Darla's official foaling thread.

[LittleRibbie]

I too would think she has at least a few more days perhaps week anyway. On Lindi's mare her nipples are really pointing down and far apart...just like PN, the last couple days. Prior to that they pointed down and I thought it looked like a go untill I looked the day before foaling and then they were far apart.Your mare's still seem to close and not straight down enough IMO. Im sure thats not how it always is but it was for PN and other photos I have seen. Also PN stayed at 6.4 for almost 10 days then 6.0 for almost 24 hrs.

how is she enjoying her new diet...she must be loving you now. I hope all goes well and will continue to follow her progress.

On another note, Im sure she will give a beautiful baby but if its not meant to be at this time I think you taking over her care and keeping up with her needs and giving her daily love ....she is going to be one happy girl and in the big scheme of things thats all we really want! Healthy,Happy and much loved animals!!

 

[jessj]

I started her on omolene mare and foal 2 cups/ beet pulp shreds 1cup/ alfalfa pellets 1cup/ BOSS 1/4 cup yesterday. I think i have it managed so that i can easily feed her 4 times a day (6am, 11am, 4pm, 9pm) plus her hay and pasture. I will gradually increase the portions. My husband is there with me to help at night. He has never been around horses at all, but he is an extra set of hands!

Darn it Anna! I was really hoping you would tell me that i needed to go back home right now cause the baby was about to fall out at any second!

guess ill keep waiting and

ps... just as a side note.... i looked and looked for a good head shot of darla for my avaitor, but couldnt find one. So i finally just put a pic of myself there. I know that I look about 15yrs old, but i really am 30yr old!

:BigGrin People always think that I am my daughter's big sister!

 

[LittleRibbie]

Its a great picture...and Arent the non-horsey husbands the best.They fall for anything...yes honey I swear...we have to have all these things for foaling, really we do!! Even a blue bucket!!...just in case...do not let your hubby get a blue bucket no matter what!!! very bad omen!!

 

[MeganH]

Uh oh.. does blue bucket mean an omen for the foaling of a colt or something else??

 

[jessj]

lol....we have a green bucket! wander what that is an omen for?

 

[Lindi-loo]

She started to bag up the begining of may but it was loose aroungd the edges and the teats were still pointing inwards not touching but not pointing straight down like they are in that picture..her bag would fill up at night when i put her to bed and go down alot during the day and be loose again..it filled out and stayed big during the last 3/4 weeks teats pointing straight down..i also noticed the last few days before she delivered that the foal was no longer moving around..i saw no movement at all..where as the weeks before i saw big kicks and twiches..i mentioned it to everyone here they said that was normal towards the end..im so glad i did as i was about to call the vet..something else i did notice was that she flirted alot with my stallion through the fence in the hours running up to delivery..not sure if thats normal..maybe shes just a tart

 

[Lindi-loo]

Haha whats the bucket storey then?? I have black buckets

Oh geez I just remembered my non horsey husband bought a new bucket home for me that was blue..i decided not to use it as my grandaughter thought it made a great house for her dollies

its still in her play house i think

 

[MeganH]

We got a blue bucket for Ricky's grooming bucket over the weekend. He's not coming home for a few weeks so we haven't used it yet

The blue buckets were $1.00 cheaper then the others lol

 

[LittleRibbie]

Silly story really.

when i was setting up the new stall I bought a new pink bucket and I made a joke to my husband that i bought a pink one for good luck and that b/c it was pink Peanut would give us a filly. Several days later i went to feed and there was a light blue new bucket in its place ....mm. I went in the house and asked non horsey husband and he said he bought it because he wanted his own good luck charm b/c he wanted a colt!! so for the first week we kept taking each other buckets away and replacing w/what we wanted.....finally the pink got to stay..i was scared of Diane...it didnt help...Peanut gave me a colt

 

[Eagle]

I am glad you mentioned her udder bc I thought it looked like a goats udder but wasn't sure if you would get upset. Heh I have saggy boobs too. ROFL

 

[jessj]

a very handsome colt tho!

I watch him at work when i need a minute to recoop....always makes me smile! I have him/peanut and suzie up all the time so i can just click over to them!

maybe green is good for a filly....its the color of money and you need money to shop and chicks love to shop...right? (i am trying to justify the green bucket so the filly fairy will see fit to stop at my house!)

 

[jessj]

lol eagle! I promise you are not going to hurt my feelings! She does have a goat udder...and not even a good goat udder. I used to have nigerian dwarf dairy goats (i made soap) and I never would have bought a goat with an udder that pendulous! It has no side attachments! Poor little Darla...i just tell her how pretty she is and dont mention the udder in front of her

.

 

[bannerminis]

LOL Heidi the changing of the buckets is too funny.

You know udders can change in the blink of an eye and throw in the mini factor AND the maiden factor then its adds up to anyones guess.

It cant be easy getting up several time through the night checking on her.

You know what they say about a watched kettle but then you need to watch it in case it boils over - you just cant win LOL.

 

[jessj]

I have been getting up at 10, 12, 2, and 4 ....your right it's not easy. I am so grumpy husband is ready to shoot me!!! I am so scared that she is going to go into labor and have problems while I am sleeping...i keep thinking about putting up a barn cam and setting up mare stare, but my luck she would foal the day before it got set up! I called the internet company today they still haven't got it fixed....so it wouldnt work right now anyway.

 

[jessj]

I did talk to the original owner today. she is definitely a maiden mare. he had her for about 2 years and she is 3 or 4 years old... I already knew that from her teeth so that part is no help. before he got her she was a pet for a handicapped child. I did find out some sad news though... the appaloosa that she was running with is a gelding . The stud is a red and white pinto. and his young grandchildren have been riding her ...I know she is a bigger mini at 36 inches but I am still not happy with the idea of her being ridden!

 

[jessj]

so it is safe to ride one that size? she seems so tiny! his grandson has been riding her is 7 years old my daughter is a very petite 7 year old and she weighs almost 50lbs... that seems like a lot for her to carry... Especially if you add the weight of a saddle to that!

 

[Wings]

Personally the only kids that ever sat on my boys were my 1 year old cousins. They did it bareback and they were led. I guess it depends on how much riding they did but at 36" she is a bigger mini and more likely to cope with it then one standing at 32" I don't let anyone sit on them anymore as when so and so's baby brother gets a turn the ten year old wants one next

Shame aboutt he appie but as Diane said nothing wrong with a nice pinto!

 

[jessj]

I like a pinto too....but I LOVE an appy! My favorite barrell horse was an appaloosa. Vet says darla looks good. Doesnt appear to be mastitis. This was the small animal vet...so not a super in depth examination but makes me feel better anyway!

 

[Ashley]

She is more then big enough to be ridden. I have had on as small as 31.5" being rode. JUst have to adjust the size of the kid for the size of the horse.

 

[Eagle]

Yeah, Alby"rides" Eagle and he is 27,6" but when I say ride I mean that he sits on him bareback and I lead him the 50 metres from the field to the barn, I don't think Eagle has a problem with it as he stands dead still as Alby climbs up, Alby refuses to have any help. Possibly the previous owner meant something similar and not a full on ride with saddle etc.