exciting times ahead
, hopefully things will get routined, vet loved Tess for a horse who we dont know if she is good with the vets stood very still whilst a lubed up arm was shoved up her bum 
Went down to Tess gave her a cuddle and talked to her for a bit, she yanwed and rolled her eyes a lot clearly a pro at this stuff
We have been told her teets should extend closer to foaling, can i be really stupid and ask what a foaling kit is
When should we start checking on her at night do you think ? and what are the signs of being in labour ?
Vet has told us about red bag delivery
To start I apologise in advance for the rather long post
yup she will know what she's on about - it could be worse, she could be a maiden.
Just so you know the stats are something like 90 - 95% of all foalings go without a problem and given she's an experienced broody you're got an excellent chance of a normal foaling.
Foaling kit is all the items you need on hand for the foaling, there are some items that you have as a 'just in case' and hope not to need but should have - heres my list (may still be added to)
Watch/clock - to time stages because things happen very quickly and if something goes overtime you need the vet
Vetwrap or tail bandage - to get the tail up out the way, not essential but keeps it clean and out the way
Sterile obs gloves/lube - in case you need to provide assistance while waiting for the vet - given you have a helpful stud up the road who are willing to help you may not need these. Personally I hope mine will stay in the pack
Sterile scissors - to cut the amniotic sac away from foals face if you can't tear it
Clean bucket & cloths to wash udders before first drink (reduces infection in foal)
Navel disinfectant - preferably chlorahexadine as iodine can burn the skin
Several clean towels - to dry foal if needed
Zip ties or bailing twine - to tie up the placenta until she passes it, prevents tearing
Ivermectin wormer - worm the mare within 12 hours of birth and really reduces the risk of the foal scouring on the mare's next heat (a common problem)
Black bags - to put the placenta in (keep it for the vet to check it then burn or bury it)
Torch - in case lights fail
Hibiscrub
Feeding bottle and teats - in case anything happens or the foal can't get up to nurse
Her udders should swell even more and the teats will become more proud and she may well develop little wax corks on the end of the teats as she gets closed.
Signs of being in labour - early stage is like mild colic but is easy to miss. Second stage is the waters breaking (can look like a really long pee) and then foal should start to appear. Normal presentation is two feet and a nose, anything else is call the vet time. From waters breaking to a foal out should be no more than 30 minutes and if she's straining for more than 10-15 minutes without anything coming then get the vet. If in doubt in anyway get the vet - foalings happen very quickly and if something goes wrong it goes wrong quickly so you should always get the vet sooner rather than waiting and seeing (same applies to foal once it's here) Once foal is out leave it to lie without breaking the cord. You want the cord to go from red to pale as the blood goes through it and it should be pale before breaking - the foal and mare will do that themselves, you don't need to cut it but treat the cord once it's broken.
A really good thing to investigate is milk testing - you use ph strips and calcium ones (can get from aquatic centre/pool places) to test the milk and (I can't remember the extact value change etc off the top of my head) the values change pretty dramatically within 24-48 hours of the foaling coming.
Also you can get baby moniters with infrared for about £30-40 which are wireless so you can keep an eye on her without disturbing her.
Appologies for the long post and I'm not trying to freak you out or anything, just give you an idea. In all likelihood she'll get on and do everything and not really need any help at all especially as she's done it all before.
The Foaling Primer is excellent for talking you through mal-presentations and how to deal with them so highly recommend that.
Good luck with everything - I fully understand how much of a shock this is for you and how scary it is, My mare is due early May and I'm freaking a bit and I've been planning this for 18 months!!
It will only be 7 months or so until the foal can be weaned and you can get on with things with Tessy, in the meantime you get a foal to play with
I've just read the whole thread, I've been nervous, excited and delighted in turns! First off, have a big hug. It's a massive shock and a big change to your plans but you have a gorgeous girl who's going to produce a stunning foal.
Lots of luck and looking forward to all the updates.
i will keep everyone updated i promise x
Anyway, don't be afraid to visit Breeding and ask as many questions as you like and don't worry if they seem silly to you, we all know your situation and no question you could ask will be thought of as silly to us I am sure you and mare will be fab Oh Tessybear, so much information for you to try to retain lol! You won't, so when you do come up with specific questions please post in the Breeding section and us down there will all be more than happy to help you
If you have the girls at the stud just up the road then I'm sure they will be more than happy to give hands on help too once you know she's going to go into labour. I'm forever being called out by local small breeders to go and assist their foalings and so long as I don't have one of mine about to be due within 12 hours then I'm happy to help. Most breeders are. Milk testing is definitely something you want to seriously consider as it saves so much wasted time and sleepless nights. It's very easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes a day once your mare has properly bagged up. Distilled water and pool strips (that go down to at least 6.2pH) is all you need and if you know how to read it, it will tell you when your mare is within 24 hours of foaling. If you are interested in doing this then I can give you the specifics but you only need a teeny bit of milk mixed with water at a ratio of 1cc milk to 6cc distilled water, so it's easy
I'm sorry once again that you have been put in this position and I think your dad is being very sensible, however your whole family will get caught up in this because it does start to take over your life once foaling is imminent. Try not to worry about foaling her yourself, and it's highly likely that you will be the only one/s there because once they go into full blown labour, the foal will be out before you know it! Most foalings go without a hitch, a few foals just need a little twiddle here and there to be in the right position, and although it can be catastrophic if presentation is seriously wrong, this is still a very rare occurrance so try not to worry. Obviously checking presentation sheets are a very good idea so that you have a plan on how to correct the foal if something is obviously wrong, but don't dwell upon this.
One other thing I always ask my broodmare clients is which one do you want to save if it comes down to it. In your case I know your answer, same as mine, it will be your mare
which would fit with ex owners info
If you're unlucky enough to have a difficult birthing then I'll tell you what happened to me the very first time I had to become involved. I had a million things running through my head, and then I took a deep breath and dug out all the information stored in my mind, and it came naturally to me to do what needed to be done. Don't ever panic, just breath and concentrate on all you've learned 
AND
friend just said i can ride her little 4yr old Cobby over summer
This is awesome news - you will still get to ride and play with baby.
There are lots of shows with mare and foal classes and it's such fun taking baby to shows - below is a picture of my mares first foal out at a show at just three weeks old.
and this was his mums boobies two days prior to foaling
,than your for the pictures tess is yet to wax up so daily checks are in order
x x
and you can restart yours and Tessy's riding careers again in 7 months-something to light up winter evenings! dad just got back to me... no it's not a troll post
we are having a foal in 2 weeks .................
It won't
I know in my head I'll be fine once I'm in doing it but by nature I'm a worrier - luckly my way of coping with worry is to research and plan, a lot (I think I'm driving my family mad with my planning as I literally go into every little detail)
