Honest Opinion - pics tonight

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Rosehip

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Seri is now either 3 days 'over due' or on her 340 days (Im confuddled on dates!) and Ive been sleeping with her since Weds night.... Pics tonight... prepared to be called an idiot and a fool... so tired Im a bit past caring! What do you guys think?

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One of Melly cus I love her, and she is being an angel. How does she look to you?
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Sorry for a bit of a downer, blunt thread, but I spent most of yesterday crying as Im so tired, and feeling like a failure! Thanks :)
 
Rosehip said:
Seri is now either 3 days 'over due' or on her 340 days (Im confuddled on dates!) and Ive been sleeping with her since Weds night.... Pics tonight... prepared to be called an idiot and a fool...

>>
Sorry for a bit of a downer, blunt thread, but I spent most of yesterday crying as Im so tired, and feeling like a failure! Thanks :)
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Well - guess what - I think your mare is definitely in foal!:D I'd go further and say I would expect her to foal sometime in the next 5 days - could be tonight - although I think she'll possibly fill a bit more in the centre of the udders first!

And why on EARTH would anyone call you an idiot or a fool?? You have a lovely mare - about to have a lovely baby! She's in great condition, as is your other mare!

You're tired - you're naturally worried - but you have no reason to be the latter (worried, that is!) Once foalie is born you will feel fantastic!
 
Can you take a night off to sleep and get someone else to do the checks?
You sound exhausted!

.... My foals are always born at 4 AM when I collapse ... except for last year's - two colts born at 3 PM, two weeks apart. Just in time for the kids to arrive from school, chatting and singing. I hadn't even looked in the foaling box for a few hours when I heard a screech of OMG THERE'S A BLACK THING COMING OUT! Horses, eh?!
 
She looks great! No idea about how close she looks though.

I'm about to spend my fourth night in the trailer. Foal watch has seriously lost it's appeal now! My mare has been dripping milk for 5 days, has an udder that cannot possibly get bigger and a loose backend. But no foal!

It's very frustrating isn't it. I'm shattered and bored! bet you are too. Hope we both have foals very soon x
 
JanetGeorge said:
Well - guess what - I think your mare is definitely in foal!:D I'd go further and say I would expect her to foal sometime in the next 5 days - could be tonight - although I think she'll possibly fill a bit more in the centre of the udders first!

And why on EARTH would anyone call you an idiot or a fool?? You have a lovely mare - about to have a lovely baby! She's in great condition, as is your other mare!

You're tired - you're naturally worried - but you have no reason to be the latter (worried, that is!) Once foalie is born you will feel fantastic!
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JanetGeorge, I think I may possibly be a little bit in love with you! Thank you so much for saying those things, (I will admit to welling up and a sniffle then!), I thinkk Im just at the panic stage of wanting it to happen and not wanting it to happen at the same time! :)

MissTyc, I have had offers from a very good horsey friend to sit with Seri for some of the night so that I can sleep, and my OH has also offered - even though she isnt horsey in the slightest! - but Im as stubborn as an ox and seem to have this need to do it myself! Perhaps to prove that having ME doesnt stop you doing anything you put your mind to, perhaps so that if something does go wrong Id only have myself to blame.... either way Im shooting myself in the foot! lol! I can have a sleep tomorrow - we did the last flock of sheep (ringing, Injecting, dagging out etc) today so havent slept since yesterday morning apart from a couple of hours in the night, so Im emotional and running on coffee! lol!

Haras, has she still not popped? Crikey!!! If you do the foal dance for me, Ill do one for you!
Your right, it is a mix of frustration and fear for me...Im too tired to be bored tho! :D lol!

