December photos/Equine Affaire: On Target Miniature 2012 foals

[Sandy B]

Oh, good, it sounds like no one saw Mira's April Fool joke. She got us GOOD, thinking she was going into labor this morning.......Then she broke the fuse on her breakaway halter.. which I have replaced with a piece of pink ribbon.

I think she (and the others) are just itching from the clipping. All 3 mares have been rolling up a storm after their clip jobs. BTW, that was a direct result of a FB post by Kaykay reminding everyone to clip your mares higher up, not just on the belly, to avoid a foal ingesting fur when they are nuzzling mom.

Milk tests on Mira and Toffee still in the 6.8-7 range, but udders are pretty full. Toffee's vulva is quite relaxed, Mira's less so. And so we wait.....

Maybe babies tonight for you?

How much do you all clip? You probably saw the clipping on my mares. Should I clip more??

 

[AnnaC]

There's a strange brown mare in your barn Mary!! Do you have a new addition and if so what have you done with Mira?? LOL!!

 

[targetsmom]

Sandy- LOL, I clipped mine to look more like yours!!! Who knows how much is enough, but Kay's story about almost losing a foal from ingesting hair scared me.

And Anna - there are actually TWO strange brown mares but you can't see much of the other one because she is on the other side of the white partition. Rain and rolling make for some strange colors/patterns!

 

[Sandy B]

Sandy- LOL, I clipped mine to look more like yours!!! Who knows how much is enough, but Kay's story about almost losing a foal from ingesting hair scared me.

And Anna - there are actually TWO strange brown mares but you can't see much of the other one because she is on the other side of the white partition. Rain and rolling make for some strange colors/patterns!

Hahahaha!! Last year, the one mare, I clipped even more, as I did her chest, lower shoulder and arm pit and low belly the whole way. I still may as the mares are blowing coats like crazy and I too heard of mini foals impacting on mom's hair. I just think I am going to give in and buy the Double K Clippers. As much as I love my Laube cordless theory were not necessarily made for body clipping.

 

[Eagle]

1.00am and all is quiet

 

[AnnaC]

3.30am all quiet with Toffee and Sox, no sign of Mira.

3.33am Sox left the building, Mira back in - looking a bit cleaner than last night!

3.36 Toffee still quiet over by her door, Mira hooverng, Sox standing with just her rear end in view.

 

[Eagle]

6.40am and all is quiet so I am signing out. Have a good day

 

[targetsmom]

Morning update: Toffee's udder is very full this morning; I think she wants to be first, but Mira is still a very close second. Both of them are doing a lot of rolling, itching, acting uncomfortable (sometimes off cam).

Warning to others with Equipage: alarm went off about 12:30 from Toffee rubbing on something. When I reset it I must have shut it OFF because it was OFF this morning!!! I will try to be more careful, but fiddling with the on-off switch when you are tired and bleary-eyed (and old) is not a great combination. Glad I have you wonderful "starers">

Sandy: I have the Laube cordless clippers too and I did most of the clipping with those. But I just got my Double K's back from being serviced so I did use them for the touch-up this weekend. Usually I do just the opposite - clip with the Double Ks and touch-up with the Laubes. And I did do chests because when I did the first clip it was HOT here. We are also using shedding blades on everyone a few times a week.

 

[Eagle]

I don't think I saw Toffee lay down last night so that is a good sign that she is getting close

Mira looked like she had ants in her pants cos she wouldn't stand still for 5 minutes

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

I don't think I saw Toffee lay down last night so that is a good sign that she is getting close

Mira looked like she had ants in her pants cos she wouldn't stand still for 5 minutes

I hadn't caught Toffee laying down since she was moved to her stall, but I did see her laying a lot when she was allowed outside at night. I do think it's getting very close to "go time." How exciting!!!

 

[Eagle]

I normally post if they lay down at this stage cos it is a good way to see if they are comfy or not. Usually a comfy horse won't foal soon

but as you say Diane with so many cams up and tea and toilet breaks it is possible that I missed it.

 

[Sandy B]

Going off my recent experience with my Quarter Horse maiden mare, her only labor signs was that she laid down and napped quietly three times in a about a 3 hour period, two of those times she was down relaxed and sleeping for a solid 30 minutes. If I had gone off of past experiences I would have missed her foaling for sure, but since this mare is my "baby" and it was her first, not to mention in the afternoon I just could not stop starring at her. After her final nap, she got up walked over and ate for about 5 minutes, scratched her hind legs with a hind leg and then she calmly walked over to her door to look out and up popped the tail and her water broke. That was all the warning I got. She never pawed, never, walked restless, never sniffed the ground, never pooped frequently or soft, never peed, never yawned, curled her lip, nada, nada, nada. After her water broke she again laid down quietly for about 5 minutes before getting up and arranging herself for the perfect photo opps and then down she went and pushed baby out. Talk about crazy!

 

[targetsmom]

Both Toffee and Mira are not acting quite the same as usual and I think both are getting close. I would (and maybe I will) check the pH of the milk but I keep thinking of all the mares who tested ready for days, so am not sure how much help that will be. I still like to check consistency though and will do that. I think it is time to put Mira in the other stall for the night and rotate the camera. As soon as I do that, you will see the rest of the herd on cam during the day, until she foals. I have the alarms on days, keep them close and can see them either on cam or from the house all the time. And yes, the alarm went off when Toffee lay down a short time ago, while I was awake and working!

I think I will leave Sox where she is at night, next to Toffee, but off camera. Or maybe I will try the wireless one again.

 

[targetsmom]

Taking cam(s) down for awhile to move them around..... Will have back up for tonight!

OK, VERY different views... After moving the first camera around a lot we put that one back more or less where it was. We put up a stall screen so maybe we can see Sox if she stands right outside the stall.

The second cam is now on Mira's stall which is used as a "club house" for the rest of the herd during the day. You have seen activity in this stall already. At feeding time, Mira will go into it and when she foals, no more Club House, just don't tell the others!!

So now there will be something to watch all the time. Our herd can be quite entertaining!

Oh, the mares are in the backyard right now so not on cam at all. They will all have access to the first stall during the day until Toffee foals.

 

[Eagle]

I am off to bed shortly, I will watch as much as I can tonight

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Night Renee!

 

[targetsmom]

Thanks Renee! Hope you enjoy the new view.

 

[targetsmom]

I am willing to wait as long as it takes to get LIVE babies. I hate going through all this work and lack of sleep and then get nothing but haunting memories to show for it.

 

[targetsmom]

Thank you Diane!! I really appreciate the kind words AND all the eyes!! But I have to admit we were thinking today about buying another camera.... when I am just about positive this will be our last year foaling.

 

[cassie]

well I hope you continue breeding

come on girls! we want healthy babies for your mummy!!!

I have the girls up tonight.

Mira is in the right hand stall right? she sure has a waddle to her now... won't be long.

I can see Toffee is in the left hand stall both standing quietly at 10:20pm

I have them up during the day and now that day light savings has changed I get to watch for longer YAY! lol

all good so far