A few daft questions and some reassurances please...?

[Gingernags]

Its a long time since I did this (seeing as I bred the mare in question 15 years ago!!)

Mare just under half way there... She comes in on a night around 6pm, back out at 8am next morning. She has a large trug water bucket that holds about 3 regular buckets of water. She's been drinking noticeably more and not leaving much in the bucket so I've put a second bucket in so she always has plenty. Her intake has dropped slightly but its better to have plenty than her run out - she can't drink too much?

Also, as she's a good do-er - she's on the same amount of feed as last year and is still being lightly hacked as she was then - all I've done is added a stud balancer to make sure she's getting her vits and mins right, and have just changed from economy mix (about 2 weeks ago when it ran out) to stud mix - though she is only getting the token amount of stud mix as she was economy mix - seemed easier to change the type of mix earlier. She only gets a handful (of stud mix) per feed, 2 feeds a day. Again that shouldn't cause problems? (She's on a lo cal chaff and speedi beet plus balancer and mix)

To monitor her weight I've just kept an eye on her as I do all summer - condition score and weight tape - and she's totally normal for both - same as she was last year, except there is a large belly behind where I measure!!!! But if she was putting on weight she shouldn't - other than the foal growing - her weight tape would be increasing and she'd be looking fat in other places?

As there is no grass now - field about bare - we put fresh hay in the field every day, and she has ad lib over night in the stable. When I say hay - its sold to us as wrapped hay but its a cross betwen hay and haylage - ie dried longer than haylage but less than hay and wrapped to keep fresh...

Excercise - she's out obviously, but is also hacked once or twice a week, about 45 mins but just a nice calm walk...

Does this all sound reasonable?

And really sorry for the numpty-ness of this, I just have a little wobble every now and then and wonder if I'm actually doing what I should

 

[alicedove]

I am really ignorant on this, I have never bred afoal, though I have been involved and stabled a horse on a yard of three with the mare in question.

Anyhow, you sound just as though you need reassurance, but you are doing everything right by the sound of it. We humans don't change anything do we? I had two and still carried on everthing I did before.

Think on that awful man with those horses and the donkey who has a foal under two months old, which probably came during her ordeal? They are amazing creatures, tough as old boots and can cope with tremendous suffering and still produce.

I hope that has reassured you that you are doing wonders for your mare, she must be blossoming!

I think its quite right that she goes on a hack, for her mental health and probably a good thing physically too. I knew a lady who had a mare re-absorb, that was big money, and then went for a cheaper stallion, and rode her through it the whole time, girth did expand quite a bit! All went well.

You won't have forgotten all that you learned 15 years ago will you? Does it say on the stud mix, to be given to mares in foal? I guess it probably does, and she will indicate by her own condition whether she needs more, you'll even know by her ribs, hips, etc without a tape won't you?

How exciting for you, was she a good mum last time? Will you have a foal alarm or camera? Or will you camp in there with her?

 

[Gingernags]

She's the foal from last time! I bred her from my pony 15 years ago, eventually sold the pony (outgrown) and kept the foal... 15 years later I'm daft enough to do it again, and I am very giddy and excited about it, but long way to go yet...

I'll be camping out (delivered my sisters foal 3 years ago too) quite good at spotting the right night. Trying to sort out CCTV or a webcam...

 

[lincolstables]

Sounds like you are doing everything right.

I would stop riding her about 4 weeks before due date. This is just my opinion. I have been breeding for 20 years though!!

By 4 weeks to go she will be feeling full of foal and the last thing she will want is someone sitting on her and causing more discomfort.