So 2 weeks ago we rescued a VERY skinny mare from the island of Sumbawa. We were told she was pregnant but no idea how far along. (Literally two weeks ago this horse was pulling a work cart filled with people and/or supplies)
Well this morning "surprise" we have a brand new baby! (She had bagged up so we were suspicious but she wasn't very big)
Beautiful, active and healthy baby girl and now a VERY skinny mommy!
Glad you rescued her in time for her to foal in a better circumstance. Hope you are pouring the food in front of her to help her gain weight and feed her foal at the same time (feeding pregnant and nursing mares to get their weight up takes a lot more work because all nutrients goes to the unborn foal and the milk production for nursing foals before the mare herself benefits from food she consumes)
Yes we are giving as much food as we can get plus some imported pellets and vitamins. Yes she was so thin it was honestly hard to be certain she was pregnant!
Mama is from the city of Bima island of Sumbawa so her name is Jara. (Apparently this is a very good girl name in Bima according to my staff). Baby is going to be named Varsha which is Rain in Hindi since we had a large group of Indians visiting and she was born during a very unusual torrential rainstorm.
The baby is the most darling little girl ever. How can I be sure mommy has enough milk? I am feeding, feeding, feeding her lol
The mare should be making enough milk, but knowing if she is making enough is by checking the hydration levels of the foal. If the filly is well hydrated and gaining weight, she is getting enough milk.
The mare will lose weight even more if she doesn't get fed enough for the milk supply and to add weight onto an underweight mare (takes lots more feed to add weight than to maintain weight, doubly so when they are nursing)
CONGRATULATIONS!! She's absolutely beautiful! I'm so proud of you for taking in this mare. Hopefully she gains a lot more weight before the harsh winter sets in.
Thanks everyone. The baby is well hydrated and seems to be gaining weight. Mommy is eating lots of the best available food (which comparatively is not that great). Thankfully no harsh winters here just hot, hot, hot and rain, rain, rain....
Southern hemisphere isn't winter June through September? Y'all are tropical though right? So you would be wet season - dry season? Beautiful baby. So glad they are in your care.
The OP lives in a country that is dissected by the equator so could be technically on either side and it wouldn't make a difference as the mares can be bred and foal all year round. Southern or northern hemisphere, they don't have winter or summer that close to the equator
Mom will be stunning too with a little TLC. The baby doen't look compromised. Such a good mom to give the baby everything. Do you know if it's her first?
It's really hard when they give so much. Is she just getting local hay or are you able to get some grain/hard feed into her?
Yes we live so close to the equator it is 28 to 32 C year round with a more wet season from November til March.
Mommy is about 4 to 5 I am told this is her first baby. We are feeding rice bran, vital horse pellets, coconut oil, a multivitamin and grass hay. Mommy and baby are gaining weight.
One of our guests took photos of baby (Varsha is her name) when she was first born!
YIKES! Are these pics from today or as a new born?! If that is still hanging out of the mare days after foaling it needs to be removed by a vet before it kills her.
No those are from the day the baby was born while she was still wet. She passed the complete placenta same day sorry....I just got to see these photos today as the customer emailed them to me
Glad to hear that! I was getting seriously concerned because if she had gone this long without passing the placenta it would already be too late to save her from a fatal infection
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