damn, I thought things were going too well this year

[henryhorn]

This morning Xena was found dead in the field. She was a late foal and although exquisite and beautifully moving she was far smaller than I had expected her to be. The last week or so we had talked about putting a winter foal rug on her as she didn't seem to be as rtough as the rest of the foals, quite delicate looking.
We haven't a clue why she died, she was actually seen three times yesterday, once early morning, once when her dam refused to allow P to catche her to have the farrier trim her she cantered round fine then) and late yesterday evening when the owners of Solstice came to see their yearling and she was fine.
Early this moning she was just dead where she had fallen under an overhanging hedge. her gums are pink, she has no diarhorrea, she was too young to worm but her dam was wormed up to date etc, so not a clue. We have checked for poisonous plants (none) lightning (why just one foal?) and all we can think of is some genetic fault meaning she had perhaps a hole in the heart or something wrong like that. She definitely hadn't grown as much as I expected so perhaps that was something showing an unseen problem.
Any suggestions welcomed. We won't have a pm as it is more money down the drain.
We are all pretty sad as she was a beautiful foal but we have four left so must concentrate on them.
I think the dam is in foal again (haven't scanned her as she missed the date we scanned on) but if not we will try again next year.
Sometimes breeding horses is very sad.

 

[Tia]

Oh god no! Aww HH after what has happened you'd think you were due for a break! I'm so sorry.

 

[tarzipan06]

I'm so sorry to hear about Zena. Poor little mite, makes you realise how precious they are. All the best.

 

[MissDeMeena]

So very very sorry for you!

I'm not sure about the whole believing in god thing.. but if he is up there, he sure as hell is one unfair guy!!
We have also had a pretty shitty year.. it's getting to mum esp.. only being made worse with thoughts of 'what have we done to deserve all this'...

Here's to next year.. may we put everything behind us.. cos we are all sure owed some success next year!!

 

[Murphs_Mum]

Really sorry for you. You say she wasn't doing as well as the others so your probably right that there was something wrong. Not worth wasting money on a pm if you think it was something internal. Hope the others are ok and the dam is doing alright. x

 

[Sooty]

B*gger.

Such a shame, a beautiful girl. Really sorry. Hope you don't mind me posting the pic off your blog.

 

[lisaward]

that is absolutly terrible ,feeling for you as that is bad enough to lose any animal but a baby is so innocent and precious.

if it will help PM me for a chat

 

[4whitesocks]

so sorry to hear this news.....my heart goes out to you losing one so young and without knowing why.....

 

[henryhorn]

No, thanks for posting the pics. She definitely was smaller than I would have thought and I think I can reasonably rule out worms, especially as for the last eight weeks they have been on pasture which is grazed only those eight weeks a year, then clean pasture here. I am however going to do some worm counts just to be sure. The foals get wormed at four months of age, and their dams regularly.
I think because she hadn't grown there must have been something like a heart problem which as she reached a certain size just couldn't cope. I will talk with our vet but it's one of those sad things breeders have to cope with. Thanks guys for your sympathy and support.

 

[LauraBR]

Oh HH how sad, I'm so sorry. I was admiring pics of her in your blog just the other day. Very pretty girl.

 

[lisan]

Oh no, what a horrible shock - So sorry x

 

[Ginn]

How terribly sad. I am very sorry to hear this - she as such a pretty little thing.

Rest in Peace Xena

 

[Niamhy]

OMG HH i cant believe that you have been stuck down again. Especially after last year.

Big hugs to you all.

 

[LEC]

What awful news. We had a calf which was smaller than the others this year and it had internal problems. We fed it more and dosed it with meds but nothing seemed to work then finding that out it became clear.

 

[patchandloopy]

HH, huge hugs, life can be so cruel..esp after the tough year you had last year

RIP Xena

 

[BBs]

God Sue, I dont know what to say

Not what I wanted to read at all!

Hugs to you
Vxxx

 

[Bossanova]

Oh no, terrible news HH poor little baby and she was such a stunning little thing

At least you have the prospect of a new horse to take your mind off it- and how is the lovely Matinee one getting on?

 

[meandmyself]

So, so sorry for your loss. She was a stunning girl!

 

[icestationzebra]

Very sad news - I'm sorry to hear it

 

[S_N]

Sue that's terribly sad news - so sorry!

 

[filly0447]

Oh no, I'm so sorry

 

[teapot]

sorry to hear that

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Jesus Sue

I am so so sorry that you have lost such a sweet little thing.

Thinking of you

Bethxxx

 

[threeponies]

That's awful, so sorry to hear that

 

[Mooch]

HH, so sorry to here of your sad loss.

It sounds like you might be right about a heart defect, or something along those lines, especially if she hadn't grown as you had expected her too.

No matter what the cause it always comes as such a shock and I think the not knowing is worse.

My thoughts are with you and your family.

Rest in peace little one.

 

[henryhorn]

It was a hell of a shock as it hadn't shown any signs other than being a bit small, it was a very late foal and was just 9 weeks old..
We have decided to leave Jacques the Matinee horse until the spring. Mentally he just isn't ready to start work, and we don't normally ever start them at 3, but C fancied the Burghley classes, and now they have stopped, seems daft to carry on early. He has been lunged in tack, long reined, leaned over lots of times and led out in traffic, so it should be easy to pick him up and carry on in Spring. C is so excited about Layla as compared to Monty she is a delight. EEventers have him up at £7500 which is masses more than we asked for him, but he is a truly difficult horse to ride and I think they will struggle to sell him. In the pics on their site he looks lit up and very tense and tight.
If they make a huge profit good luck to them!
Layla arrives on the 11th, plenty of time for her cold to have gone completely as she is now only doing the odd cough every other day. C has been riding her every day and she has improved so quickly! She jumped her over a Xc fence in the field earlier this week and she never even looked at it, just took it out of her stride.
They have a nice chesnut four year old there for sale at £4500 who has a big jump and looks true event material. We just fell in love with the mare, even though he appears the better horse of the two. I think how you feel on board counts a lot, and she loved her.
It's funny this evening no mattter what i do I keep thinking about that poor foal and the mare stood guard over her. We always leave them a day to grieve and adjust, once the mare wanders off we can then remove the foal.
In twenty five years we only ever lost twin foals and one still birth before, last year we lost two and this year one!! I could have expected it at birth but nine weeks later?
P and C are off to Stockland Lovell tomorrow, so quiet day here, I won't be happy checking the horses in case there are more nasty shocks

 

[vicijp]

Sorry to hear about the foal Henryhorn, it is total shitt#er.
Seeing as you have been breeding for so long, did you ever have any twins back in the day?
Just within my memory I can remember a mare we had that always did. Everyone would be full of hope, then another one would appear.

 

[Sal_E]

How sad - really sorry.

 

[chestnut cob]

Sorry to hear that HH. It must be so sad for you.

Hugs xxxx

Fingers crossed the mare is in foal again and the new foal makes it.

 

[clipclop]

Awww, poor you.

I hope it was quick and that your mare is coping

Hugs to you, your family and your herd

C x