes. Mares, at times I really prefer my stallion. Even with attitiude at times, he is much less moody overall.

[DianneC]

We're all holding our breath Tiffany! Glad your camera spoke up before the baby was born because we sure want to see those little long ears.

[nrly]

am excited for you Tiffany, can't wait to see pictures, it should be soon....

[fantasykiger]

New pictures now that my batteris are charged. I just walked out to the pasture and found my gal relaxing and snapped some pictures....


and here is that wax on her full udder

I thought I would include this lovely photo of her attitude as of late, as well. You can't see but Princess is on the other side of Fantasy coming this way to see what I am up to and when she got to close Fantasy objected. I had to chase Fantasy away right after I clicked the picture as that behavior is not allowed regardless, when I am in the pasture.

[nrly]

they do tend to get a bit moody, Just like we did when we were pregnant. She is getting so big.

[prizmbluekigers]

Can't be too much longer. Keep those batteries charged. It would be mean to tell us about the birth without providing pictures ;D. She sure looks close. Bet you get your foal before we get ours. Let's hope we don't get snow tonight

[fantasykiger]

Well we had alot more wax this morning and on both nipples, it should not be long before we are dripping milk. Then I will move the TV monitor to my bedroom so I can watch her closer during the night. I moved straw into the foaling stall today just in case she goes earlier then last time. With Wickee she dripped milk for a week before foaling and foaled at 11:00pm. We have 5 more days until her due date I would be amazed if she went right on her due date. You just never know so you have to be prepared. She is still spending her days out in the big pasture with the other horses, I just check on her now and again if moves to far off I will bring in to her stall. I have had a mare deliver during the day, right after eating a full breakfast.

[MustangsInNC]

My TB mare foaled twice during the day! I was camping out watching her at night. The first time was about 9am, just after I left to go to work. She foaled out in the field in broad daylight. The second time I had her in a boarding stable where there was someone watching her 24 hours a day (supposedly). The caretaker left for a 30min lunch break around 4pm and when he came back there was a foal! She's a sneaky mare, lol.

[fantasykiger]

I had 6 foals with my BLM Mustang mare never once did I get to witness a birth nor did she have then at the same time, she was always fooling me and darn sneaky.
Last night it was snowing and so cold, I was so glad Fantasy did not have no foal then. My daughter and I were discussing how to fashion ear warmers for the foal should it born in freezing tempratures we had last night. I only mention that because a friend had a donkey foal born in the winter unexpectedly, when she purchsed what she was told a fat donkey. The poor foal lost the top half of it's ears due to frost bite.

[nrly]

oh poor baby to the frost bite, keep us posted on her progress, and keep the ear warmers handy just in case. I am thankful that my Flashy is here in mesa, but the heat can be bad too.

[DianneC]

Polar Shield makes a good baby blanket. I wonder if you keep the core body temp up if that would do?

[prizmbluekigers]

I'm sitting in the same position as Tiffany, just that my mare is a few days behind hers and it is snowing like crazy here. I have a 3-sided shelter under a tree that is shielded from much of the weather and we are at lower elevation that the land to the west so that blocks some of the wind. I have my baby blanket & first aid kit ready and waiting, but I have also added to my "ready kit" an outside industrial heater and tarp that I can drape over the fence to block more of the weather/wind. the heater won't be as good as one in a completely enclosed barn, but this moar won't foal inside anything, never has. Ginger and I discussed this brth and she agreed to wait till we get another break in weather (I think) . If you come you with an ear protection solution Tiffany, let us know, and we are all waiting for pics when your foal arrives.