Another Angel foal

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Dontworrybeappy

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Location
Norco, CA
Alice wasn't really due to foal (bred to Appy) until August 20th, but she'd

started looking really close a week or two ago, so we'd put her on camera.

The last two or three days she's been obviously uncomfortable and very

uncharacteristically grumpy, so Monday I started keeping the monitor on in

my bedroom all night.

Tonight she began really looking like she was getting ready to foal, and

suddenly she just lay down and the whole package slid out, placenta and all.

It took me maybe 30 seconds to get to the stall, but there wasn't anything I

could do. I think the baby must have died a day or two ago - there was no

blood in the umbilical cord and no color in the baby's gums. I did try

artificial respiration, but it was far too late for that.

Of course, Murphy's darn law being what it is, this was a filly. At least

she didn't have any spots, if she'd been a loud appaloosa I don't think I

could have handled it. She was silver bay, so Appy's still 100% in his

record of siring silvers. She had big pretty eyes and long legs, though.

Very good size, I think if she'd been born alive that she would have been

mature enough to make it. In 25 years of breeding horses, this is my first

stillborn foal, and only the 2nd foal we've had that didn't live to

adulthood. Hopefully it'll be another 25 years before it happens again.

Alice is the mare who had the really tangled up foal that I had to untangle

last year - so I do feel relieved that this foal came out easily (in a

matter of seconds, it seemed) and that the foal was in correct position.

Alice has had 3 or 4 other healthy foals, so hopefully this was just some

glitch and won't happen again.

Poor Alice is still frantic, although I tried to leave the foal in long

enough for her to know it wasn't alive - and I think I'll try and stay out

of the barn tomorrow until she calms down. It's too hard to watch her like

that. I moved her out of the foaling stall to where she could more easily

see the other horses, so hopefully that will help.

I will have the vet flush her out just in case there was an infection or

inflammation, and if she says it's OK, we may breed Alice back on her foal

heat, since Appy will be home for a day or two right about at that time.

Otherwise we'll wait until October to try.

So, this just sucks... she would have been the first of Appy's foals that we

could have shown off here in California. I'm very sad. I was really looking

forward to meeting this baby!

crybaby.gif
 
Karen I'm so sorry- it's happened to us all, we know how you are feeling. It's a judgement call but I never leave the foal with the mare- I find they get over it quicker if it's gone, maybe they grieve more but quicker?? I also turn the mare straight out with the others- they really do seem to understand and support- old animosities are buried for a while, and they all support the mare. I hope she gets over it soon- Oh, I also find mares that have lost a foal come into heat much sooner- tow or three days id not unusual.
 
Karen, I'm SO sorry for you and Alice. That is so sad and heartbreaking.
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{{{{Hugs}}}}
 
Karen,

I am so sorry. It is so heartbreaking to lose these precious babies.

Special hugs for you and Momma Alice.
 
Sorry about your foal....hope your mare settles down soon.

Take care...
 
So terribly sorry for you and your mare's heartbreak. Just talk with her and explain what happened and grieve with her.
 
I am so sorry to hear about your foal. Please give Momma a big ((hugg)) from me, and I hope she is doing Ok. I also turn mine out with the other mares, they seem to settle down quit fast, and dont look for "baby". Corinne
 
[SIZE=14pt]Karen So sorry about your filly. Yes it sucks! But to make it 25 years without heartbreak..... wishing you 25 more now.[/SIZE]

Lyn
 
I feel so bad about your loss. I am so very sorry......
 
Very sad for you and your poor little mare.....
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MA
 
How sad, I'm so sorry for the loss of your filly.
sad.gif
 

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