Foal Watching

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SoldierBlue

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Is anyone out there as insane as me and going to be foal watching while holding down a full time job instead of sending your mare back to stud?!?

What are you doing to make things easier and not fall asleep at work?

I've managed to rig up a temporary CCTV system for around £80, got a mare milk test kit, turning the tackroom into my home, have permission from work to have my mobile on my desk and even managed to wrangle two days special leave if the foal arrives during the week as I've used all my holiday for my wedding in September! The only thing left to do is get food and wine supplies in for me and the dog!

I still think she's going to have it at lunch time or something and I'll get a call from the yard telling me I've missed the whole event!
 
You forgot to put match sticks on your list ! You sound quite sane to me so I think she will wait until you are a complete jibbering wreck ,have a few test runs on winding up to foaling then wait until you have fallen asleep face down in your soup to pop it out !! Good luck though with your mare.
 
Yep its gone far too smoothly, she took first time, she's wintered out amazingly well and she's totally chilled out about now coming in at night.

So your are probably right, she'll probably wait until I am a complete wreck, on the edge of losing my job and my other half considering his options on how to get out of marrying me (already driving him insane with the countdown) and out it will pop when I turn my back!

It has all seemed too easy so far which has me a little worried!
 
Not quite as insane as you, I don't have a full time job
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I work for myself 1 afternoon and 1 morning a week and any clients that I book in on the morning session near the time are being warned that I may have to cancel at very short notice.

I have a CCTV in the stable that I can monitor from our spare bedroom. My other half is also planning to set up the video on long play just incase I do miss it.

As far as staying awake at night I have no idea how to best cope, a good book and maybe the computer installed in the spare room may keep me going. I am hoping a friend may come and share night watch duties.

Knowing my luck she will foal in the field during the day when I am either not here or catching up on sleep.

I have 5 weeks to go yet, so not loosing sleep just yet.
 
I have a pony due anytime in the next 3 weeks. Can't be more precise than that as i bought her in foal and the previous owners did not know exactly when she was covered. She has had a blood test last year that would make her due in about 2 weeks and my vet examined her 5 weeks ago and said then about 6 weeks to go. However, her udder is still quite soft and no other signs. I have a cctv on her and my OH and kids think i'm mad as i spend my evenings staring at a pony either eating sleeping or passing something!! I will start night shift as soon as more of an udder appears but it's so frustrating not having an exact date to go by
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I had three due in february. One on the 15th, one on the 22nd and one on the 25th... The one due on the 25th foaled when I put her in the field for an hour whilst I mucked out her box, the other two foaled three weeks and a month late !!! I took to sleeping on a camp bed in the tack room which is in the middle of the stable block with the foaling boxes on each side! There was more than one day that I turned up for work boggle eyed through lack of sleep and have to admit that taking shifts with a friend is by far the easiest way to do this! It was all worth it though when my three beautiful boys and girls arrived! Only six more to go this season.....

I would advise making sure you either have some colostrum to hand or know where the nearest foaling bank to you is! Just in case...
 
Yep I work rotating shifts and have had to book off all the lates for a couple of weeks, thankfully understanding boss who has horses! So has been ameanable (sp?) to last minute changes, not due on lates until 6th april but have a horrible feeling my mare will cross her legs until then! Luckily I have some help with the yard owner so rotating night checks between us, oh added to all that I have twin 2 year olds!!!! and a husband!!!
 
Top tip here from someone who is on foal watch for a living - do not drink alcohol. It will make it more difficult to stay up in the small hours. I am now that sad person who gets drunk really easily as I do not drink all week due to work!
 
I did it last year, spent 11 nights sleeping in my saxo with a snoring bulldog for company!

This year, she is at stud!!! lol!

Best of luck to you, it's still the best thing in the world and I would do it again, sometime......
 
I'm fairly lucky I've saved some leave for the approx time of the foaling, and fortunately the company I'm doing some work for are quite flexible!

However Boyfriend and his mate are in a tent, camping near the stable for back-up. I won't bore people with why we can't have a foaling alarm or CCTV essentially no power, no telephone....
 
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