Oh, and thanks all, I think Mels is looking really well, and I cant believe the bloom on Seren, despite neither of them seeing a brush for over a week!

xx
 
She still looks quite round to me and her bag is still rather small however mares can change quite quickly so who knows when she'll foal. Best guess, and only a guess based on your photos today, would be I'd think about another week to 10 days. She's a lovely little pony and the foal will come when its good and ready :)

Oh and never feel silly, anyone who's ever had anything to do with broodmares knows fine well that these mares are a law unto themselves! Unless you're using chemistry to figure it out then you can drive yourself to distraction trying to guess when the foaling day will be. I often hear people saying, "yes but I know my mare" ... umm no you don't unless you've bred from her multiple times before, and even then they can outfox you :)

My philosophy is Never trust a pregnant mare ;)
 
Your mare is looking lovely Rosehip, don't worry about her too much we often think of the 340 day mark as 'D-day' but it is an average of an average, they can still carry for over a year!(in your case it doesn't look like this will be the case however). Maybe you could start a book and make some money out of it?!
 
She certainly does look pregnant! I'm no expert on predicting when a mare will foal so will leave that to more experienced people. Try not to get too tired out. Have you tried using the milk testing strips? Those do seem to pin down the time of foaling to within 36 hours. They might let you get a bit more sleep.
 
Spring Feather said:
I often hear people saying, "yes but I know my mare" ... umm no you don't unless you've bred from her multiple times before, and even then they can outfox you :)

My philosophy is Never trust a pregnant mare ;)
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SO true! I've been sleeping on the tack room floor for over a month now (I have a mattress and a sleeping bag - so not TOO uncomfortable!) I actually sleep better there than I would at the house because I'm just SURE I'd hear a mare foaling from the tackroom. Of course, the one that 'tested' me I slept through - but I DID wake up when little Alice started launching against the walls trying to get up! Most of the others have foaled either in the half hour I went up to the house to change - or the half hour at 11 pm-ish when I was going round doing late night feeds/waters! And yes - you CAN look at a mare and think it's safe to leave - and come back 30 minutes later to a foal on the ground!

I'm currently waiting on Maggie (4th foal - currently 348 days and she foaled at 347 days last year) and Cleo (6th foal - currently 328 days and foaled at 350 days last year). Guess which one looks most imminent????:rolleyes: IF Cleo would go early - and IF Maggie gets her act together, I would then have a short break before Dawn, Fuzzy and Rosie who are 'due' early July (but Rosie ALWAYS goes 2-3 weeks 'early'.)

Like you, I wouldn't trust anyone else to do my foal watch for me!
 
Thanks again all.. ive just had a shower (bliss!) and put on clean clothes (untold bliss!!) and feel slightly more human!

Thanks for all the comments, I know Im getting myself all worked up about it, but last time I did this was 8 years ago, and it was a case of Daizy ran with the stallion, Daizy got fat, when she bagged up I checked her at 1am ish when I got in from work, and Dad checked her at 4.30 am when he got up to look the sheep, and one morning there was a foal. None of the stress seemedly! This is the result of that -
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SS, I cant draw anything off Dippy, she's getting quite uppity about me faffing with her boobs - I think they are a bit sore maybe - and I dont want to upset her, so the strips arent really an option. Im also stuck in the dark ages (didnt realise I could get on the internet on my mobile till a friend told me last week - Ive had it a year!) and a bit dubious about drawing off her bag, even though I 'know' that tiny amount wouldnt hurt!

I decided the other night that Im not doing this again until Im better set up for it, the most difficult part of the whole thing is that Im sleeping on the floor in the shelter, and my back isnt coping overly well! I have the straw and 3 blankets under me, but its still ruddy hard! The rest of it isnt that bad! lol!
Im all snuggled up in fleeces, with a sleeping bag, flask, choccy biccys, ciggies (and bottle of water to put the nubs in !) and my radio...what more could a girl want......except a foal! lol!
 
She looks lovely, and again, dudey tail plait, VERY impressed you have managed to do that in your sleep depriaved state!!

