With the small numbers of horses that I have, I use the book "Blessed are the Broodmares" It was written by a vet and specializes in TB mares, however I believe that minis are the same as the big ones, just the dysplaisa happens more frequently. The book saved my little colt's life. My advise, no matter what device/s you use to let you know when the event is happening, knowlege is your best weapon. (I have never missed a birth since I made the book my birthing Bible!)
Here is the sort of funny story...sorry kind of long.
I brought my mini mare home from the boarding stables to live in my backyard. The only thing was, I lived in the city. I sooooo did not care what the neighbors said. So my little gravid mare spent a month in the backyard. Thier was no mowing necessary after she was done. I had 9 Weimeraner puppies at the time and they were banished to the outside after they were 3 weeks old and mom quit cleaning up after them. So I had a tiny trash can in the house with horse grain in it and the alfalfa and coastal in the garage. I would feed the mare through the livingroom window and the puppies/momma dog out the sliding door. It wasn't long before my mini was tramping the puppies for their puppy food, and the puppies were eating Strategy! Well, one night while I was watiching Black Beauty there was a terrible storm! There was a huge covered porch in the back yard, but the wind was sooo strong that my poor little mare was soaked. So I grabbed the hose and sprayed her off. The house was tile, so I dried her off and brought her in the house. She was so cute! She was talking to her reflection in the window and talking back to the horses on the TV! She figured out quickly where the fridge and carrots were and spent long amounts of time with her fanny in my face so I would scratch it, while we were watching Black Beauty. Then I noticed 2 things. She didn't want her grain and she was dripping still.
I thought I dried her off?? Further investigation led me to find that she was dry and the floor was sticky! So I took her to the front yard, were there was some grass and within 10 mins she was in labor! All was going well and I was thinking about the fact that she almost had this foal in my house, when I noticed that all was not well. There was only one little hoof and a nose. The other foot was deflected!! So my first reaction is call the vet!!! Then I thought about it...First, the nearest vet was over 30 mins away. Second, what would they think when they show up in my front yard in a residential community. Third, the baby can't wait 30 mins. So I call in the troops...my nonhorsey roommates! So I recruit one to walk the mare (in the book it is the common thing done in all instances) and the other to bring be the book and turn the pages to the right section (my hands are a little slimy). The book says to walk the mare and push the baby back in! Have you ever tried to push something in that is being pushed out, while the whole thing is moving away from you in a circle? So, I had my roommate practically hang my mare by her head so she would stay standing and pushed the little nose and hoof back in a good 9 inches. The next contraction pushed out the other hoof, slightly further back than it should have been. Once the hoof (and consequently the shoulders) were all lined up, the little guy came out noneventfully and quickly. Less than an hour later, he was up, nursing and bucking!! He never had a problem since and he is a 2 year old! ......After all this excitement and the visitors to see the baby, "grandma" (as we affectionately called the across the street, nosey, elderly lady) called the Health Department on us saying we had "horses" in our little backyard. So the inspector showed up and gave me a week to take them back to the stables. He wanted to know were the "waste" was and I told him that being in the city, the trash guy came twice a week! LOL
