What do you do while waiting in the barn at night?

[Jean A]

Solitaire? Facebook? Balance the checkbook? Taxes??

Or stare at your mare, willing her to start labor?

Sunny Michelle foaled without us there. I knew she was really close..and when I went to get coffee and the girls, there was Clover. Waiting for us!

Becky has me more concerned. I don't know how many foals she has had, though I know this is not her first. She is more nervous, skittish, that Sunny. It makes me want to be there for sure..but she is making us wait.

 

[Eagle]

Jean.

I have never seen my girls foal after waiting in the barn. I sat there night after night 2 years ago and they all foaled in the morning out in the field whilst I was taking the kids to school. That is why I set up the cam last year

when I was in the barn I used to take a Thermos of coffee, smoke a cigarette, stare at the horse, smoke another cigarette check internet, smoke another cigarette

foal watching is definitely bad for your health.

 

[Riverrose28]

I'm going to date myself, but back in the day, (HAHA) before we had cameras, I would pull up a bale of hay or straw and read books, go out have a smoke come back in, read some more. Sometimes I would take a sleeping bag and get a few winks. Now that i have cameras and night lights in the foaling stalls, I sit in the comfort of home, watch TV, watch the camera, and usually work a jig saw puzzle. Needless to say I decorate now with jig saw puzzle pictures clued together. Haven't had a foal in two years because of the recession, but do enjoy everyones elses. Hubby would take over for me so I could get a couple hours of sleep.

 

[Jean A]

Thanks folks.

I am glad to know it isn't just me, haha. I had wondered of much of the stressing I read of is because of the time and money many have invested, as well as the increased possibility of trouble with the smaller mares.

Our minis are on the big side..34" or so, though our stallion Oliver is a bit smaller. I tend to take a position that nature knows best. Horses have been giving birth for a very long time without my help. The more I read, the more worried I get, however.

Becky looks ready..dropped and turned, bag filling, relaxed, stretched and dark pink. I will keep on my current schedule of a couple hours here and there through the wee hours..knowing she will likely wait for me to go back for a nap and hot coffee before blessing us with..whoever it is.

 

[Becky]

With me adding a camera and Breeder Alert in 1995, no long nights in the barn since then. Losing 2 of 3 foals the previous year, convinced me that in order to breed miniature horses, I needed the right equipment.

So, now 'mare stare' consists of watching mares on camera from the luxury of my bedroom and sleeping in between listening to the pager going off. I'll take that anytime over staying in the barn.

 

[vickie gee]

Hmmmmm....last time I actually camped out in the barn awaiting the big moment was 2010. Now the barn has a room with heat, air, electricity see since that room is my husband's art studio. He let me put in a zero gravity lounge chair. So as I recall I crawled in a sleeping bag in the comfy chair/bed. I did an audio book, snacked, made lists of possible foal names, snacked, listened to a rock station on the radio, snacked, played Singin Bee where I was the only contestant I would turn off the volume in the middle of a line and try to finish it, at the first few bars of every song I would also play Name That Tune/and or/Artist and since I was the only contestant I won lots of prizes. Snacks. I was watching the mare on a baby monitor the whole time, even though she was just on the other side of the wall. I do tend to be self entertaining.

Last year I only had one and it was from my sneaky mare Choctaw. Baby was there making himself at home when I got in from work.

This year sneaky mare did the same thing. Baby was there making herself at home when I got home from work. My other mare was being watched from our bedroom on baby monitor. She was 95% finished by the time I threw on clothes and ran out there. I was however prepared to camp out again with music, audio books, and this year a laptop computer. I am so blessed that my mares did well.

 

[Jean A]

Oh my gosh! I'm not crazy after all!

hahaha..

It HAS to be this weekend..things can't possibly stretch any more than this..t-storms too. I fell asleep in the lawn chair..woke to Becky staring at ME! Next year. we'll have the camera figured out. I thought they were due in June. When they got here, I realized that was really wrong.