For those on foal watch or soon to be foal watch

[Danielle_E.]

I couldn't resist this and I hope it stays on this forum and is not put on the back porch as some of you may be at your wits end waiting for your mares to foal :bgrin and some of us will be joining you very soon!!! The joys of foaling season

:

The Foal Watchby

Patty Barnhart

10:00 pm Gather sleeping bag; alarm clock and three back copies of Northwest Rider. Head for barn.

10:01 pm Return to house for bag of taco chips and an ice-cold, 32 oz Pepsi.

10:10 pm Back to barn. Flashlight goes out half way there. Figure you can make it by memory. Pat faithful ranch dog’s head as he pants and slobbers alongside.

10:11 pm Remember suddenly you have no ranch dog.

10:11 pm Run screaming to house. Change flashlight batteries. Change underwear. Return to barn.

10:15 pm Establish foal-watch headquarters in empty stall next to broodmare.

10:16 pm Enter broodmare’s stall for the 5,687th inspection of the reproductive parts.

10:16 pm Broodmare flattens ears for the 5,687th time.

10:17 pm Sigh audibly, leave stall and head for house. Dial veterinarian just to make sure he’s home.

10:18 pm Replace receiver on phone base rather than where suggested.

10:19 pm Return to barn and squirm into sleeping bag. Set alarm for one hour and shut off light.

10:20 pm Forty thousand sets of tiny feet become active as entire mouse population in the county begin wind sprints in your barn loft.

10:25 pm Sit up when something with not so tiny feet joins wind sprints in loft.

10:26 pm Flick on light – listen to absolute silence.

10:27 pm Flick off light.

10:28 pm Wind sprints resume. Big foot is winning.

11:18 pm Finally fall asleep.

11:19 pm Alarm goes off.

11:20 pm Peek through knothole at broodmare. Mare pins ears.

11:21 pm Reset alarm and flick out light.

11:23 pm Flick on light. Realize 32 oz Pepsi was a mistake. Head for house to “eliminate†problem.

11:26 pm Resist urge to phone veterinarian.

11:27 pm Trot back to barn. Left boot is sucked off in mudhole. Hobble three steps before getting stopped.

11:28 pm Return to house and change one sock.

11:29 pm Walk to barn.

11:30 pm One last check of broodmare though knothole. Ears pinned.

11:30 pm Set alarm for one hour. Turn out light.

11:40 pm Wake suddenly. Check knothole. Mare is lying down!

11:41 pm Enter broodmare stall carrying Ye Olde Foaling Manual, 3 pounds of clean rags, iodine and a tetanus shot. Mare breaks wind and gets up. Pins ears.

11:42 pm Return to sleeping bag. Flick out light.

11:52 pm Flick on light. Remove flake of hay that has accumulated in bottom of bag. Flick out light.

12:01 am Can’t hear clock. Flick on light. Clock is fine. Remove hay from ear. Flick out light.

12:29 am Fall asleep.

12:31 am Alarm goes off.

12:32 am Eyes feel like somebody put sand in them. Stagger to knothole. Extreme close-up of mare’s rear end. No change in reproductive parts. Can’t see ears. Assume pinned.

12:33 am Back into sleeping bag. Set alarm and flick out light. Left foot cramps. Shove foot against bottom of bag to relieve cramp.

12:38 am Cramp over. Relax foot.

12:39 am Left foot turns into a pretzel. Struggle out of bag and hobble around stall for 5 minutes.

12:44 am Cramp over. Return to bag. Right foot starts to quiver.

01:10 am Fall asleep.

01:39 am Alarm goes off. Sleep right through it.

6:30 am Wake up. Glance at clock. Attempt to leap from bag. Become part of huge polyester/fiberfill wad in hay. Crawl to knothole. Peer into broodmare stall. See TWO sets of pinned ears.

 

[Marty]

That's a good one Dani! :aktion033:

I remember last year while waiting for "Fetus"

While watching on the moniter I had:

A bucket foal

A shadow foal

and a pile of poop foal........

