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Rescue horse VERY in foal... NEED ADVICE PLEEEASE! Our first baby!

43K views 299 replies 49 participants last post by  welshies rule 
#1 ·
Okay, I think I have read just about EVERY thread on this site and every other site on the internet. Hopefully someone here can help us.

On February 22nd I rescued a very skinny little mare. She looked like she ight have a bit of a wormy belly, so I brought her home and wormed her with 3 different wormers, all 2 weeks apart. She was supposed to be 5 years old, only I later found out from the vet when he came out to look at her that she is around 3 or maybe 4.
I called the vet out because I was concerned that she was ONLY gaining weight in her belly. (My avatar is pictures of her on April 1) He preg checked her and lo and behold... His results "Oooohh, Im bobbing its head up and down in my hand, theres a baby in there"... This was on April 4th I believe.
Now, on April the 12th (or around) she acted like she was really going to foal... tail switching, laying down, getting up, stretching, biting her belly, rubbing her tail.... LOTS of movement from the foal.. I have a video of her that night here: Dusty at One True Media - share slideshows, slide shows, Facebook slideshows, free video sharing, video montages.
Since then I have been staying up with her every night. I have put her on a Mare and Foal feed twice a day, She gets LOTS of alfalfa, free choice coastal, and beet pulp with her grain (because she was so malnourished), of course she has been wormed, vaccinated, and trimmed now and she has REALLY put on the weight! She looks like a little show horse now, all slicked out and thick and pretty... but she is driving me crazy! She shows signs of some sort EVERY night, whether its tail rubbing, laying down and rolling and getting back up, biting and kicking her belly... all of the above and sometimes just a few. Her vulva has been relaxed now for about 2 weeks (really relaxed), she has had a bag for about a week, but since she is obviously (hopefully) a maiden and pretty young, I didnt really expect much of a bag, her tail head is prominent also. I am new, but I will try to post all the pics I can so you guys can get a visual. This is my first foal, and Im pretty sure her first as well, so ANY advise is helpful. Thanks for reading such a LONG post. Oh~ and the baby moves ALOT, even tonight.. mostly I notice it and see kicking right in front of her bag on the back underside of her belly.... and boy does it KICK! Probably a mule baby... and shes letting his ears grow some more:wink:
I will LOVE it NO MATTER WHAT it is!
 
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#2 ·
I sympathize with you!! (and envy your fun. My last birth until June is over. <sob> Lots of fun but lots of lost sleep, too.) Mares have different pain levels and what is no big deal to one girl is a completely different enchilada to another. I've had mares show some level of discomfort for three weeks straight before foaling.

That's good that she's put on weight. Good luck with her and let us know how it goes! Did your vet give you an estimate as to how far along the baby felt like?
 
#5 ·


Yes, she looks ready here. Any bag or vulva pics? That would help a lot. Her tail head is pronounced, croup area is definitely soft and her belly is swollen. In your PB album these are the two pics where she looked the biggest. Are these the most recent?
 
#7 ·
Juna ~ Thanks so much for the quick response! Well, as for showing pain for 3 weeks... I think were at the three week mark... or maybe over it :)
The vet didnt give me an estimate. He works mainly with cattle, but came out none the less, and charged almost nothing, he said he would hate to give me an estimate and be TOTALLY off... but there was definately a baby in there... I will try to get pics of her udders and vulva tomorrow and post them. Im so tired, but I have no idea what she is bred to and how she will react to labor... and whether or not there was fescue involved before I got her... and shes my baby having a baby... when I leave her at night (or early morning)... she paws the gate and whinnies at me. I know she enjoys the company because at night I have her in a foaling pen away from the other horses. We have bonded quite a bit in the last month. Shes my therapist. :)
 
#9 ·
LOL. No problem! I love foaling season. It's the best time of the year! My vet works mainly with cattle, too. Makes it hard sometimes.

You must be so tired if you've been watching her for three weeks! I know how that feels. But, it's worth it when the foal comes.
 
#11 ·
I am so excited... I dont know if its the excitement thats got me thinking she is going to foal, or that she is actually close. She has some "salty" looking dots around her teats in the mornings, but so far no wax... she laid down a few minutes ago and after about 20 seconds squealed and pinned her ears and stood up and stretched real hard, now shes standing backed up to the fence pushing on it... again. Shes a tinker and I think shes just waiting for me to leave. The last few nights I have been sleeping in my sons room in the other side of the house so I can watch her from a distance outside the window... from about 3 am til 7am :)
 
#12 ·
Skin Nose Head Wrinkle Close-up

I hope you don't mind that I turned it for you. It's just easier to see.

Her bag looks good! Nice and firm. Her teats could be more filled but they are pointing away from each other (good) and she is a maiden. Her vulva looks ready. Soft and puffy passage. She looks "spread" and ready to pass a foal. LOL. Does she have the slow "back feet plop to the ground because her hips have spread" walk? lol.

Have you tried to milk her? Will she let you? Check to see if her milk is sticky. Even if it's clear.......sticky means soon.
 