Honestly, once the foal is here you and you've had a good nights sleep you'll forget all about this waiting part :) worked for me, even after phantom foal mummys messing about with her in foal pretendings, am still sending her off to stud again so with any luck this time next year it will be me again!!

Any chance your OH could come and stay with you so she can watch while you sleep, or one of your friends? Then your on hand, but should be able to get a bit of shut eye?

Really hope there are some lovely foalie pics from you in the morning, of to turn my black ponies out now, and will be foal-dancing all the way out to the field for you :D

Ps, v cute foaly in pic below :D
 
Thanks Elle! My OH has passed out in bed - strained her groin picking up a giant lamb today! - but I may just call upon a friend, or Karen to toddle along with me if this goes on much longer.
Its wierd, but Im deaf, as in really, really, without my aid Im in an underwater world type deaf, and yet I can hear all the different little sounds Seri makes, and if she makes a new one Im bolt upright again!
You watch out with your dancing! The black ponies might wonder about your sanity!! :D
George was a cute lad wasnt he...he is nearly 17hh now and built like a brick out house!! :D x
 
Black ponies didn't mind the dancing, they were too busy being cross about having their hannibal masks on. Red ponies however gave me some odd looks :D

Is Seri running any milk at all? Or still just wax? Has she been digging up her bed at all?
 
ElleSkywalker said:
Black ponies didn't mind the dancing, they were too busy being cross about having their hannibal masks on. Red ponies however gave me some odd looks :D

Is Seri running any milk at all? Or still just wax? Has she been digging up her bed at all?
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Haha, hannibal masks! I cant pursuade Melly that they arent going to eat her nose 1st and cant actually get near her with one! She was badly mistreated before I had her and it just isnt worth losing her trust just to shed a few more lbs...Luckily (for her but not so much for the sheep!) we are badly short of grass at the mo, the only paddock with any amount of grass on it is Serens foal paddock, and that is being strip grazed!

Still no foal :( although its quite lucky she didnt go last night, as I fell asleep somewhere between 11 and 12, and didnt wake up until Seri blew on my face about 4am!
So much for my "I can hear a new noise and Im wide awake" !!!

Anyway, from what I heard before and after my shameful sleeping, and from the look of the bed, Seri took my lead and zonked out too! She was muchmuch much more settled last night than she hass been all week!

No milk running, and her 'wax' seems to be a crust rather than a bead.... Oh well! It'll come when its ready!
My dilemma now is that Im due back at work tomorrow....and Im banjaxed! Dont really want to take more time off as Im skint - to the point of "Oh ****" - but I also dont want to have another breakdown (looooog story!) just because Im too tired to rationalise... Oh dear, this is becoming an agony aunt thread for me rather than a thread about foaling!
Enough rambling, more coffee needed!!
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xxx
 
Rosehip, what day last year was her last covering date? because she's on almost the same day as my mare (still keeping me waiting!), who was last AI'd on 8 June 2010, and is therefore at 344 days today (18 May), if my calculations are correct.
she looks pretty ready, hope she doesn't keep you waiting much longer!
 
kerilli said:
Rosehip, what day last year was her last covering date? because she's on almost the same day as my mare (still keeping me waiting!), who was last AI'd on 8 June 2010, and is therefore at 344 days today (18 May), if my calculations are correct.
she looks pretty ready, hope she doesn't keep you waiting much longer!
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Hi Kerrilli, Ive got Seri's file in front of me... it says on my stud info that she was covered the 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th June 2010.
On my scans she is 15 days on the 1st July with twins - 1 popped, re-scanned the 5th July with 1 conceptus, and then scanned again on the 21st July with a heartbeat..... Please dont tell me I have the dates all wrong!!!!!!!!
xx
 
okay... i'm not an expert, but 15 days on 1st July scan would mean 17 June, so that she took on the final covering. so, that would make Seri 8 days behind my mare, so on 336 today... i'll await correction though!
 
