henryhorn
Well-Known Member
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.
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.