Boy I swear it really does get to you after a while!

 

[coopermini]

About 4 am after watching the monitor for about 15 min. I headed out to see everyone get up. The mare in question was laying quite still with her tail fanned out . Just dark enough that I knew it was only her tail but had to check to be sure. Nothing like a nice walk to the barn at 4 am just to PO the entire barn. Only took an hour and 1/2 to get back to sleep for that last 15 min before the alarm goes off!

Nice story!

Mark

 

[minimama]

Oh I am so there!!!

 

[mamahorse]

[SIZE=18pt]I'm there. Trisket is driving me nuts.[/SIZE]

Christy :lol:

 

[Critter]

I couldn't resist this and I hope it stays on this forum and is not put on the back porch as some of you may be at your wits end waiting for your mares to foal :bgrin and some of us will be joining you very soon!!! The joys of foaling season

:

The Foal Watchby

Patty Barnhart

10:00 pm Gather sleeping bag; alarm clock and three back copies of Northwest Rider. Head for barn.

10:01 pm Return to house for bag of taco chips and an ice-cold, 32 oz Pepsi.

10:10 pm Back to barn. Flashlight goes out half way there. Figure you can make it by memory. Pat faithful ranch dog’s head as he pants and slobbers alongside.

10:11 pm Remember suddenly you have no ranch dog.

10:11 pm Run screaming to house. Change flashlight batteries. Change underwear. Return to barn.

10:15 pm Establish foal-watch headquarters in empty stall next to broodmare.

10:16 pm Enter broodmare’s stall for the 5,687th inspection of the reproductive parts.

10:16 pm Broodmare flattens ears for the 5,687th time.

10:17 pm Sigh audibly, leave stall and head for house. Dial veterinarian just to make sure he’s home.

10:18 pm Replace receiver on phone base rather than where suggested.

10:19 pm Return to barn and squirm into sleeping bag. Set alarm for one hour and shut off light.

10:20 pm Forty thousand sets of tiny feet become active as entire mouse population in the county begin wind sprints in your barn loft.

10:25 pm Sit up when something with not so tiny feet joins wind sprints in loft.

10:26 pm Flick on light – listen to absolute silence.

10:27 pm Flick off light.

10:28 pm Wind sprints resume. Big foot is winning.

11:18 pm Finally fall asleep.

11:19 pm Alarm goes off.

11:20 pm Peek through knothole at broodmare. Mare pins ears.

11:21 pm Reset alarm and flick out light.

11:23 pm Flick on light. Realize 32 oz Pepsi was a mistake. Head for house to “eliminate†problem.

11:26 pm Resist urge to phone veterinarian.

11:27 pm Trot back to barn. Left boot is sucked off in mudhole. Hobble three steps before getting stopped.

11:28 pm Return to house and change one sock.

11:29 pm Walk to barn.

11:30 pm One last check of broodmare though knothole. Ears pinned.

11:30 pm Set alarm for one hour. Turn out light.

11:40 pm Wake suddenly. Check knothole. Mare is lying down!

11:41 pm Enter broodmare stall carrying Ye Olde Foaling Manual, 3 pounds of clean rags, iodine and a tetanus shot. Mare breaks wind and gets up. Pins ears.

11:42 pm Return to sleeping bag. Flick out light.

11:52 pm Flick on light. Remove flake of hay that has accumulated in bottom of bag. Flick out light.

12:01 am Can’t hear clock. Flick on light. Clock is fine. Remove hay from ear. Flick out light.

12:29 am Fall asleep.

12:31 am Alarm goes off.

12:32 am Eyes feel like somebody put sand in them. Stagger to knothole. Extreme close-up of mare’s rear end. No change in reproductive parts. Can’t see ears. Assume pinned.

12:33 am Back into sleeping bag. Set alarm and flick out light. Left foot cramps. Shove foot against bottom of bag to relieve cramp.

