Mare Stare

[Whispering_Pines]

Can someone please explain how Mare Stare works? What do you do to set it up? You need a camera correct? That is not provided by Mare Stare? I get the concept of the program but have no idea where to start?

Val

 

[countrymini]

Hi Val

I haven't used it but a lot of the girls on here have so they'll let you know what to do to get set up. Do you have a mare due soon?

Hayley

 

[AnnaC]

Hi Val - great to have you and your sweet Ginny join us here in the Nutty Nursery!

This is a great forum with a lot of friendly folk with plenty of experience with pregnant and foaling mares, so take your time to read through the thread and get to know us. Also fire away with any questions you might have, however silly they may seem, as someone here will be able to help.

But be warned - we are all a little 'quirky' (mad!!), hence the 'Nutty' Nursery, mostly the consequence of long hours of hair tearing and worry to get our girls through their pregnancies and the new babies safely on the ground.

I cant help with your Marestare question as I dont use it here, but someone will tell you all about it before too long. Meanwhile, as I said, do join in, let us have your thoughts and comments on the other threads - this is a friendly fun place to be!

 

[weerunner]

If you're on a budget there is also MareWatchers.com. It is a heck of a lot cheaper and you get impeccable service (50$ for the whole year!). That is my provider and I'm pleased as punch with them.

You will need a camera, a real high quality wireless works, but I had a cheaper one and it did not work, so I bought myself a wired cam,. Then you need a Dazzle. Most tech stores sell them for about 50$ (this is canadian prices but should give you an idea). If you're camera is wired you'll need the cable and connectors, etc.. The people at Marewatchers could probably give you good advice on that too.

Once you have all that and have it set up and plugged in the Marewatcher people take over your computer with a program that shares computers and they set things up for you. Easy as pie.

Next thing you know someone is calling you at 2 in the morning cause your horse is looking like she's in labour and you didin't have to lose 4 days of sleep to be there for her. It is the best thing since sliced bread as far as I'm concerned. I can even watch my mares while I'm at work.

I use it to watch the weanlings in ;their first few days alone to make sure they are safe and also for newly gelded animals to make sure they are ok the first week or so. It is priceless for me.

 

[Bonny]

I use camstreams.com, its FREE. All you have to do is get your own barn camera set up. I have heard some people have issues with camstreams on set up, but we didnt and from what I understand its usually a setting in your router.

 

[targetsmom]

What you need: a computer hooked via high speed internet (I don't think dial up works), a camera (wireless cams often don't work), a Dazzle to hook the camera to the computer, and then a provider such as Marestare. I have only worked with Marestare, which provides software and they can tell you exactly what you need and hook you up by remote. I would also suggest that you get a foal buzzer ($55) to attach to the halter, and then a baby monitor so that you can get "buzzed" when the mare goes down to foal. One of our mares never did lie flat to foal this year and I thank the watchers on this forum (but the other side of the world!) for calling to let me know. Luckily I was already up and tossing more clothes on and about to head out the door. Yes, it helps if you sleep in your clothes because you do not have much time!!!

 

[Eagle]

Marestare worked great for me and is very easy to set up. You buy a video cam that is suitable for you depending on where your horses are, i.e do you have internet in your barn or is your barn close enough to your house, do you have a good connection and do you have wifi???? Once you have decided what type of connection you have you can purchase your cam. My foaling stall is right up by the house so my wifi can connect direct to my cam therefore I don't need a dazzle. The cam I have is similar to this:

http://www.amazon.com/Lorex-LW2110-Wireless-Digital-Security/dp/B004T9Y0MW/ref=sr_1_118?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1360603280&sr=1-118&keywords=surveillance+cam

I hope this helps

Renee

 

[happy appy]

Mare stare is easy to use, great group of watchers. I have used it before and will be using it this time too. All the watchers helped alert me to my mare starting labour and with out me she wouldn't of delivered the foal on her own. He never presented correctly, one leg back and a should lock.

 

[Whispering_Pines]

Well girls I did call Marestare today and what a bummer, I can not use thier services, I am hooked up with wireless cameras at our barn, some of you may remember Ginny is a mile down the road on our property, we are moving over there the beginning of March or when she gets closer. We have a 35 foot camper there with heat, we decided not to move her to our house d/t the stress of being moved out of her environment. I can watch her from my computer at home, but in order to allow everyone to watch her it would take logging in to our remote cameras with a password and code, I am not sure thats a great idea. The vet told me today she tested aproximately 90 days the middle of August. That would be correct, the girl I purchased her from stated she was bred the first week of May.

 

[Eagle]

oh what a shame

we have logged onto remote cams before but you must do whatever you feel comfortable with.

 

[rubyviewminis]

I too still have a few questions before I pester Heather again. My cam is about 85 feet from the house, wireless, and works great. Currently we have it connected to an old tv for viewing. Heather said it will all work, I just will need a splitter and something to connect the tv to the computer, to the cam. (I need to reread her email, and more coffee). So my cam is similar to the one Renee posted. Why would I need or not need a Dazzle? I also have a wired camera if we need to go that route. I had better get busy today getting set up since today is her 291 day. I am really getting nervous and excited!

 

[Eagle]

I think a dazzle is so you can run the cam through both the tv and the pc. Does your cam have it's own program to put on internet? if so you can just run it direct to pc. Having a dazzle and running it through the tv too does allow you to see your mare on a much bigger screen though.

 

[rubyviewminis]

Wow, thanks, I didn't know that. I just got the cam, I bet they all have internet capabilities now.