Stable Birth vs Field Birth Help

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Folara

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We have two mares in foal, due about 7 weeks apart (I know that its only ever an average 'due' date) and so we built a new extra extra large stable to use for foaling.

Trouble we have is that mare no1 (Glenda) has decided to hang on to hers for a VERY long time and there is now only 10 days before mare no2 (Millie) is due. Millie had a foal last year on 343 days and so we are pretty much expecting the same this year.

This means 1 stable - 2 pregnant mares. As Glenda is a first time mum and already in the stable she will stay put.

So what should I do with Millie? Last year was her first year and we lost the babe (still born) so we are a little bit 'precious' but trying hard not to be. She had a lovely good sized stable last year that is my geldings and I can move him out if needs be.

However Millie is happiest in the field and so we are thinking should we just allow her to stay there and have babe?

We can pretty much see her in the front paddock and its got a nice sheltered corner that she uses as her sleep corner.

What are the pro's and con's, what do other people think? What are your experiences of stable vs field?

Thanks.
 
When we lived in Lancs we always foaled inside in a massive foaling box, when we moved here the stables were too small so we foaled outside.
The risk you take is of missing the foaling so I would keep the mare within sight of the house if possible and invest in a foaling alarm.
The only foal we lost during birth was one we foaled inside here, it arrived several weeks early with no warning and the mare didn't have enough room to walk away and break the cord. (stable is 12 x 13) We had brought her inside because of heavy rain, not because she was foaling.
Now we foal all ours outside and with little trouble.
The main risk is unless you get there very quickly you risk infection getting in via the stump of the umbilical cord, my daughter swears by powder, I prefer spray..
I think the mare has a far easier birth due to being outside as nature intended and able to walk round and choose her own birthing place.
Unless the weather is terrible I would go for outside...
 
Thanks henryhorn. We can see the field easy from my house so we can keep a close eye and if needed I will camp in the field shelter with her lol.

Is there a foaling alarm that we can use in the field? Have only seen ones that are any good in the stable.

Main reason we built a new MASSIVE stable was because of last year and now we are not going to be in a position to use it and I am really not happy about putting her in a smaller stable.
 
I personally prefer outdoor foaling. I think it is far less stressful for the mare and the foal cannot get "stuck" in a corner when coming out.

What I did this year was to section a small area off in a paddock right opposite my house. Mare had the whole of a very large field shelter and I left the lights on all night so that I could check on her from my bed. This worked fantastically well as I checked religiously every hour so I became very familiar with her evening rituals and the moment she started displaying different movements I just knew she was about to foal.

Ours had a very text-book foaling. The only thing I had to do, but which will not be an issue for you, was to stay out there with the mare and foal for another 5 or 6 hours as the wolves had come out and probably smelled the afterbirth. I cleared this all up and placed in a wheelbarrow locked away in the barn well away from the new foal.

The plan for the next mare, who is due in August, is exactly the same as this one. Hopefully the birth will be as easy. Good luck whatever you decide.
 
my mare foaled out last time and if everythin goes to plan will foal out next time! we have a huge foalin box at our yard but none of the mares use it to foal in!! they all foal outside! we have enough land on the yard to have a maternity section for the pregnant ladys and the YO is always poping out to check them if they know when the mares are due! last year a mare on the yard gave birth out in the middle of a thunder storm!! the yard owner waited till the foalin was all over then moved mum and daughter in!!
 
Thanks for the replies. I am really tempted to stick with an outside birth as I am feeling that after last year it could be better and perhaps safer (thank god we dont have wolves here that would freak me out Tia).

I think I will make the field a bit smaller and put some big lights up and then start to leave them on about a week before. Then between myself and my friend we will do a couple of 'sleep/wake over' nights and see what her pattern is, like you suggest Tia. DO you think I should block the field shelter off as its not very big?

Just a bit worried about the rain but we will have a stable ready so if need be we can let her foal in the field and if it is terrible weather can drag both in asap after.

On a good note the other mare (Glenda) has finally started to wax up and run milk and is looking like she could be on for popping within in the next 48 hours. She is only a few weeks 'late'.
 
I did not have an option with the last 3, they all foaled outside. One at 4pm in the afternoon & 4wks ago at 8.40 having only shown signs an hour or so before. If I had not been at work then she would have been bought in. For various reasons I would rather mine foaled inside.
 
Its natural for them to foal outside and probably healthier than in a stable !!

My mare did foal inside but nearly did in the field as i was hand grazing her about 10 minutes before hand !! maybe she held on to have it inside but then she has always been in ! !

My other maree due next year lives out and will probably foal outside !!! unless the weather is awful around the time of foaling !!
 
My preference is to have them in, but I am not against horses foaling outside as long as its not an excuse to just leave the mare to get on with it and they are being monitored 24/7, its heartbreaking if something goes wrong but if you aren't monitoring the mare and something goes wrong... why go to the bother and expense of putting the mare in foal in the first place if you aren't going to attend to the mares needs whilst foaling.
I'm not saying i'm perfect, i'm far from it, i've missed a couple of births (and beaten myself up about it even though the outcome was fine), my mare foaled 23 days early in the field without warning and i've had a couple go down and foal whilst i've nipped to the toilet and grabbed a drink!
When I first started breeding my vet told me that the majority of still born foals in mares that were unattended were actually avoidable because a common cause of the foal dying is the bag not getting broken and it suffercating.
 
"Its natural for them to foal outside and probably healthier than in a stable"

Agreed, but natural for natives, not for TB's or mares who have been bred to a stallion somewhat bigger then them. Even nature can get it wrong & she cant account for foals that roll down ditches or roll under fencing. Not ever breeder has a choice as to the field conditions. I am not have a dig by the way, just pointing out that though it is natural to birth outside, it is not always the best place for some mares. We have also interferred & now breed our mares earlier in the season when the weather is not always at it's nicest (not all our summers have been like this one!!). I would not like a thin skinned foal to be born out while the rain was lashing down.
 
Oh dont worry we will be with her 24/7. I can tell you I know all about losing a foal, as we lost ours last year despite CCTV, Foal alarm and us watching. That was our mares first baby so it was really a BIG decision to try again. She was in a HUGE stable last time and that happened which is why we are a little bit paranoid about things this time.

On a good note: Glenda had her foal at last at 12.15 last night. Beautiful little filly. Again, we were up with CCTV, Foal alarm and baby monitor. Mare was asleep laid down, Jayne had a pee, when she got back Glenda had had it. No alarm, no sweating, no stable walking. Both are doing brilliantly.
 
Congrats on your new arrival! Just a note to say make sure you have no ditches or running water in field last month a friend of ours had a mare who didn't look ready to foal and during the night she foaled. The following morning It took half an hour to find the foal which had rolled down a slight ditch under some stinging nettles where there was 2inches of running water and drowned! We have one mare who has had several foals born outside with no problem (midday on one ocassion!).
 
Funnily enough I tend to foal my mares indoors but just recently I was talking to a very highly respected Stud vet and he actually said that most of the time is it cleaner and more healthy to foal outside in the field!
I have had a couple that have caught me out and only one of those had any problems but I am pretty sure it was unconnected to the foaling in the field.

Congratulations on your new arrival and good luck for the next one.
 
Our mare lives out, so leaving her in the field to foal was the least stressful decision for her. She foaled at 8.30am on a Friday, with us, the three dogs (totally disinterested) and the mare and gelding all the field with her. The horses weren't at all interested until the foal arrived - exciting, new horse, where did that come from !? - so then we moved them out to another field. It worked for us, they come into a 20' x 20' barn for feeding, farrier etc, but otherwise are out all the time.
 
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