OMG... This weather is horrible!

[_jetset_]

I woke up this morning and thought I had lost a few months of my life... It feels like October or November, not bloody August.

Hannah is all rugged up today (was very cold and wet yesterday and not a happy bunny at all) and she will be coming in just after lunch because the fields are absolutely drenched!

I cannot believe that just a few weeks ago I was sat in my shorts drinking Pimms!

 

[Tempi]

i know - my lovely tan has all gone already and poor Bloss is wearing a rug during the day and a thicker one at night already! its ridiculous im sure last year at this time it was still hot and sunny.................

 

[GinaB]

Tell me about it! It rained so heavily over here last night that my car was leaking through the interior light!!

 

[_jetset_]

It was... I got married just under a year ago (3rd Sept) and it was absolutely scorching! Everyone was too hot and the hotel had to organise for some shades to be put out!

Han is in a turnout with some lining in the day and a fleece and summer sheet at night. I just cannot believe how different it is to this time last year!

 

[Maesfen]

Becki!
Hope you don't mind some advice, but please remember that Hannah will need rugs off well before foaling for safety sake, so don't be piling too many on her else you'll have trouble roughing her off in February!

 

[_jetset_]

Thanks... No I don't mind at all!

She's been really wet the past few days because even though she is an IDxTB she has a very fine coat and has been feeling the cold quite badly. As they are only out in the day I want her to have as long as possible out, although today it is just too bad to leave her out all day!

Her stable is quite cool as it is stone built and a little drafty when the wind gets up which is why she has been having a rug on. Hopefully, by the time the winter comes she will have grown a thicker coat although her winter coat has never been particularly thick

.

I have bought a light weight stable rug so that she is not getting too much rugging but still has a little protection at night in her stable... It should be coming soon so I can put it on when she starts feeling the cold at night. She's not very good without a rug and tends to drop a lot of condition when she gets cold which is the last thing I want at this time.

I know you are supposed to rough them off, but would it be ok to do it gradually when we reach Feb time (due 2nd March) rather than leaving her without a rug all winter?

I hope you realise Maesfenhorse, you are going to be getting lots of 'What do I do...' questions, LOL!

 

[Clodagh]

As a matter of interest, probably a silly question, why can't they be rugged and foaling?

 

[meandmyself]

It's not very safe- mama or baby could get hooked up in the straps and hurt. Rug can also get it the way.

 

[Maesfen]

Yes, I knew you'd want to rug her for the winter; it's only natural after all since until now she's been a riding horse as opposed to in the maternity suite!

If it was me, I'd keep the lightest rug you can on her through the winter, just to keep the chill off her back as she has been used to it for the last few years but I would knock grooming right on the head after Christmas, she needs as much grease in her coat as possible and with rugging, she just isn't going to get that if you are brushing her all the time. So as long as you can keep the rug as light as possible, that shouldn't be too much of a problem but I would definitely want all rugs off for at least a fortnight before she foals - and leave it off afterwards too! She will cope, honestly and you'll probably find, with the central heating supplied by baby to be, she could actually start sweating a bit at night by then anyway. Ask a pregnant woman in the winter if she feels the cold, I'd almost guarrantee you won't get a 'yes' (unless she's a real 'pretty fairy footballer's wife' type anyway!! Something like a CoolMasta or a waffle weave sheet are quite a good go-between from a lightweight rug to rugs off completely. Providing she has adequate feed, adlib hay/haylage and shelter you shouldn't find her losing any condition but remember you don't want her fat anyway as that puts more strain on them

My one big no no is never be tempted to walk her across any icy yard, it just is not worth the worry if she should slip, cos it could mean damaging/losing baby; leave her in until the ice has melted/been treated at the very least.

I know how excited you are; I got my covering certificate today for Twiggy; seems to make it that much nearer and I am bursting with curiousity to see how she will cope! ATM, she is nicely chilled out, putting weight on in the right places and has made mates of my others so think she is quite liking the maternity idea, at least at the mo'!

And don't worry about the questions, be pleased to help anytime and HH is a font of all knowledge too; it's always good to have different approaches even to the same subject.

 

[vicster]

I know tell me about it - i think the weather needs to make up it's mind hot or cold really. To be honest i think that is our summer over with now

xxx

 

[Maesfen]

As Meandmyself said, one aspect is the safety issue but also, sweating is a normal activity at foaling time, it sometimes runs off them; you wouldn't like running in a big overcoat would you?
No, rugs get in the way, especially if you have a mare that is up and down like a yo-yo which some of them are (usually the maidens!) The only thing a mare should have on her at foaling time is a leather headcollar in case she gets wedged in a corner or you need to hold her (and when foaling, they can be completely different from the normal easy to handle type person, so struggling to get a h/c on is not a good idea) and possibly, if you have had enough warning, a tail bandage to keep that out of the way too.
Unless the mare is ill, a rug gets in the way and it has been know for foals to get caught up and strangled by leg straps and surcingles let alone the panicking the mare would do, so just is not worth the worry. If a mare has to have a rug of some sort on, she is better with a smaller size than normal or an exercise sheet, folded back at the shoulders and using a proper roller, never cross surcingles for that reason; at least a roller is tight so the foal can't get hooked up on it anywhere.

 

[_jetset_]

Maesfenhorse - what is the covering certificate? Han was done by AI so when the foal is a certain age it will need a DNA test to confirm it is Pro-Set's offspring. Is this the equivalent to a covering certificate?

Thanks for all of that... going to print it out!

Rebecca

 

[Maesfen]

Why not just say 'Pat' it's much less of a mouthful than Maesfenhorse!?

Have got to say, I don't know the ins and outs of AI and how it is managed but a covering certificate is just that. To certify that my mare was covered by the stallion I chose.
In this case, the stallion is graded with CHAPS so they have designed a form (think it was new 2 years ago but might be wrong) which is issued to the stud to complete (as far as the covering anyway) It has the stallion details and reg.numbers on, my details (name and address), the mare's details - name, reg.no., breeding etc also the last date she was covered by that stallion and whether it was a natural service or by AI. Above those details is space for you to register your foal; its name, sex, colour DOB etc and on the other side is a markings chart for the vet to complete (which has to be done before it can be registered). Some TB studs now do their certificates 'online' so you don't actually 'get' a paper one but it is lodged with Weatherbys, you just need to inform them of the birth etc (Severnmiles is up to date on this if you need her).
It also says "if by AI the Nomination Agreement for AI Form MUST be completed and returned to CHAPS with Covering Certificate" so from that, I think you should be having a covering certificate from your stud at some point. Many studs wait until they're sure how many certificates they need from their societies cos they are sometimes charged for them so no point shelling out for more than they need.
If you're confused is there nothing in your stud papers to say what happens or can you give them a ring to clear things up in your mind. It needs doing before your foal is born else you won't be able to register your foal as by Pro Set if you haven't the correct papers.

I think it's Trelawneyhorses that has been having problems getting one for her mare that has already foaled this year (there was a post last Thursday about it) I haven't heard whether she's got it sorted yet.

 

[_jetset_]

Thanks Pat, I'll have a word with the stud I sent her to about this. I did fill out a nomination form both for the frozen semen and the stud she was inseminated so there should be something through one of those I should think.

This breeding stuff is bloody complicated... it never ends as far as paper work is concerned, LOL!

 

[Clodagh]

When I gave birth I wouldn't have wanted a coat on, either!! I kicked the bed to pieces, so know where you are coming from.

Thanks for the reply.