kerilli said:
okay... i'm not an expert, but 15 days on 1st July scan would mean 17 June, so that she took on the final covering. so, that would make Seri 8 days behind my mare, so on 336 today... i'll await correction though!
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So not even due yet then?
Excuse me whilst I go and cry.... I cant do this any more
 
Rosehip said:
Hi Kerrilli, Ive got Seri's file in front of me... it says on my stud info that she was covered the 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th June 2010.
On my scans she is 15 days on the 1st July with twins - 1 popped, re-scanned the 5th July with 1 conceptus, and then scanned again on the 21st July with a heartbeat..... Please dont tell me I have the dates all wrong!!!!!!!!
xx
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I work on 11 months and 1 week being 343 days (give or take a day depending on days in each month) from last cover. So 343 days on 22-23rd May! But NORMAL foaling dates are 321 days to 360-ish days! The LOOK of the mare and the collection of vital signs is a much better guide than 'due' date!
 
Rosehip said:
So not even due yet then?
Excuse me whilst I go and cry.... I cant do this any more
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Average gestation of a horse is 320-360 days, we usually calculate to 340 days - This is the average of the average! Mares can often go for over a year!(your mare definitely does not look as though she will go this long) With mares counting days often means nothing!
Try not to panic, keep watching her as you have been. Her body will tell you when she's ready.
:)
 
Im sorry, Im being hysterical and over dramatic, but sat here sobbing. I cant even work dates out properly, totally useless.
My parents were right all along, I'll never do any good with the horses. Shouldnt even be working with then, should be driving a desk living in a bedsit.
Im sorry guys, there are people on here who have lost mares or foals or both, and Im washed up in my own self pity. Sodding happy pills obv not working again.
 
Why don't you try the milk testing??
I was dubious about it, but read up, asked people and tried it with my mares and it was totally spot on. Amazingly accurate and I only lost 2 nights sleep with them, one being the night they both foaled.
Done correctly it would appear to be very reliable and the great thing is that you can then relax for the night and sleep!!!
Good luck :)
 
Rosehip said:
Im sorry, Im being hysterical and over dramatic, but sat here sobbing. I cant even work dates out properly, totally useless.
My parents were right all along, I'll never do any good with the horses. Shouldnt even be working with then, should be driving a desk living in a bedsit.
Im sorry guys, there are people on here who have lost mares or foals or both, and Im washed up in my own self pity. Sodding happy pills obv not working again.
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No such thing as over dramatic when it comes to horses! You are obviously doing a fantastic job by your mare as you are being vigilant and watching for any signs that is much better than some of the people I know who just leave their mares to get on with it!

Janetgeorge- sorry wouldn't have bothered posting if I'd seen yours there...saying exactly the same thing :o
 
Rosehip, it is so much better to be vigilant in case they foal early... having seen the consequences (someone else's horse) of someone not being there. but, sleep deprivation is a recognised method of torture, you do know that? hope you're managing to get a kip in the daytime (when they are usually far less likely to foal...)
fwiw my mare's udders are much fuller than your girl's, but your mare's vulva looks more elongated.
the milk tests are a great idea, as long as you have milk to test! so far my mare has lots of wax and nothing else, and i'm not prepared to annoy her by trying to squeeze milk out before she's ready... so, more uncomfy nights for me.
i hope your mare foals soon and that everything goes fine, it'll all be worth it when that lovely gangly bundle finally arrives! good luck. (oh, and fgs have some chocolate!) ;) ;) ;)

btw, if it makes you feel any better, i've done 11 nights in the stable already (not exactly supremely comfy) since my girl waxed up, and still nothing. never been so fooled before, and she might go another month! so, you didn't get anything wrong, i assure you.
 
