How far off due date? early or late?

Victoria25

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Just being nosey really – my girl is due on 28th April and as it’s her first we’re just keeping an extra close eye on her from March time knowing it could be March/April/May (ish) … how close were your mare’s from their due date?? Did they foal early or late? x
 

Victoria25

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How much earlier can they arrive before it being a problem? Just a few weeks?

My girl is also a maiden so who knows when our little one will arrive - so nervous and hope all goes well - it's wiggling around so all good at the moment (touch wood) ... I cant imagine the heartache caused by something going wrong :(
 

levantosh

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Normally 'full term' is between 320 and 360 days. But one of my maiden mares went 375 days, the foal was very 'windswept' but straightened up really well and blossomed as a yearling. This year we also had a mare who foaled at 319 days and foal was perfect, in fact he was built like a bull and vet said he wouldn't have come out if he stayed in the womb any longer!
So who knows they will let us know when the time comes lol.
 

Victoria25

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Well she was AI'd at Twemlows on 24th May last year and they gave me the predicted date of 28th May - so excited as its my first foal as well as hers :D
 

Spring Feather

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My foals for years have always come around 330 days which is great because although we're run ragged for a week, all mares are done and dusted by 335 days. Another considerate thing all of my mares do is foal in daylight hours. In all the years I've been breeding I've never ever had a foal born through the night which surprizes me as much as it does everyone else :)
 

crabbymare

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We had one maiden who foaled 4 weeks early which could have been a nasty suprise if we had not been checking randomly as a just in case and one went a couple of weeks over. I think those were the furthest off expected dates we have had for first foalings. the main thing is that you do keep a bit more of an eye on them and remember that they can start bagging up weeks before they actually foal as well as at the last minute so you can pretty much guarantee that they will do their best to either have you up on watch for ages so you are suffering sleep deprivation or they will try to have a small nose poking over the door one morning when you are not expecting it :D
 

SpottyTB

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Our maiden mare (14 years old) had hers 1 or 2 weeks late (can't remember, the whole experience was a bleurgh to be honest).

Good luck :)
 

stimpy

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My mare was 20 days late.

I was milk testing and she still hung on for over a week with the "foal within 24 hours" readings :eek:

Mind you the May weather was awful here last year, my vet said that it seemed that nearly all the mares were crossing their legs waiting for better weather...
 

Victoria25

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Getting exciting 'talking foals' :D fingers crossed all goes well at the birth etc :eek:

What did you all do - do late night visits or did anyone actually camp out??

Would love to camp out ... we're about a mile from the yard so only 2 mins in a car ... :confused:
 

mynutmeg

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Getting exciting 'talking foals' :D fingers crossed all goes well at the birth etc :eek:

What did you all do - do late night visits or did anyone actually camp out??

Would love to camp out ... we're about a mile from the yard so only 2 mins in a car ... :confused:

I fully intend to camp out - my YO is resolved to this now :D
 

AdorableAlice

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I am 1.5 miles from yard with no traffic. I watched on cctv. She was one day over the due date, went down at 4am with no prior warning (not a maiden but first foal for me), in the minutes it took me to jump in car and drive like a madman down the lane and run across a smallish yard Alice had been born but the sac had not broken. The gasp she took as I broke it frightened me to death.

I had no idea how tough the membrane is. It certainly didn't look strong but it is quite rubbery. Of course I tell everyone I saved her life, but no doubt nature would have taken over when she struggled and broke it herself. I had been watching the mare for weeks and she followed a pattern of eating, sleeping lay down for 20 minutes at a time before rising and getting down on the otherside.

I exhausted and worried myself, my wonderful vet and everyone else around me, to bits over my first foal, but the speed she was born at was staggering. The mare did nothing different, no pawing, no looking back at herself, she did the same routine, eating and resting.

Any way, this is an excuse for a picture.
456_zps093eeae9.jpg
 

ribbons

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We have one mare who is always late and has been since her first foal who was month late. The best we've had from her is 15 days late.
Another is always between 8 and 15 days early.
I find most mares have a foaling
pattern and are usually pretty consistent in how they do things, gestation, time of day, and cleansing timing.
Exciting time isn't it. Even after many years breeding I still get excited as we near foaling time.
 

Victoria25

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Ahh Alice, thats a wonderful photo - Im getting all broody just looking at it - have you got a pic of the foal now? Was this only last year?

Nutmeg - how will you sleep and what on - I need ideas -haha - sleeping bag and camp bed?? xx
 

alfiesmum

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345 days, maiden, dripping milk in the afternoon, went home to get organised , came back she had foal early hours. total textbook, glad i wasnt sitting for days/nights :) such a clever girly my girl
 

AdorableAlice

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Ahh Alice, thats a wonderful photo - Im getting all broody just looking at it - have you got a pic of the foal now? Was this only last year?

Nutmeg - how will you sleep and what on - I need ideas -haha - sleeping bag and camp bed?? xx

No, that was May 2011, she is 18 months now and nearly 15 hands. I am so pleased with her, she is a peaceful well mannered youngster who is lovely to have around. She will have a half sister, hopefully, at the end of May this year.

She was about 6 weeks here.
BillandAlice121.jpg


Yearling
Aliceoneyearold003.jpg


Nutmeg, you need to be a little careful on how you watch them. I found my mare got fed up with the constant pestering. The week before she foaled she would see me coming and walk away from me. Watching her on the camera made me realise they do need to be very peaceful and relaxed. She had a nightly routine that did not change even on the night she foaled. I almost knew where she would be in the foaling yard at a set time - 2am lay down, 2.30am gets up mouthful of hay, 3am back to bed. It really was fascinating to watch, the only difference being at 4am on the 11th May she went back to bed and produced her foal in the blink of an eye.
 

Carefreegirl

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My maiden mare is due the 15th of June and I'm hoping she's going to do as she told for once as I've managed to get that week off work but can't get the week after. I keep her at the stud so not a major problem but would like to be there.
I 'helped' with one of last years (translates to stood there grimacing then nearly blubbing :eek:) I was then given a guided tour of the afterbirth.....

Weighed her today for worming and she's 568kg whereas when she was in full work she was always 495 - 510kg.
 
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