12:38 am Cramp over. Relax foot.

12:39 am Left foot turns into a pretzel. Struggle out of bag and hobble around stall for 5 minutes.

12:44 am Cramp over. Return to bag. Right foot starts to quiver.

01:10 am Fall asleep.

01:39 am Alarm goes off. Sleep right through it.

6:30 am Wake up. Glance at clock. Attempt to leap from bag. Become part of huge polyester/fiberfill wad in hay. Crawl to knothole. Peer into broodmare stall. See TWO sets of pinned ears.

[Oh, that is just too funny!!!]

 

[RNR]

SOOO Funny and soooo True!!

 

[CAM]

I am typing this through the tears. Very funny! And the very reason I invested in cameras except for the fact that I too have seen the bucket foal and the poo foal and that's enough to get you out of bed fast! *LOL*

 

[slaneyrose]

I feel a bit guilty now!! lol I have the cctv set up and hooked up to a small tv by my bed. Have moved since last year so am now on the sofabed so the wire can reach the tv!! I can lie in bed with a nice cup of coffee/tea and watch my mare in comfort AND have my son watch for me if I need to catch up before a night of watching. I also set the clock for every hour (not yet tho as she isnt close enough yet, day 115 today) and have the sound turned up so if I`m sleeping and she starts circling etc I`ll hear her. Its still kinda cold here at night and I really admire all of you who sleep out in the barn with your mares.....dont think my fibromyalgia would allow that of me though!!!

......and have also had the "poo foal" experience lol my most recent one was the "cat foal" ...one of my cats has taken to sleeping with Phoenix in the foaling stall, but on a black and white camera he looked like a foal since she stands or lies right next to him at night so I thought when I first saw it it was a foal and rushed out with heart pounding with excitement!!!! O

: h dear!!

edited to add to.

 

[Danielle_E.]

I did the mare stare last year for the first time, some of you may recall it was a LONGGGGGGGGGGGG one. Unfortunately Abby decided to wait when we weren't around and we lost the foal but I have to tell you about one of the nights that was quite eventful for us humans and some critters.

It was a weekend and I had just posted on here and all the signs of imminent foaling were there, or so I thought everyone on this forum thought as well. Sooooo, my girlfried Val was over and I looked at her and said, well time to camp out in the barn. Even my grandaughter who was 3 at the time joined in. First off I thought, well I must bring the dvd player and the t.v. to the barn...so out I lug them both, then came the chairs, the futon came later,

: . So I set-up the dvd player and t.v. oops forgot the movies. Well what better way to do mare stare but to be watching horse movies of course. I brought out Seabiscuit, The return of the Black Stallion and The Horse Whisperer. We all decided, grandaughter included, to watch Seabiscuit. So we get all settled, my horses in the barn must have thought we were nuts

: . Missing were snacks and drinks, and oh of course a glass of wine

: , heck a bottle of wine

:

: so back I truck to the house. Oh yes forgot to say my mini schnauzer Pepper was following me back and forth as she wanted to be in on the action too. So I come back to the house and as I come back out with all these goodies in a big wicker basket I thought I should grab Makayla (my grandaughter's) small stuffed chair from the back deck. Up I go on the deck and come down the last step and catch out of the corner of my eye something white and black just coming out from the botton of the last step :new_shocked: Took me two seconds to realize I have no black and white cats sooooooooooooooo :new_shocked: :new_shocked: SKUNK!!!! I scream for the dog that is about to go after it, my barn cats were under the deck and when they heard me scream they scattered to the four winds as fast as their legs could carry them. I dropped the wicker basket and ran for my life and then the SMELL!!! Oh man, pungent to say the least. The dog came to me and I picked her up and smelled her coat, nope she didn't get it. Then I saw one of my orange and white barn cats rolling in my garden and through "oh oh, he got it". Went over and picked him up and smelled his fur, nope he was okay. By this time I am gagging the smell is soooo strong and disgusting. So I pick up the wicker basket, the kiddy chair I had thrown like a shot puter and proceeded to the barn. I get there and Val says "boy that smell travels" it smelled "mint" in the barn let me tell you. So we all settle in and I keep smelling the skunk smell and saying "boy that is such strong stuff, absolutely disgusting". But heck we are on mare stare, you put up with whatever you have to right? So we are watching Seabiscuit and Blue my saddlebred seems to enjoying what is going on in the barn, his head is hanging over his stall and he is watching the movie with us. Shafeena thought we were nuts and eventually just turned her back to us and went to sleep. We watched two movies and eventually I said it's time to pack it up and I will come out every hour to check on her. I pick-up the wicker basket to go back to the house and that is when it HIT ME. I smelled the basket and almost passed out. When I dropped the basket it must have been right in the line of fire of Peppy La PPPPPEEEEEEUUUUU. No wonder the smell had travelled to the barn and was so strong

