2016 Foals Due

AdorableAlice said:
Blimey that was a trip ! Rita is lovely and still keeps in touch, she loves to be get up to date on Archie's babies.

It is exciting, I was unbearable and on foal watch at least 3 weeks too early ! but the satisfaction of being the person who broke the membrane and hearing the first gasp of life will never leave me. Can you tell I have never had children !

Alice was born at 4am on 11th May and we had lovely weather so she was allowed out the day after she was born. My friend is my vet and she was on hand throughout. She said to me to keep an eye on the foal for the first couple of hours when the foal went out. I parked my car adjacent the nursery paddock and got comfortable to watch. Now bearing in mind I had been awake for days and nights for an age I was a little jaded. I fell asleep in the car and managed to slide down the seat. I woke up rather wedged under the steering wheel and had no idea where I was !

I had booked the entire week off and I must have slept for at least 4 days solid. Foal waiting is exhausting, but when the foal is here you can get rid of a lot of time just watching and enjoying.

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Oh, that timeless moment when the foal turns from an inanimate object into a living, breathing creature, eyes blinking, snotting fluid and limbs beginning to really move. And then there is that first look between mum and baby, her soft chuckles and her delight in her new child. You just can't match it. And you've caught it beautifully in your picture.
 
My mare is moulting for Britain at the moment, can't wait till the sun is shining all sleek on her summer coat!

Her tummy has really dropped in the last week or so and she's looking pretty huge!
 
First one due in a quite a few years (last one is almost 4!).
Trakehner mare (Elf) by Tycoon is due to Rotspon (Hanoverian by Rubinstein). Elf has had 6 foals, only 1 was a colt.
This cross should be a very talented but amateur friendly dressage horse.
Don't have my mares at home anymore so not foaling her down myself, which will be weird.
 
Kathy657 said:
She looks a lot fatter than my mare who's due around 20th May with her 1st foal. Exciting times
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Foal is definitely big! I'm pleased with her overall weight though as she's come through the winter looking a lot sleeker than normal....she can get fat on fresh air. (Just carrots and a balancer in her food bowl much to her disgust).
 
Custard Cream said:
Here's my mummy to be enjoying some rare spring sunshine this morning. Her tummy is looking pretty low now!
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She is looking more pregnant than mine!
Mine hasn't gone for the dropped belly look yet and she is only 5 weeks off her due date. I'd have put money on her looking like a beached whale by now but she has surprised me!
 
Custard Cream said:
I've noticed in this picture that she's really sloping off from the top of her rump to tail. Her boobs are starting to get a bit larger too.
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I used to take a picture on my phone daily of mare's bum from side and rear (and belly from side) as it got near full term and you could see the difference as she slackened off behind. Glad no one interrogated my mobile (strange collection of horse bum photos !?!?), but when you're with them daily you don't always notice the subtle changes.
 
GemG said:
I used to take a picture on my phone daily of mare's bum from side and rear (and belly from side) as it got near full term and you could see the difference as she slackened off behind. Glad no one interrogated my mobile (strange collection of horse bum photos !?!?), but when you're with them daily you don't always notice the subtle changes.
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LOL, I did exactly the same with my mare. I also intended to keep them so I could use them to show others how they change. Ended up deleting them but it was interesting to see.

She caught me out though by not waxing up. After all the trouble I went to I missed it!
 
Peregrine Falcon said:
LOL, I did exactly the same with my mare. I also intended to keep them so I could use them to show others how they change. Ended up deleting them but it was interesting to see.

She caught me out though by not waxing up. After all the trouble I went to I missed it!
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Lol, mine are deleted too now! ... And yes she never waxed up either! But duly foaled in broad daylight 11am ish in the field for all to see! ...you can't follow them through snow.

(Apparently she practically dragged my husband to the field to be turned out that particular morning when she usually just potters along - she must have wanted to have her baby outside!)

The tell tale sign for this mare was the mucus plug coming away - started about 7 days prior to foaling.
 
Tetrarch 1911 said:
Gosh, she looks as though she could go all day! She looks so sensible and calm. What a lovely lightweight cob she'd make. Are you ever tempted to repeat the mating? The dam has a lot of presence and has such a kind eye. I'm also intrigued by your feral carthorse project!
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Thank you, She is very sensible but there will be no repeat mating as I am too old now and I am a 'home for life' owner providing the horse is genuine and kind.

This is the mare I would like to send to Archie with the hope of getting a heavyweight show hunter. One can but dream !

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First time breeder! My ISH mare is due to foal on the 5th May, in foal to Tolan R. She has had a foal before i bought her which eases my mind a bit. very excited :D
 
Little update - mare is now 306 days and I've started bringing her in at night to keep an eye out.

Pointy tummy:
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Big Bed:
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Lady bits starting to relax - they are about an inch longer than normal (yes, I've been measuring!)
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pH Testing - managed to get the first squirt of milk tonight - it was wee coloured. High pH, so a little way off yet:
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We're waiting for our TB x mare to foal any day. She was due on the 14th March. She's in foal to Future Gravitas. It will be her second and final foal.
 
Exciting Scottyg!

My mare is 315 days today. Her milk is testing at 6.5-6.75 pH so I don't think we are too far away. Small amount of wax but she had more wax 2 weeks ago!

Lady parts are wrinkly, they retract when I look, must be shy.

Haven't started camping out yet. Have s camera up but can't stream so means a drive to yard late night to check and I make the decision to sleep over then. Think today's weather will have put her off as she got caught in heavy rain shower.
 
Custard Cream said:
Exciting Scottyg!

My mare is 315 days today. Her milk is testing at 6.5-6.75 pH so I don't think we are too far away. Small amount of wax but she had more wax 2 weeks ago!

Lady parts are wrinkly, they retract when I look, must be shy.

Haven't started camping out yet. Have s camera up but can't stream so means a drive to yard late night to check and I make the decision to sleep over then. Think today's weather will have put her off as she got caught in heavy rain shower.
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I can't wait to see the foal, half sister Alice says hurry up.
 
Custard Cream said:
Exciting Scottyg!

My mare is 315 days today. Her milk is testing at 6.5-6.75 pH so I don't think we are too far away. Small amount of wax but she had more wax 2 weeks ago!

Lady parts are wrinkly, they retract when I look, must be shy.

Haven't started camping out yet. Have s camera up but can't stream so means a drive to yard late night to check and I make the decision to sleep over then. Think today's weather will have put her off as she got caught in heavy rain shower.
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at those ph readings she could foal any time so as its a bank holiday and I assume you are not working the next couple of days it may be worth staying up there very soon. look forwards to seeing the foal pictures in the morning ;)
 
crabbymare said:
at those ph readings she could foal any time so as its a bank holiday and I assume you are not working the next couple of days it may be worth staying up there very soon. look forwards to seeing the foal pictures in the morning ;)
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Opps, I bet Custard Cream has just had a melt down.
 
Thanks crabby, she has history of pretending and holding off, but I'll test again at ten and make a decision then.


EEK - though worried it's under 320 days
 
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