dang maiden mare

I only had one TB mare that foaled out and my reply was "She foaled on that?!?!??!" ...only once has it ever happen to me and I thought for sure her filly was going to starve LOL she was fine. Definaly an A cup.... She was an odd ball.

Was the TB mare showing other signs of being ready?

No she wasnt showing signs other then being her due date.

Damn. I guess I'll break out the straw and start sleeping with her.

Raido shack, remote camera, 150$ ...you will be happy! Hooks to your TV.

I think you can get cameras even cheaper than that. A webcam hooked to a laptop even works (I've know people to do this).

I have been told of PLENTY of maiden mares that foaled with NO BAG whatsoever. Maidens make everyone nervous.

I would agree (about the camera) for most of my mares, but my gut tells me to be right by this mare's side.

Even last year when I was sleeping with Jasi and waking up every hour to check her I still nearly missed it. Jasi is a natural mother... Isabelle is going to need reassurance every step of the way.

Eeks. You're probably right then. I hope you're wrong and motherhood changes her though.

I think motherhood will change her once she realizes what is going on and that the foal is hers.

Remember when Elements Arabians had a maiden mare in labor a couple years go and the owner (I forgot her name) was getting all sorts of criticism for being in the stall with the mare too much? She replied that she knew the mare best and the mare was frightened and was most easily reassured by human presence. Isabelle is that sort of mare.

Steph, yup. Sometimes she stays out, sometimes she stays in. Even some of her experienced mares are more relaxed with her presence. Ethics aside, the woman knows how to handle her horses.

So, I know that a maiden (or any mare) can foal with a bag that isn't full, but has anyone ever had one foal with no bag at all? At this point in all my other mares' pregnancies I was already on foal watch (sleeping in the barn and whatnot) but Isabelle has not even begun to fill her udder and does not seem at all ready to foal. Am I safe sleeping in the house until the bag starts to fill, or could she foal with a completely empty udder?

YES! And it was a total worry...when Princess was born, it was two weeks before Misty really had any milk. It was a lot of needles, lots of hand-feeding the little gal colostrum and other milk/milk replacer, and worry. Vet gaves antibiotics and I think oxytocin (sp?) to get the milk to come in (and possibly another med, some sort of relaxer/tranquilizer...I'm a tad fuzzy as hubby was doing all the medical parts, I was handling the panicky parts). Princess did start helping herself to her mother's feed at about a week old.

So, if Isabelle is looking to foal without having a bag, get some colostrum in (you can get/keep it frozen), and some foal-lac or some such. As Misty had given no indication of foaling (and wasn't due), we weren't prepared--thankfully good friends have cows and goats, which helped until we could get to the vet's.

Diane

Dang... I'll call my vet and see if there is a source for colostrum. Isabelle's udder is starting to feel a tiny bit firmer (no milk though) and her belly has definitely dropped, but she's not showing any muscle relaxation. I did just read that maidens can sometimes foal without the muscle relaxation and that it's hard for those mares since the foal has to squeeze through an unprepared birth canal.

They can change quick... and she's got some time left still. I'm crossing my fingers for you.

Thanks. I know they can change quick... I've just never had a mare showing no signs at all when she's this close to term. Then again, this is only my fifth foal.

Remember some mares go over also. My pally mare almost goes a full year.

Yes, I know, but I don't want to assume her lack of signs means she will go over. :?

I've had two early foals and two late ones now... I thought I was really smart last year when I spent only two nights with Jasi before she foaled (because I was soooo great at pinning down when she was ready!) and then declared Tickle nowhere near close and went up to the house to sleep. Tickle's foal was halfway born when I went down to feed the next morning. :lol:

I just ordered frozen colostrum through my vet. I'll take a photo of Isabelle's udder a little later for you to see. She's at day 339 today.

CC - a girl on my marewatchers forum had a mare that just foal at day 365 (and I know a guy whose Paso would routinely go that long and has actually gone over) so you never know. A fair number of maidens go with only a 1/2 or 3/4 bag, but they get their milk in almost immediately after foaling (hormones you know)... :love

Keep up the faith that all will be well and I will say a small prayer just in case. :angel

Even Tickle went last year with a bag that wasn't quite full (but it came rushing right in to feed Peanut when he was born) but Isabelle has seriously nothing. Just a little edema that started in the last couple days. I guess if you figure that usually happens about a month out from foaling, she could be one of those that goes a year! I'm not going to count on it though.

CC - a girl on my marewatchers forum had a mare that just foal at day 365 (and I know a guy whose Paso would routinely go that long and has actually gone over) so you never know. A fair number of maidens go with only a 1/2 or 3/4 bag, but they get their milk in almost immediately after foaling (hormones you know)... :love

Keep up the faith that all will be well and I will say a small prayer just in case. :angel

Do you mean the Mare Watchers website or Mare Stare?

If you are really worried about her foaling without you being there, you can get a foal alert monitor put on her that will page you when the foaling starts.

hope she foals easy for you :)

I still have my camera out in the barn from when Mist foaled, lol! It was so cheap I just never bothered to climb up there and take it down. It hooked up to a TV next to the bed, and I'd wake up every hour or so and look at her. She was bagged up and dripping though, and looking very uncomfortable. But I stayed where it was warm until she started going down and getting up a lot, then I went out and waited another few hours, lol.

Krickette, it's always warm where you are!

The news this morning is that her bag is finally starting to fill so, yay. She may give me some signs after all.

I like sleeping with my mares (rather than watching on a screen) so I can hear as well as see what is going on. With both Rosalynn and Jasi I was dozing when labor started but was woken by the sounds of labor. I had checked both of them within the past 30-60 minutes and was just dozing in their paddocks because I knew it was close.

Krickette, it's always warm where you are!

The news this morning is that her bag is finally starting to fill so, yay. She may give me some signs after all.

I like sleeping with my mares (rather than watching on a screen) so I can hear as well as see what is going on. With both Rosalynn and Jasi I was dozing when labor started but was woken by the sounds of labor. I had checked both of them within the past 30-60 minutes and was just dozing in their paddocks because I knew it was close.

hooray for bagging up!

and the sounds wouldn't help me, lol. i have 4 different alarm clocks, with different snoozes, one of which is my computer playing annoying music that i hate as loud as it can. it wakes the people next door, but not me. i live next to train tracks, and apparently they go by honking all the time....i was unaware. i sleep like the dead, seriously. it's not good, i dont know how im going to function this summer waking up for work without my roommate banging on my door or coming in and ripping my covers off to get me to turn my alarms off. :lol:

Any progression yet???
Silo had a hard bag, no milk and a couple days before she foaled I was able to get a drop. One drop of clear liquid. The day she foaled I got two drops. LOL.
We were afraid Ditto wouldn't have anything to drink, but her IG was 800+ the next day. Still looking today, Silo's bag isn't that big. She didn't get way relaxed in back but we could see her tail head protruding more.
I can't wait to see your foals!!!

Silo's bag won't be big now because a healthy foal will keep the mare's udder pretty much drained all the time.

Isabelle has the tiniest bit of fullness to her udder now. No relaxation at the tail head but perhaps a little bit around the vulva. I'm sleeping with her already because I am not about to allow her to be a tricksy maiden. I've read about too many maidens foaling with no signs at all. In fact, in my google searchings, every mare I've read about who has done this is a TB. Isabelle is 75% TB so... I'm ready for it!

She is just crossing her legs until you have to take a bathroom break :rofl

Nah, she's a maiden. She's got no clue what's going on! Knowing her, she will start to freak out as soon as stage 1 labor starts and I expect much pacing, sweating, and calling to her mother.

Any progess yet???