: Needless to say I burned the basket, lol.

I hope this year's mare stare is more uneventful and we have 2 live foals this time and no skunks and no racoons and whatever else crosses our paths.

 

[pepperhill]

:lol: This mare stare is way to accurate! I read it to my daughters and all three of us were cackling! Thanks for sharing :lol:

 

[virginia]

Well, I personally have rescued 6 Poo foals

2 Cat foals

1 chicken foal

and 2 tail foals!!!!! :new_shocked:

With 30+ foals expected this year, I expect at least as many.

:

Ginny StP

 

[Danielle_E.]

:bgrin :bgrin :bgrin :bgrin Virginia you have me in stitches.

You know, with everything that everyone goes through during mare stare it's no wonder some of us come "unglued" by the end of the summer

: :bgrin

If anyone has some funny stories about past mare stares I would love to hear them and I am sure it would lighten up and help those pulling their hair out at this momemt with mares that are overdue or showing all the signs but making EVERYONE WAIT. Gotta love the female gender, lol. "All in good time"

:

 

[jleonard]

I'm thinking this whole stall cam thing might not be such a good idea!

: I have had it up less than a week on my first mare, and in one night I had a blanket strap foal, a tail foal, a mom's butt foal, a ball pushed under the shavings foal, and a feed dish foal. Talk about paranoid! At least now I have the camera at the right angle that everything does not look like a baby!

:

 

[EAD Minis]

OMG that is sooo funny!!Especialy the ranch dog part!!I can see me doing that!!Good luck to every one in there foaling season!

 

[Mercysmom]

I would like to add that when on mare stare, I start seeing "foals" in the pasture or stall that are not there... Mercy has had many a "foal" that ended up being a ground feeder or a pile of manure.....luckily now when she goes into labor she does a "happy dance" in her stall so there is no doubt about what she is doing.

45-58 days to go for us but the new barn cam is getting installed this weekend. Foal is still kicking...hopefully we make it to term and baby arrives alive and Intrepid is healthy and well.

Denise

Silversong Farm

 

[Dona]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[SIZE=14pt]Boy, can I relate to that!!!! And I think most anyone who has ever been on "mare stare" can too!

: [/SIZE]

 

[slaneyrose]

Wow Danielle!! That WAS an eventful night! LOL.. And there was me feeling sorry for all of you who have to do your mare stare out in the barn...heck...Seabiscuit (my fave all time movie!) snacks AND wine!! wooo hooo!! Sounds good to me!!! :aktion033: :aktion033: I`m sorry you lost your foal tho and hope this year is much better. I love the way you spell Makayla....I have a mare called that but I spell it Michaela...your way is much prettier.....although a chair name??? Hmmm.

 

[flmiller]

I couldn't resist this and I hope it stays on this forum and is not put on the back porch as some of you may be at your wits end waiting for your mares to foal :bgrin and some of us will be joining you very soon!!! The joys of foaling season

:

The Foal Watchby

Patty Barnhart

10:00 pm Gather sleeping bag; alarm clock and three back copies of Northwest Rider. Head for barn.

