I'm going to be a MOM again!

Hi All!
I am so excited!
Our mare is expected to foal around the 4th of July! We have 4 horses but neither of us has ever had a foal born that was ours!
Any one out there happen to have any advise on what to expect during delivery? We are reading up but it would be nice to chat with someone that has gone through it already!

Congratulations! How exciting! I haven't been around a mare foaling in years, and i'm sure things have changed alot. When I was young, both times we were told to leave the mare alone; that she likes privacy, just to check in the morning. The first time, the mare was experienced, and it was a very subtle thing but the second time, the poor thing screeched & groaned all night, although she was fine right after delivery. These were my friends' horses, not mine - my dad would have had a vet out for the 2nd time because he can't bear to hear or see animals suffer. I've been told by the oldtimers that a mare is usually very discreet because in the wild, she doesn't want to alert any predators that her time has come, even though the stud & lead mare usually post guard. Even so, and even though I had my second daughter at home because I didn't like the hospital procedures (my girls were born in 1977 & 1980), I really like the idea of having a vet or at least a knowledgeable horsewoman present. I look forward to reading your future posts. By the way, do you know of any site for horsepeople that is as good as thecatsite - TCS is simply the best website that I've found!

Originally Posted by crittergirl

Hi All!
I am so excited!
Our mare is expected to foal around the 4th of July!

We have 4 horses but neither of us has ever had a foal born that was ours!
Any one out there happen to have any advise on what to expect during delivery? We are reading up but it would be nice to chat with someone that has gone through it already!

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Hi Congrats!!! ...I´m sorry but I don´t have any advice... only one cat I have! ...hope can you have pic´s of the new born soon!
Cheers!

Hissy (MA) has a site all about horses

Here it is! http://www.equinelove.com/

No advice, but congrats!!

A humourous aside to the topic, in reading the "livestock" section of an advertising newspaper, an ad was clearly phoned in to a person NOT knowledgeable of horses.

The ad read, "For sale, mare, should fold in 2 weeks . . . ."

Leonard

Congratulations! Hopefully MA/Hissy will see this. She to me is our horse expert!

CONGRATS! What kind of horses do you have?

Originally Posted by winwin

A humourous aside to the topic, in reading the "livestock" section of an advertising newspaper, an ad was clearly phoned in to a person NOT knowledgeable of horses.

The ad read, "For sale, mare, should fold in 2 weeks . . . ."

Leonard

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Hmmmm , kinda reminds me of the ad I saw once for the "winged calves" .

Originally Posted by crittergirl

Hi All!
I am so excited!
Our mare is expected to foal around the 4th of July!

We have 4 horses but neither of us has ever had a foal born that was ours!
Any one out there happen to have any advise on what to expect during delivery? We are reading up but it would be nice to chat with someone that has gone through it already!

Click to expand...

CONGRATS..you can PM me if you like or email me. I used to foal out at an 80horse facility. had one of my own (all the others were the owners or clients) and will be having two next year

Biggest thing, LOl chances are she will sneak in the baby when you are getting food or something, LOL.

Has the mare had a foal before or is she a maiden? If shes a maiden..anything can happen and she may not show the signs...stinkers.

Biggest thing is as you get closer to her due date watch her bag, when she starts waxing up (clear wax like substance on her teats) shes getting really close. Some mares will drip milk before labor..some will just wax really good.

If she goes off her feed, she should foal soon. Not all do but some do. Restlessness..all that good stuff

Originally Posted by misstorri

CONGRATS! What kind of horses do you have?

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We have 2 Quarter horses and 2 Appaloosas- One is a Leopard Appy. (The Mare is a copper color Appy)

Congratulations!!!!

I am afraid i don't have any advice as I am only a cat owner but I hope you will find some help here.

Do let us know how everything goes and don't forget to share some photos!

Eva :-)