Our foaling season is over and it was bittersweet

[StarRidgeAcres]

We lost Corona's only foal for this year a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't posted about it because it has just been so depressing. We've now waited for 2 full years for our first Corona baby and it just hasn't happened. Last year it was due to issues with our two mares we bred to him. This year it was totally our fault. I'm not going to go into the details, but this baby could have easily lived had we known more. It was a beautiful-headed red colt and was tiny, tiny, tiny. He never stood or took a breath, but looked like he would have been just as we expected - spectacular! It's taken me a couple of weeks to get over it and then last night I posted about our new addition that we bought from Dixi. I was so excited about him (and still am) but my elation was short-lived as last night just after midnight, my husband found a dead foal in the barn. It was from our Mickey Mouse daughter we purchased at auction last fall. Based on the breeding information that came with her she was still breeding with the stallion as late as August. And to look at her she looked NO WHERE NEAR ready to foal. Too tiny of a belly and NO bag. I estimated we had another 6 to 8 weeks. This is an experienced broodmare so I didn't expect her to hide the pregnancy like she obviously did. The foal was a black/white colt with paw prints. He was fully coated and about the right height of a full-term baby but he was SO skinny and his legs were SO thin. He was about 15 feet from the sac, but I just can't imagine he walked on those legs. Maybe. Either way it's heartbreaking.

So, foaling season is over. 2 healthy fillies that we're very thankful for and 2 angel colts that deserved a chance at life but didn't get it. Breeding miniatures is not for the weak-hearted. It can be such a wonderful time and such a tragic time.

Sorry for rambling.

 

[bannerminis]

Very sorry to hear your news

terrible to loose a little baby after all the waiting. Hugs to your from Ireland

 

[lvponies]

Parmela.......I am so very sorry for the loss of your 2 babies!!

{{{HUGS}}}

 

[Genie]

Sorry to hear of your troubles and you are so right about the final comment.

Certainly not for the "faint of heart".

I am so tired and with 3, maybe 4 to still arrive I am certainly rethinking 2009 plans.

Wishing you all the best in the future!

 

[PrestigeMiniHorses]

Awww Parmela I am so very sorry for your losses.

Seems this foaling season has been very bitter sweat. I just got word yesterday that my friend has lost 2-3 foals this year I believe it was. Very sad thats for sure.

 

[minie812]

Parmela, I am so very sorry. We lost two in a week of each other. A colt & a filly. We had waited so long for this breeding to our Buckaroo g-son four years. Exactly as I had dreamed of and ...gone. It is depressing but like you said...not for the faint of heart. We have one mare left to foal and we are watching her closely.

 

[minimomNC]

I am so sorry Parmela, we also lost a long awaited baby that was exactly what we asked for, but she only lived 9 days. Sometimes it just wasn't meant to be is a little hard to take, but it is true. Don't beat yourself up about your foals, sometimes things just happen.

 

[midnight star stables]

Parmela, I am So sorry to hear about all of your losses

My heart goes out to you

 

[MInx]

OH pamela please know how sorry we are at your loss..I know it's so darn hard but take heart in the beautiful two fillies you got and enoys their joy at life and watch them grow

Maxine

 

[CrescentMinis]

Parmela, I am so very sorry to read about what you have gone through this year. You are right on about this not being for the faint of heart: it is so devastating when something goes wrong. My first mare to foal here ever foaled a few weeks early and we weren't there to help, lost a beautiful filly I had been dreaming of for a long time. Again, so sorry for the losses.

 

[yellerroseintx]

ooooohhh..I am soo very sorry for you....we know it happens but it doesn't make it an easier..still breaks our hearts(((hugs))))

 

[Maxi'sMinis]

So sorry to hear of your loss, it is very tough, I know. I am thankful you have some little ones to carry you through this sad time.

 

[BuckNappy]

Im so very sorry

Dont beat yourself up,We all know that we do the best we can.Its so hard watching every mare 24/7.I have a mare due within the next week.I have been very lucky this year in having 4 healthy foals.We were very lucky to have caught each one on camera and be there for their birth.I get so nervous that I will miss a birth and lose a foal.My heart goes out to you.

 

[albahurst]

I am so sorry.

Peggy

 

[nootka]

I am so sorry, Parmela...it's never easy to accept these losses, but you have to know you did the best you could with the information you had at the time.

My condolences,

Liz M.

 

[Sarah's Little Blessings]

OH NO PARMELA! I am so so so so sorry!!! HUGS go out to you and their mom's.... try not to be to hard on yourself. I know its terribly hard! I thank God you have the mares left though... If you need anything, I'm right down the road in TN!

I bet all three of our boys(including my little CC) are having a blast!!! Even though we'd have loved to see them here playing..

 

[RJRMINIS]

So so sorry Parmela. I had a rough start to the year as well, seems like you have good and bad years, and NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY.....you can't always be by their side 24/7....And when they go with no warning signs, you just have no way of knowing. PLEASE do not feel bad, I know I tend to blame myself for the what-ifs but you just can't.....

Hang in there....

 

[eagles ring farm]

so sorry Pamela

we had our first 2 loses last year and it is a horrible feeling leaves you in a trance like state

like why do I do this, but when you look at your 2 healthy beautiful fillies that tells you why

it still happens even when you cover every base possible it is very heartbreaking sometimes

breeding horses (minis especially) but it is also bittersweet as you said.

So glad you have your fillies to distract you some from the loses

so sorry again

((((HUGS))))))

Lori

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Thank you everyone for being so supportive. Losing some can really take the joy out of having the ones that make it, but I'm trying not to let that happen too much.

As I've had the day to think more about it I'm wondering about fescue toxicity related tot he one we lost last night. The vet is coming tomorrow to examine the mare (I think there's a chance the placenta didn't come out entirely) and we've saved the placenta and the foal for her to look at. I know that's pretty gross but I really want to know what went wrong.

I know it can cause a thickening of the placenta, but can it also cause the foal to be underweight and/or delivered early? This foal, to me untrained eye, just looks too thin. It's covered in hair like a full-term foal, but it's body was just so thin and not very filled out at all.

Thoughts?

 

[eagles ring farm]

they can be pretty pueney (sp?) untill that first good 24 hrs of nursing

I always notice a big difference in ours within 24 hrs they seem to fill out