Just for fun!

[HeritageHollowFarm]

What days have your mares foaled, and what times were babies born?

Still passing time waiting for my mare to foal. We now are beginning to thing she took in her may heat not April (pasture bred with prior owner, I was unaware at purchase)

Thought this could be a fun way to pass the time and just see what everyone's experiences have been!

 

[Standards Equine]

I don't count days. My timing has been to count 1 year and then subtract 3 weeks as my expected due date time frame. So that puts me around 330 days. I'll just watch them as they go along, but it's really watching the udders, the pH, the consistency of fluid expressed that will give me the real say of when I need to camp out. I managed to catch the last one and helped her through delivery. She was an older, maiden mare. Never produced a good udder. We supplemented that foal a lot but he's done really well! Coming 2 on July 4, had a great mom who adores him and he's growing up really well.

I don't breed minis and won't myself. There's far too many up here that are not great quality and bred irresponsibly. Although I am a huge fan of our Jasmine girl, and a friend of mine has a fantastic Shetland stud who would be a great compliment to her, I'm not doing it. She's a $50 kijiji find, I don't know what her background is and I don't want to risk taking her out of driving and care-home visits to have a baby who we have very little genetic history on... Much respect to those who do run a quality breeding program. I'm just quite finished with it.

 

[HeritageHollowFarm]

I don't count days. My timing has been to count 1 year and then subtract 3 weeks as my expected due date time frame. So that puts me around 330 days. I'll just watch them as they go along, but it's really watching the udders, the pH, the consistency of fluid expressed that will give me the real say of when I need to camp out. I managed to catch the last one and helped her through delivery. She was an older, maiden mare. Never produced a good udder. We supplemented that foal a lot but he's done really well! Coming 2 on July 4, had a great mom who adores him and he's growing up really well.

I don't breed minis and won't myself. There's far too many up here that are not great quality and bred irresponsibly. Although I am a huge fan of our Jasmine girl, and a friend of mine has a fantastic Shetland stud who would be a great compliment to her, I'm not doing it. She's a $50 kijiji find, I don't know what her background is and I don't want to risk taking her out of driving and care-home visits to have a baby who we have very little genetic history on... Much respect to those who do run a quality breeding program. I'm just quite finished with it.

That makes sense for sure! I wouldn't have bred her myself, not just because I don't know her genetic history, but for the same reasons I decided not to breed our Shetland/Welsh mare years ago, it wasn't worth it to me to risk my mare, and back then I didn't have any breeder friends. I have some now who breed APHA and AQHA, who are responsible, reputable and have been so helpful. This forum has been amazing too. Being thrown into this and scrambling to do as much learning and preparation as possible is a solid reminder of why I chose not to before. I was overwhelmed at all of the aspects and without a support system. Pony is well bred, wasn't a maiden and is an amazing little gal, but I didn't want to risk her with my inexperience and lack of support. It's even more worrisome with a maiden mini for sure.

A lot of minis up here aren't great confo wise either. The stud from what I saw was not the really nice built minis that look like a horse got caught in a shrink ray. I'd love to own one of those one day. Our mare is sort of in between, though she had a hay belly that turned to a baby belly when I got her, so once she's in shape she may lean more towards that side of things.

I wouldn't rely on this for when she'll foal, I just thought it would be a fun thing to see the range of experiences with foals here

 

[HeritageHollowFarm]

I never saw the stud in person and these are the only photos I have of him. He's not as bad as I remembered, his forelegs look a bit wonky though. Included some of my mare as well from when we brought her home before the baby balloon

She hadn't been driven in about 2 years, and she did so good ground driving. I can't wait for her to get back in shape and be able to go for some cart drives. My son is very excited as well!

 

[LostandFound]

My mare foaled on a tuesday around 1030pm last year. She went like 362 days. And I got a Larry.

 

[HeritageHollowFarm]

My mare foaled on a tuesday around 1030pm last year. She went like 362 days. And I got a Larry.

Oh goodness, I love Larry! He's gorgeous!

 

[LostandFound]

Thanks. He just melts your heart when you look into his big eyes. But he is very naughty.

 

[Standards Equine]

@HeritageHollowFarm it's so hard to say if that was just a moment in time when the picture was captured that the leg looks wonky. Certainly I've seen worse-looking ponies. Fingers crossed for straight legs, healthy baby and mama and an easy, uncomplicated delivery!