how early is too early?

[cilla]

Hi again hope ye dont get fed up with my silly questions. How early can a mare foal when it is ok and the foal is fully formed or what would be called a premature foal. I have a mare who is at 295 days if she went soon would the foal be ok. Also can somone explain what a dummy foal is? Thanks i find all the advice great.

 

[Eagle]

No question is a silly question here so don't worry about asking, that is what we are here for.

I thinkMary has had a live foal at around 303 days but she will confirm when she reads. This was talked about last year, I will post the link for you.

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.php?showtopic=128151

A dummy foal is what foals with lack of oxygen at the birth are called, here is an excellent link

http://www.equinews.com/article/dummy-foals

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

We have had several in the early 300s that are healthy happy foals, our first foal this year is a filly at 303 days. They are a bit weaker when this early, generally down more in the legs, might take a bit more to nurse and everything, but with proper attention and excersise (once they are nursing well) they turn out just fine. We generally give ours some colostrum by syringe just to give them a boost until they get all the nursing figured out, the excersise later is to help strengthen their legs if they are weak. I am pretty sure some people on here have had viable foals in the 290s but that would make me a bit nervous, I always figure 300 days as the "safe zone", not saying its not possible to have a live healthy foal before then but more rare.

 

[targetsmom]

Those who remember Max, he was born at 303 days, fully developed and (other than having a leg back) had no issues at all at birth. We also had one born at 299 days that didn't get out of the sac but was fully formed and the necropsy report said he was fully developed. I think I have read on here of foals surviving as early as 285 days, but many people use 300 days as the time to watch closely, bring into foaling stall and heave a slight sigh of relief that they got that far. I move that up a few days based on our experience and am relaxing just a tiny bit myself as one mare hit 300 days yesterday and the other one hits 300 days on Saturday. It sounds like your mare was bred about the same time as ours, so I would be watching her closely but feeling relief that if she foaled at this point she could have a fully formed, healthy foal. Keep us posted!

 

[chandab]

Some vet articles I've read say that any foal born at less than 320 days gestation are considered premature. Guess they had to have a "target date" to go by. But, as Mary said, some babies are fully developed and ready before that magic "number of days".

I'm guessing that the 320 days mostly refers to full-size horses; we all know that minis don't follow the book nor any vet articles out there.

 

[Gone_Riding]

I can't wait! My sister-in-law is in school at WSU to be a vet, and she is a HUGE mini fan and has one herself. She wants to work a lot with the minis but unfortunately, Diane is right! Most vets don't handle minis if at all. The best vet "near me" that has real mini experience is over 50 miles away. Here, the vets are all farm or small animal vets. It's frustrating.

Cilla, I love your "silly questions"! I wonder the same things as I'm new to the whole "pregnant mini" adventure. To top it off, I started with a maiden. I'm learning "Sadie is as Sadie does". In other words, Chanda is right. Minis do their own thing!

 

[chandab]

At least since there are a few sheep raisers around here, the vets do have a limited inventory of smaller supplies, so that helps a little bit.

I work with two vets, one each in two different towns; I'm 50 miles from one vet and 60 from the other, so not matter what I do, its not cheap (oh, and in case you were wondering, I'm 40 miles from the closest town, and you couldn't pay me to use that vet again). And, since they both opened up, my horses have decided they should meet the vets and get to know them; both vets have been here at least once a year for the horses since they opened their practices (one new practice, the other took over my previous vet's practice). [One of the vets is also the one hubby uses for cattle work, so preg-checking, bangs vaccinating, c-sections, and I'm sure something new might come up.]

 

[AnnaC]

Yes, I always count 300 as the 'huge sigh' date to aim for, plus this is when we aim to start stabling our mares at night. But I have had 2 full term foals born in the mid to end of the 290's, both foals were fine, drinking etc, but they were a little skinny and weak in the legs for a couple of days. Plenty of 'drinkies' and the opportunity to exercise those legs and they were soon up on par with the foals nearer the 320 day mark.

 

[cilla]

Thanks a mill for all the info. I have my mare oreo under camara and am keeping both eyes on her. She is huge and her bump is all under her now. She cant relax at all and is up and down all night she doesnt have a huge bag yet so she may go another while. Cant seam to put photos as i was my phone. Put will keep ye posted

 

[Eagle]

Sending prayers for a safe and easy foaling.

 

[cilla]

Oreos foal doing a tap dance inside of mum this evening. I have never felt such movement before. Makes it all so real. Isnt it the best feeling ever. Sorry but i am so delighted by it .

 

[lexischase]

Feeling the foal kick is the best feeling!!

 

[Eagle]

Yes I agree, it always gets me excited too

 

[cilla]

Hi still watching oreo she is day 319 now. She has a grand bag now. This evening a nipples are gone shiny and slippy to touch. She isnt waxed up. Has anyone seen this before.

 

[Eagle]

Sounds like she is very close, a shiny warm bag is a sign they are ready. Can we see some pics please?

sending prayers for a safe foaling

 

[AnnaC]

Oooooo sounds exciting. Now is the time to be camping out right next to her stall (or in it if she doesn't mind!)!!

Good luck and safe foaling.

 

[cilla]

Cant seam to put up photos not from the lack of trying i use my phone and dont have great internet.. Thats what living in the middle of nowhere has to offer. This is oreos first foal and i am so worried about her. This time last year i had my first mini foal and i lost both mare and foal. I will never forget it. I think i must be mad to go through this again.i am so afraid it will all go wrong again.

 

[Eagle]

If you can email the pics to me I can post them for you.

[email protected]

I am so sorry to hear that you lost both your mare and foal,

that must have been devastating. Do you have a vet near you that you can call if you need help? Make sure you watch the videos of red sac births so you know what to do if that should happen and read all about the possible dystocias. Being fully prepared is a must with every mini birth but even more with a maiden.

It is important to check on her throughout the night and as Anna suggested it is just easier to pull up a chair outside her stall.

Feel free to ask any question that pops into your head, we are here to help

 

[cilla]

Thank you so much i have a camra on oreo and my vet is great.. It will be one year tommoro that i lost ivy. She was the first mini i brought. Only found out she was in foal after i got her. Was so looking foreward to the foal. I slept in the stall with her for the last week or so. She started to foal at 6.30 april14. The foal got stuck at the shoulders . The vet was out ten min after i called him but foal was dead it failed him to move the foal and he had to use a calving jack to get her out. The foal was huge half the size of ivy herself. Found out after she was left run with a welsh stallion. Ivy was only 30 inchs. She never got up after foaling vet tryed so hard to save her but she went to join her little filly a few hours later. Tommorow we are going to plant a tree in her meomory. My two mares this year are in foal to my own 30 inch stallion. Oreo is 40 inchs so i really hope huge foals wont be a problem this year. It is great to have somewhere to voice my fears.

 

[Eagle]

Thank you for sharing them with us (hug)

It sounds like you have a perfect set up with the cam on her. I am sure all will be just fine this year with your small stallion.