10:01 pm Return to house for bag of taco chips and an ice-cold, 32 oz Pepsi.

10:10 pm Back to barn. Flashlight goes out half way there. Figure you can make it by memory. Pat faithful ranch dog’s head as he pants and slobbers alongside.

10:11 pm Remember suddenly you have no ranch dog.

10:11 pm Run screaming to house. Change flashlight batteries. Change underwear. Return to barn.

10:15 pm Establish foal-watch headquarters in empty stall next to broodmare.

10:16 pm Enter broodmare’s stall for the 5,687th inspection of the reproductive parts.

10:16 pm Broodmare flattens ears for the 5,687th time.

10:17 pm Sigh audibly, leave stall and head for house. Dial veterinarian just to make sure he’s home.

10:18 pm Replace receiver on phone base rather than where suggested.

10:19 pm Return to barn and squirm into sleeping bag. Set alarm for one hour and shut off light.

10:20 pm Forty thousand sets of tiny feet become active as entire mouse population in the county begin wind sprints in your barn loft.

10:25 pm Sit up when something with not so tiny feet joins wind sprints in loft.

10:26 pm Flick on light – listen to absolute silence.

10:27 pm Flick off light.

10:28 pm Wind sprints resume. Big foot is winning.

11:18 pm Finally fall asleep.

11:19 pm Alarm goes off.

11:20 pm Peek through knothole at broodmare. Mare pins ears.

11:21 pm Reset alarm and flick out light.

11:23 pm Flick on light. Realize 32 oz Pepsi was a mistake. Head for house to “eliminate†problem.

11:26 pm Resist urge to phone veterinarian.

11:27 pm Trot back to barn. Left boot is sucked off in mudhole. Hobble three steps before getting stopped.

11:28 pm Return to house and change one sock.

11:29 pm Walk to barn.

11:30 pm One last check of broodmare though knothole. Ears pinned.

11:30 pm Set alarm for one hour. Turn out light.

11:40 pm Wake suddenly. Check knothole. Mare is lying down!

11:41 pm Enter broodmare stall carrying Ye Olde Foaling Manual, 3 pounds of clean rags, iodine and a tetanus shot. Mare breaks wind and gets up. Pins ears.

11:42 pm Return to sleeping bag. Flick out light.

11:52 pm Flick on light. Remove flake of hay that has accumulated in bottom of bag. Flick out light.

12:01 am Can’t hear clock. Flick on light. Clock is fine. Remove hay from ear. Flick out light.

12:29 am Fall asleep.

12:31 am Alarm goes off.

12:32 am Eyes feel like somebody put sand in them. Stagger to knothole. Extreme close-up of mare’s rear end. No change in reproductive parts. Can’t see ears. Assume pinned.

12:33 am Back into sleeping bag. Set alarm and flick out light. Left foot cramps. Shove foot against bottom of bag to relieve cramp.

12:38 am Cramp over. Relax foot.

12:39 am Left foot turns into a pretzel. Struggle out of bag and hobble around stall for 5 minutes.

12:44 am Cramp over. Return to bag. Right foot starts to quiver.

01:10 am Fall asleep.

01:39 am Alarm goes off. Sleep right through it.

6:30 am Wake up. Glance at clock. Attempt to leap from bag. Become part of huge polyester/fiberfill wad in hay. Crawl to knothole. Peer into broodmare stall. See TWO sets of pinned ears.

That was hysterical! :lol: When I get out of bed tonight I just know I'm going to start laughing! Then I'll annoy everyone in the house and the barn!

Thanks!

 

[Danielle_E.]

although a chair name??? Hmmm.

:lol: :bgrin I must have written that a strange way but no Makayla is my grandaughter and it was her tube chair I was getting off the deck to bring to the barn as she was helping us mare stare that night, well I think she was just excited at all the crazy things grandma was doing in the barn

: