OK all you in-foal mares : sitting up???

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no_no_nanette

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Went to a foaling seminar the other day where the vet presenting said that he would recommend the very best option in surveying mares about to foal was sitting up with them, and he wasn't keen on foaling alarms. He thought that they could hinder foaling or be uncomfortable for the mare, which was undesirable. He also recommended cameras (but still sitting up, the advantage being that you could be in the warmth and comfort of your own home.)
Well, it seems to me this advice is really unrealistic 'cos (a) I work, and although freelance still can't keep going without sleep, and (b) don't have an endless supply of volunteers to sit up for me!!! I was planning to use a foaling alarm and sleep at the stables. What do people think? Becki, did you use an alarm for Hannah? I would really value your advice as am about to book an alarm, given that we are about 4 weeks off! *panic*
 
I have to say I always sit up with mine using a camera. However it plays havoc with your sleep patterns. When I worked I usually only had a couple of mares foaling so I managed. This year I have 8 so I will walk around like a zombie I expect! At least I'm not working any more!

I have never used a foaling alarm but lots of people do with great sucess.
 
Afraid we also rig up our video camera and take it in 4 hour shifts to sit up and watch. We're lucky as parents next door and they also take turns so deprived sleep divided by 4.

Good luck! Oru mare due on 6 May, so give me a month and I'll be like a cat on a hot tin roof!
 
Do you have any local horsie children that would enjoy a night camping in a stable? My mum used to sit up with horses when she was about 14, for various friends and aqquaintances, and I would jump at the chance!
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my mare was due yesterday (no foal yet) and she is at stud and sine she arrived 3 weeks ago theyve been monetering her on the cameras to get used to her routine, and they take turns to watch her all through the night
 
As you all know I did sit up with Hannah for 15 nights!
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I slept in a caravan at the yard with a CCTV camera fitted in the stable so I could check on her every hour without moving
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i sat up with my mare.
i shared with a mate in shifts
we pupped a tent in the stable next door and slept in there and she started to foal needed a little bit of help and then foaled fine.
i was totally knackered though and she then (after bonding initially) rejected the foal after she came round from sedation to allow the foal to drink so we had to be there 24 hours a day in the stable for 3 more days until she accepted her(because she would lash out at the foal so whenever it got up we had to hold up her leg and cover her eyes and all sorts to let baby drink!)
 
I have to admit I am not a fan of foaling alarms at all; think they can be far too restrictive for them (having been in the same boat, I would have hated one on me!) but we're also not technical enough to cope with cameras!
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I'm lucky enough that I don't go out to work so can nab a forty winks during the day if necessary, but I usually stay up until about 3am checking every hour, then if nothing's doing, go to bed and OH takes over checking for me until 7 and I'll take over again (he's more used to cows but is usually spot on when she'll be starting foaling; it scared him to death how quickly everything happens compared to cows which he found out when we had called in at the stud and a mare had just started. Up until then, he thought I was over-reacting by watching her so carefully cos a cow can sometimes take 24 hours from start to finish without problems!
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) Between us, we have only missed 2 foalings from over 30, 1 a fortnight early and out in the field and Jennie, with not a sign, not even waxed up at 1am, but the foal up, suckling and dry by 4.30!
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If the mare goes overdue it's a long slog but a proper night sleep the day after it's born is wonderful! I have to admit, I enjoy the run up to birth as much as anything, sad that I am!

Fingers crossed that Twig will show normal behaviour but I'm not counting on it!
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I have to say, I am realising just how lucky I am. I don't even have to get out of bed to check on my little mare who is due to foal shortly. I can see her barn and paddock from my pillow.

I am not using alarms, I'm another "not a fan", but I am using the milk tests when the time comes and when it shows positive then yes I will be up all of that night watching.
 
I hired a foaling alarm and what a waste of time it proved to be, never worked and out plopped foal with no alarm, no me and no pickies, so IMO don't waste ya money!!
 
I have never used a foaling alarm, but I do have cameras in the stables so that I can monitor the ladies any time of day or night, wherever I may be. I means that I don't have to be on site 24/7, can go to bed and sleep (laptop next to the bed, alarm clock every hour, quick look and then roll over back to sleep again
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) and that I can also go out anywhere that has internet access and still keep an eye on them.
 
I will be sitting up with Amy. She'll be stabled with a cctv camera - so at least I'll be in the house. Hate foaling alarms, so it was never a consideration for me. As for sleep - well I suppose it's one of the sacrifices we make - however I have made arrangements with work to alter my hours.

I've invested too much money, energy and emotion to let it all go t*ts up for the sake of a few hours sleep!
 
Hmmm ... lots of food for thought ... know just what you mean, AmyMay, this foalie is worth its weight in gold already, but my dilemmma is that I also need to stay (reasonably) fresh for quite demanding consultancy work which has helped to pay for stud fees, etc!! Its my fault not to have done my research properly on foaling alarms a long time ahead, but I think that I can probably call on at least one volunteer to share night shifts with me, so I can get one good nights sleep in 2! Everyone seems to go for cameras : can you hire these? I'm pretty useless technically, so are they easy to set up yourself? Another thought would be to sleep in the next door stable with a "baby alarm" which I think someone has used on the forum, as I guess that there will be an amount of shifting and grunting when poor old Beth starts her contractions? Its SOOOOO exciting and so scary! I'll post some pics of her when I get to understand how to do that - I'll try following instructions that people have posted for Fruddy. (??)
And I'll also be asking for ideas on names, of course! (Sire Caretino Glory, dam Ballykett Blue Diamond) There will be a whole generation of foalies that have been named through the forum, fantaastic!
 
Goodluck lucy! Let us know when you have any news (and pics). I'm beginning to understand now why people choose to send their mares to stud to foal; but I think that (at the moment!) would still have chosen to do it this way, at least for the first one ....
We'll be keeping our fingers crossed for you!
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When I foaled b last year i used a baby monitor and slept/dosed in a caravan parked on the yard! I got to listen to her all night, every night for a little over a week. She was restless for 4 nights before foaling and the night she foaled she was very quiet and didn't move much. I heard her lie down over the monitor - something she hadn't done for about a week - and went out to check her and she was breaking water. I've rarely been as tired as I was the day that she foaled - 9 nights of waking every 20 mins to check her, really paid it's toll, but it was totally worth it! Good luck with yours - looking forward to the pics
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Yep afraid I sit up with all of mine too...it does mean missing a lot of sleep and it does mean it's hard work during the day (especially with 2 young kids and a business to run!)

Milk testing is supposed to be quite reliable so at least you don't need to sit up for too many nights...
 
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