RIP little foal

neddynesbitt

neddynesbitt

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My poor friend lost a beautiful foal this morning. The mare was 6 weeks (yes SIX weeks) overdue.

My friend was desperate for her to foal as she was really worried that the placenta would fail. She asked the vet if they could induce the mare but, he said you must never induce a mare & she would naturally go into labour when the hormones were right. He did an internal & said that her cervix was not ready at all & to be patient.

Sadly, although she was not happy to wait she had no choice but to do as the vet said as they are the experts.

She checked the mare in the night as she had finally started to bag up and it looked as though this was it. The mare was fine at 5am with no signs of labour. When she checked on her again at 6.10am she found a beautiful colt foal dead in the straw with the mare standing over him looking distraught.

This was her first foal and he really would have been a cracker. He was a Welsh D, liver chestnut with flaxen mane & tail & four perfect matching white socks.

She has been breeding for many years & always wanted a liver chest. He was her first!!

I feel desperately sorry for her and the mare.
 
Awww poor mare, foal and friend. How sad. I know nothing about breeding but 6 weeks seems way way to long???
 
How sad.
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Condolences to all. I hope the mare comes through it ok.
 
I am so sorry to hear this. My mare went 8 weeks overdue and produced a healthy foal. I was given the same advice and everything did go well. It could have been something else. I know it doesn't take the pain away but we do tend to latch on to a possibility.
My friend had a mare that foaled when it should have and she found the foal the same as your friend.
I realy do feel for your friend and the mare.
 
God that is just tragic.

The broodmares at my yard are all under CCTV camera's thank goodness - so the instant they go in to labour, someone's there with them.

So sad, as it could probably have been avoided......
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oh what a shame - how awful for your friend.

I doubt though that the fact that it was overdue had much to do with the death of the poor wee thing - possibly a congenital problem or a problem on the way out.

I hope the mare is ok. (((hugs))) to your friend.
 
I am so sorry to hear this... but like others have said, I would have thought there was something else which has caused the foal's death rather than it being overdue. In the wild mares can go over that period with no issues.

Just to straighten a few things up, a mare can be induced... my own mare was induced last March and she produced a beautiful and very healthy colt who is now 14 months and apart from some itchy issues (lice) is looking really quite nice
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I'm so sorry. We lost one at our yard a fortnight ago. We were there within ten minutes of her giving birth but there was a problem with the placenta - I think it was delivered too quickly and the bag didn't break. Poor foal. It's such a shame.
 
Sorry about your foal...but thought I'd mention that it often helps to leave the dead foal with the mare for a while afterwards til she loses interest, and accepts he is dead.
S
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RIP little foalie, so sad
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As Shilasdair said, the foal should be left with the mare for a few days. We had to do this when I was working at the vets when we had a mare produced still born twins, not nice seeing the little bodies but it does seem to help the mare.
 
Thank you all so much for your kind words. Over the years this is the second foal my friend has lost. The first one was most definately alive when he was born as you see where to poor little fella had thrashed around. The bag had broken & it was all off of him except his nose & mouth. Poor little mite had suffocated.

This foal was still in the foetal position with his handsome little head tucked between his legs. The bag was off but she said it looks as though he was probably dead before he was born as the straw was not disturbed in any way.

We don't know why he died but he was quite small so there was something amiss. He was perfectly formed but just on the small side.

I will pass on all your kind words

Many thanks
 
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