Mare in foal ??

[BullBucker]

Hi. the mare is in foal, but I know next to nothing about foaling. she is due in april some time. this will be baby #4 for her. she is a very good mother, and likes all foals. we are feeding her a 14% sweet feed, and she has hey all the time. we just got her home lastnight. I got her from the family of a friend, so I know a little about her.
will she need more feed or a higher % feed after she foals? do you know of any good books on foaling?
any tips would be of help.
I have had horses all my life, but this will be a first.
thanks

JP

 

[cypressfarms]

If this is her 4th foal, I guarantee you that your more worried than she is. Most mares (not all) have their foals early morning (midnight to daylight). Chances are, you'll walk out one morning and see the new foal standing there. Of the foals that I've seen born, the longest any mare took was about 30 minutes once she layed down. My 15 year old mare had a colt in 5 minutes last year, then got up and wanted food. With horses, thank god, it's much easier than cattle. I've heard of stories with people having trouble, but I think they are few and far between.

Some signs of impending delivery from my experience:

1.Bag swells up maybe 2 to 3 weeks before
2.Teats swell up becoming kind of hard - starting to get close
3.Clear liquid (looks like wax) dripping or forming droplets on her teats.

Usually when you see #3, she will foal within a day or less.

The only additional thing I give my mares is a supplement that I buy from Jeffers (I think it's called mare care), which is supposed to keep the mare in good shape. But you really don't have to do anything special. Horses are tougher than we give them credit for.


Good luck!

 

[longhorn314]

I pull all my broodmares off fescue hay 2 months prior to foaling,not sure what your situation may be with the mare.Some people do and some don't.If she has had 4 foals she should do fine.I also buy calf manna or animax and put in their feed to help with lactation.

 

[cypressfarms]

I pull all my broodmares off fescue hay 2 months prior to foaling,not sure what your situation may be with the mare.Some people do and some don't.If she has had 4 foals she should do fine.I also buy calf manna or animax and put in their feed to help with lactation.

Good point longhorn314, I don't have fescue to worry about.

 

[Alan]

If this is her 4th foal, I guarantee you that your more worried than she is. Most mares (not all) have their foals early morning (midnight to daylight). Chances are, you'll walk out one morning and see the new foal standing there. Of the foals that I've seen born, the longest any mare took was about 30 minutes once she layed down. My 15 year old mare had a colt in 5 minutes last year, then got up and wanted food. With horses, thank god, it's much easier than cattle. I've heard of stories with people having trouble, but I think they are few and far between.

Some signs of impending delivery from my experience:

1.Bag swells up maybe 2 to 3 weeks before
2.Teats swell up becoming kind of hard - starting to get close
3.Clear liquid (looks like wax) dripping or forming droplets on her teats.

Usually when you see #3, she will foal within a day or less.

The only additional thing I give my mares is a supplement that I buy from Jeffers (I think it's called mare care), which is supposed to keep the mare in good shape. But you really don't have to do anything special. Horses are tougher than we give them credit for.


Good luck!

Ditto, couldn't agree more.

Since you don't have the exact date watch for her to "wax up" (#3), as cypress said, you can bet it is within 24 hrs.

Also where do you plan to have her foal? If the weather is good enough outside is fine, although other horses may or may not kill the foal. If you have her in a stall make sure it is big enough for mare and foal, 12x12 is too small. My foaling stall is 12x24. If she is going to be in a foaling stall get the mare in there at least 2 weeks prior to foaling so she is comfortable with her enviroment. I use straw for bedding, it's a bit of a hassle to clean up but alot more clean then hay or chips (shavings) for the birth. Then I switch back to chips a couple days after the foal is born.

Good luck,
Alan

Alan

 

[BullBucker]

yah I know I'm more worred them her. I don't think there is any fescue in this hay, we have not had hay this good in years. she is in a 32x45 foot pen, it may be a little biger, but I know it's not smaller. we are planing to build a three side run in shed. there is a big cedder tree in the pen, and the pen it's self is set in the tember. there is a gelding in with her, but he will be moved out in the next few weeks. we just got three horses. the mare, gelding, and a 7mo filly, on top of the I have my 9mo filly, 12yo shetland mare, and my grandmas 18yo mustang mare. the last two have been with each other for the past 10 years. we have the new horses in the smaller pens inside the fild so that the older can get up close, but no one will get hurt. I say we cuz I live with my mom, dad, and 4 not so little bros. we're all home schooled, so we have the time to work with all of the horses. we have no barn, and will be moving in july-aug, so we don't want to bild one now. the move is only 6 miles or so, so it will not be too bad on the horses.
2 of the family dogs are going to have pups, and at lest one of my goats will kid be for Gidget foals. the goat will be a first, but we've had pups befor, so I hope I get on a bit of a roll with all of the births.
any one in OK or AR want a small cute smart free puppy? hee hee. no joke pups will be free to good homes. and this will be the last unplaned breeding, we kept the last pup.
I have knowen about the wax, I read it some were. I know a bit about birthing, I just have not looked into foaling much...yet.

JP