Dead foal : (

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Mega

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Hi I don't often post, but read all the time.
This morning I had the most awful shock, my mare had her foal 3wks early (last time she foaled 2wks late) and unfortunately although he looks perfect in everyway, he is dead.
What to do I don't know. I feel numb, weak, don't know what to do with myself and I am sure she feels the same.
I have had conflicting advice. one is to leave the mare and foal together for 48hrs and another to leave them only for a few hrs. What should I do?
Also I have contacted the foaling crisis on Horse Quest and the National Foaling Bank to let them know, just in case some poor little foal needs a mum.
The lovely lady at the stud has told me that I can send my mare back to stud and try again. I just don't know what to do, will that help my mare, or should I just leave it. She has had a healthy foal 6yrs ago (whom I've only just sold). Advice please & if you know of anyone that needs a mummy : )
P.s. we're in Cheshire
 
Someone on here was looking for a mare with milk urgently.

So sorry for your loss. Ive had to deliver more than a few dead pups in my time and its such a devastating thing. hope your mare is okay.
 
So sorry for your loss, it is just heartbreaking when a foal is lost. (((((((((hugs)))))))))

The advise I was given regarding how long to leave the foal with the mare, was until the mare has lost interest in the foal. She will then have also come to terms with the fact that her foal has gone.

If you are going to offer your mare as a foster, then get some advise from the National foaling bank on how to keep stripping her milk, for the next couple of days.

My condolences on your loss.
 
I really am terribly sorry to hear your news. From experience I would leave the mare with her foal for at least 48 hours. If you are prepared to offer her as a foster mum you will need to milk her. The colostrum can be frozen and kept for several years. I had a similar experience 2 years ago. Johanna Vardon was brilliant and matched my mare with a little TB filly. It took 2 days to arrange and during that time I milked the mare and stored the milk. When she left to meet her adoptive foal I gave them a couple of pints of her milk which they then splashed on the foal. Fortunately the fostering was a complete success and the mare was returned to me in foal by way of thanks.
If you decide fostering is not for you, I feel the mare will still need a couple of days with her baby. Good luck with whatever route you decide to take x
 
So sorry for your loss.

My mare gave birth to a dead foal last year, and she was hospitalised for a couple of days as she was so distressed. The foal went with her to the hospital and stayed with her for a couple of days until she lost interest in her completely. We then took the foal away.

We did send Dolly back to stud, and she took in foal again 1st time, but sadly she lost it between 3 and 5 months.
 
Very sorry to hear this, how awful for you. This happened to us once and we let the mare decide. We left her access to where foalie was so she could go in and out as she pleased, from stable to paddock.....by the second day she had walked away :(
 
I have fortunately never had to deal with such a situation but have always heard and read that, as the others have said, you should leave the mare with the foal until she loses interest in him. Taking him away before this may distress her further.

What a horrible shock for you and your mare. My sympathies:(
 
What a dreadful shock for you, hugs to you and your mare.
I would echo the others and would leave her with the foal until she is no longer interested.
With regards to trying again, i thankfully didnt have to see my mares foal but last year one of my lost it at some point and continued with a phantom pregnancy, I felt like throwing the towel in as the 1st year she hadnt taken etc, i decided to give it a go and if she didnt take after 2 seasons - then that was her body saying she didnt want a foal. She took 1st time and i am very nervously waiting. It's still early and you have plenty of time to consider trying again. (my mare didnt go back to stud until the august).
Hugs again.
 
Oh how terribly sad! I'm so sorry to read your news :(

I can't offer any further practical advice to that already given, however I will echo Ballyshan in asking your vet to do tests on the foetus to see why this happened, not least for EHV.
 
How awful for you :( Maybe the foal suffocated in the bag? If he looked perfect otherwise, it's a likely explanation, and when they foal unexpectedly early like that, well you can't be on hand to oversee things.

I think you are very brave and forward thinking to mention you may allow your mare to adopt an orphan foal to help someone else.

Whatever happens I wish you well :)
 
I hope I can understand your loss as we lost one just like you, a bit to early,last year and her fourth foal she had done 3 others just brilliantly, it is very very harrowing and totally sad and I am so sorry for your loss, we left our girl for 24 hours with her daughter we then asked her to join her field mates and big daughter a 2 year old and she did.
We did try again and I am delighted to say it worked for us, so i hope this gives you hope if thats something to hang on to right now, sometimes things go wrong you can beat yourself till your black and blue but tragedies happen when breeding, like you we saw no major issues nothing to hang your hat on, I do hope you begin to feel better in a few days and can make a decision that will make you happy
very very best wishes.
 
You've got some good advice here but I just wanted to add my hugs to you, sorry to hear of your loss xxxx

Will you let us know what you decided...? Xxx
 
I'm sorry to hear of your loss. Should you decide that you want to foster your mare out I have just spotted this request via facebook

If anyone out there knows of a potential foster mum, can you please get in touch with Tracey URGENTLY on 01707 651085. Nicola McGivern has a mare in real trouble with an 18 hour old foal.......... Many thanks. Please pass this on
 
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