#13 ·
Her vulva has been like this for a good week (maybe 10 days)... she has had the "waddle" where she drags her back feet for about a week or more also... I have milked her but she HATES it and doesnt really kick AT me, but lifts her leg and swats her tail as a warning, but she has had the sticky clear fluid for about a week also, but two days ago (last time I attempted) her bag was more firm.... and she is doing lots of tail lifting... I think she might just be trying to make me crazy. LOL... I need a plunger :)
 
#14 ·
In the time you have left before she foals (and she sure looks close!) try to handle her teats a LOT. Get her used to it, to where she tolerates it as much as possible. Since she is a maiden, it's going to take a little more to make sure she understands enough to let that baby nurse - the more she is used to having her teats messed with, the easier it will be!

Update us with pictures as soon as that baby is born!

And I can sure sympathize for the missed sleep - my mare foaled on April 5 after showing signs for like, 2 months! I was exhausted.
 
#15 ·
sorry to hijack, but

WOW! I can't believe its been that long already Indy! It only seems like yesterday that I was sitting at my computer with a massive grin looking at Fiona's newborn photos!
 
#16 ·
Howclever, haha she's almost a month old now! I posted some updated pictures of her the other day on the horse pictures forum, go see how big she's gotten already! I think she might mature out even bigger than Finn, since she didn't have the rough start he did!

But hey, remember the practically 2 months of posting pictures and updates and waiting for Freyja to get around to foaling! It took forever and she sure gave me a lot of sleepless nights! Thankfully she is the exception rather than the rule, hopefully the OP here will have a new, beautiful baby to show us in a few days and be able to get some sleep again!
 
#17 ·
Haha, I looked at it and went "24 DAYS OLD! WHAT!"

Oh and do I ever remember your wait, mostly because I started reading just after I bought my pregnant mare and all I was thinking was "gosh I hope Romance doesn't do this to me!!" haha
 
#19 ·
Thank u to all for responding to my post...
Indyhorse~ I actually read the forum Howclever is referring to... Im telling you, I think I have read everything on the internet pertaining to foaling... LOL

I actually slept in til almost 10 this morning... and still no baby. BUT, I did get more pics, and her bag has filled quite a bit more, lots more swelling in the front, and this morning she was more hesitant to leave her foaling pen/stall. Her vulva does not seem as relaxed as it has been, and she usually doesnt mind me lifting her tail, but today she was trying to clamp it down... of course later today it will be relaxed again... we do this sometimes... shes kiddin :)
Anyway, it is supposed to storm here tonight. I dont know if that will influence her or not, but I wanted to ask, my foaling pen is not in a covered barn, it is a 24X24 square pen with a 10x12 shed (not enclosed). My sister has a covered barn however, with 3 stalls, only they have dirt floors. Would it be better to haul her over there? I have shavings lightly spread on the floor of her pen just to help the urine absorb, but straw in her shed, and does anyone know why she INSISTS on going in there to pee??? It stinks and I CANT keep it clean, and how often should I change out the straw? I didnt know if this was a "territorial thing" or what... so many questions :) Oh... now I will post pics... daytime ones :)
 
#21 ·
Totally off topic but WOW what a cutie! I can see why you love her so! She is a beautiful girl and even if she is bred to the ugliest horse/donkey on the planet, that baby is gonna be a STUNNER!
 
#22 ·
Corinowalk~ Thanks so much! I love her and she really is a doll... When I got her she was in pretty bad shape and a friend of mine said, "Oh my, that mare is ugly", and really she wasnt, she was just poor and furry and wormy... her eyes are so kind though, and something just pulls me in... I cant wait to see her baby, whatever it is, Im hoping it looks and acts like her. She is really a sweet mare and she has come SO FAR since I got her in February... she would barely lead and she would definately run to the other end of the pasture when you went to catch her. Now, she leads perfect, you cant hardly get her away from you, she picks up all her feet, and even though she isnt broke to ride yet, I dont think its going to be too big of a task with her newly found gentle laid back disposition. She still doesnt let anyone else but me pick up her tail or touch her belly much :) But I dont mind if shes partial to me.. she will be with me forever as far as Im concerned... and probably her (more than likely) long eared baby as well!
 
#23 ·
Wow, she is a looker. From what I can see, her conformation is very solid and she will look like a million bucks after she drops that foal and puts on some more muscle and weight. I am not terribly experienced with foaling mares (I've only had one and she teased me for weeks as well) but I believe that you may have a little bit to go yet. From what I understand, their belly will change shape when they are getting close and there will be more of a point at the bottom and she won't be quite so wide. I hope everything goes well and she and baby are both healthy. After it is born, we demand pix of course. :D
 
#24 ·
smrobs~ Thanks! And I will definately be posting pics, and maybe even some videos of the birth if I can!
Trust me, by the time this is over you guys will be SICK of looking at pics of my Dusty!
You know whats terrible? Ive taken more pics of my mare in the last month than I have of my own kids in the last year! LOL... I will work on that :)
 
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