Marestare - Mare looks like she is in labour (?)

i think im going to sleep without opening my mouth again. ill come back and read all the crit comments in the morning. well done to april, foal and lady. i personally think you done a great job and its one heck of a lovely looking foal :)
 
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This is the first I've seen a foaling from there and if this is the norm then I won't watch again. I'm all for helping the mare if necessary but she wasn't a good helper for me, got stuck in far too quickly and harshly although I'm the first to agree that being an armchair critic is mightily different from being there yourself.

http://fhotd64476.yuku.com/search/text/forum/7?q=elements+arabians&submit=Search+Forum

About 5 mins in. Other yanking videos are also available...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGzrh-mIYwU&feature=related
 
ive been watching marestare for a few years and it does seem to be the norm for them(and not just with the horses) to go straight in and pull when the mare/dog/goat goes down.
 
Lol, thanks for those, will watch again.

Please remind me never to send one there to foal.
From my perspective, no, mucking out is not the norm; I prefer to just get the afterbirth, when passed, put in some clean straw and muck out in the morning when the foal is more able and I'm not likely to disturb the mare either. For me, they need peace and quiet, not all this plus of course, mare would be having a small bran mash too.
 
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i think im going to sleep without opening my mouth again. ill come back and read all the crit comments in the morning. well done to april, foal and lady. i personally think you done a great job and its one heck of a lovely looking foal :)

Agree the mare potentially needed help. Absolutely disagree about the way in which the baby was yanked out against the contractions.

As above has posted, they are well-known in the US for yanking out every single foal that is born regardless of whether it is necessary. Youtube to see examples!

Lady is totally wrong in her conduct.
 
im surprised
so many folk are unhappy by the way the lady has removed soiled bedding from the stable. If she had left it she would have been critisised for that too! also, moving the mare and foal to the other side of stable seemed to perk the foal up so that cant be bad
 
I know I'm going on and asking lots of question. Sorry!

But, are his hindlegs showing much control/movement? The front end seems active enough, but not the back end.

I wondered that too MrsMozart! When he first came out his back legs looked oddly arranged on the floor.

Dunno, am a complete novice at this!
 
I thought the foals head was turned back and not presenting between the legs as it should, therefore it was a long and arduous labour for the mare who did need help. The helper appeared to unravel it although it was difficult to see at that camera angle.
We used to use ropes and broom handles to pull calves out on the farm!

Safe colt, safe mare. I say well done!
 
For the experienced breeders on here, for my (and prob others on here!) satisfaction:

Would you be happy with how both the mare and colt are presenting? Behavioural, physical etc?
 
Foals are often born with legs which don't cooperate ;). They sometimes need help to get their balance initially. You can leave them to it themselves but you risk them slamming into the stable walls. Once the foal is wobbling on all 4s that's usually all you need to do (if you feel it necessary to help).

Yes I do muck out the afterbirth quite quickly after foaling as it is incredibly sticky and will dry onto the mare or foal if left.

She didn't tie up the sac though and that is something she certainly should have done. I don't think the mare stood on it but it's not good to leave them hanging on the ground like that as it can cause all sorts of problems internally for the mare if it snags.

No, this woman did a dreadful job of foaling this little mite but if that is what they are used to doing then they probably see nothing wrong with it.
 
The poor foal is exhausted from his slightly traumatic arrival, added to the fact his legs are so long, he has stood, but for now after a little feed I would let him rest.
Re: the mucking out, I can't help but think the woman was just being productive, it's neither here nor there (but :eek: at the amount of straw she took out!)
 
For the experienced breeders on here, for my (and prob others on here!) satisfaction:

Would you be happy with how both the mare and colt are presenting? Behavioural, physical etc?
Yes I would be happy with the way the mare and foal are presenting (considering the trauma both have just had) at the moment. The foal can stand unaided which is what you want. It hasn't fed yet and I would want that to be happening within the next hour. I think both are incredibly tired so it's understandable that not everything has gone as clockwork as my foalings usually do.
 
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