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Thanks again all..ive stopped snivvling for now!
You are right Kerilli, it is torture! I feel like Im going out of my mind!
The milk testing would be a good idea, but I dont think there is any milk to draw! I cant get my hands on her bag now, she is far too irritated to let me go pulling at it! :)
Her vulva swells massivley at night, and extends down another 3/4 cm from the pic from last night....it looks like Ive put a rugby ball in it and pulled it shut! Very odd to look at!
Still cant believe I got the dates so wrong..and I dont know how I did!

Edit - cant eat, mum is in the kitchen and if I go in there she might start on me again. Id only have the wrong thing for dinner, or make a mess. Im 28 btw, not a child!

Re edit - are you on the straw and horse blanket bed too Kerilli? Superb at 3 in the morning when its coldest and a buckle stuck up your bum isnt it!
 
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Rosehip said:
Re edit - are you on the straw and horse blanket bed too Kerilli? Superb at 3 in the morning when its coldest and a buckle stuck up your bum isnt it!
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i'm on a 'very deep clean bed of cardboard + sleeping bag + elec blanket' bed... comfy to a point, but if i fidget the bedding all shifts aside so my hip ends up on the rubber matting (i.e. rock hard), my jrt squeezes me out of my open sleeping bag (zip's broken) i get sweaty if the blanket's on or freeze if it's off, the geese and ducks quack all night and then the sparrow colony in my barn do a 4 am morning chorus. so, could be better! oh, and every time the mare groans and humphs (which she does a LOT) i jump awake... sigh. was wide awake from 3 am to 4.30 am, totally knackered but unable to fall asleep again.

btw, my girl won't let me touch her teats either, and usually she doesn't mind at all, so i'm not pushing the issue...

sorry for sticking my oar in, but couldn't you ask your mother very nicely not to give you a hard time while you're already anxious and very sleep-deprived... just a thought. ;) ;)
if someone said anything much to me at the moment i think i'd rip their head off and chew it up! ;) ;)
 
Ooo thats a bit posh! An elec blanket! ooooo!
Ive got straw, then 2 rainsheets and a fleece rug under me,a sleeping bag with broken zip (must be a foal watch thing!!) and then another fleece and Mellys 180g turnout over the top of me! Its ruddy cold up there and its a shelterr with no door rather than a stable!
I did take a pillow then, but my jrt has to stay at home with my OH as she likes to swing on ponies tails!

Please, oar stick as much as you like, Im amazed I havent ripped her a new orriface yet! I think its cus crying takes less energy than losing my temper and screaming!
Iv asked her to just leave it, but she just keeps on digging and whittling until I do blow, and then blames me for the whole argument. I love my mother dearly, but wish I could afford to move out, I realise now why Dad spends so much time with the sheep.
I mean, the last thing you want to hear, when you havent slept since 6am yesterday (apart from a couple of hours dozing inbetween playing am I foaling, no Im farting) is "you wont lose anyweight if you keep eating rubbish...." or "we are all tired, you dont have the monopoly on it" She went to bed at 9 last night and got up at 9 this morning!!
*Aaaannnnnnd Breathe*
Bugger, tears again... Think Id best go to work before I have a breakdown via the internet!
xx
 
Aw Rosehip, don't be sad and upset :( And don't get caught up in "due dates"; they're only to be used as a guide just like everything else with pregnant mares. I work on 343 as well (I'm old school too ;)) but it's very rare for any of my mares to foal on that 343 days. I was saying in another thread that every single mare here has foaled between 10 and 14 days earlier than their "due date" this year, so there you go! "Due dates" count for very little :)

Milk testing, if you know how, and want to do it, really can save so many lost nights sleep, but it's not for everyone. I've been doing it for years and it's made foal watching a very pleasant experience for me, but I have a number of mares to foal out so if I was just relying on visual signs then I'd be the same as you ... shattered!

Your mare will foal when she's ready, don't worry. Even if you had the "date" correct, most mares do not foal on this date.

I think you need to lighten up on yourself. You are doing the best you can, and it sounds like you're doing a jolly good job to me :)
 
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