Candice
Well-Known Member
This was just awful. The night before I was starting to wonder if the foal was possibly transverse due to her abnormal shape. She was only 304 days so I figured on Monday I'd have the vet look at her and see what she thought. Everything was progressing normal with her pregnancy. The up and down of her bag the color and the consistency of her "milk". Very normal for what I would expect to see at her stage. I believed she would foal sometime over the next two weeks.
Yesterday morning was very normal. Nothing out of the ordinary at all with her. I felt no reason to pull her from the herd yet. Around noon hubby was out mowing and came in and told me that she was down and rolling. I immediately went out and she appeared to be repositioning the foal. We put her in a stall and she immediately laid down and started pushing. I didn't panic yet. I was getting everything out preparing for the delivery. My only worry was that I didn't know if her water had broken yet or not. As soon as I got everything out I gloved up and took a look. Nothing visible. Had hubby immediately call the vet. Our vet was away (never fails) so we got the on call vet and he talked hubby and I thru this. He had back to back colics and could not get to us.
As soon as I went in, I found NOTHING. Very deep I found the unbroken sac and felt a brief glimmer of hope for the foal. I broke the sac. In a very dreadful and stuck position was the foal. I located the ear and worked my way to the muzzle and could not budge that head. I pushed, pulled, twisted and could not move this foal. At that point hubby and I switched out. After a very long time of maneuvering he was able to get the head up and around and one leg. Then we had a horrible time getting the second front leg. Eventually we were able to pull the foal out. A gorgeous Palomino Colt!!! Pure agony.
The vet helping us did not know when he'd be able to be out to tend to my poor mare. I called another vet and he was able to come right out. I gave her banamine straight away and with his care she is doing very well. Accepting the loss of her foal was very traumatic for her. She was frantically trying to get him up. I think this was the worst, most agonizing part of the ordeal.
Doc examined the afterbirth. Upon examining the cord he found an area he didn't like the looks of and he says he believes the foal somehow twisted the cord (one of the 2% chance of happening things), and had died. He says its not a concrete diagnosis, but based on what was presented to him and the position of the foal, he believes this to be what happened.
We are just devastated!! The loss is so overwhelming. I know I can't keep dwelling on what could have been because it never will be, but dang!!! This is just awful.
If we can get our mare thru this with no founder or infection and a good solid recovery, life will be good. Her spirits seem good and she seems like her old self. She's plenty unhappy about being on a hay only diet at the moment. I take that as a very good sign. Things are looking very good for her recovery which is a total blessing.
I wish everyone a safe happy foaling season. If you are like us and very new at this, read everything!!!!! Book knowledge isn't "applied knowlege," but its still knowledge and a definite bonus in a crisis situation. I knew what had to be done. I just needed the vet to reassure me that it was ok.
I do not take photos of our losses as they will never be forgotten.
Yesterday morning was very normal. Nothing out of the ordinary at all with her. I felt no reason to pull her from the herd yet. Around noon hubby was out mowing and came in and told me that she was down and rolling. I immediately went out and she appeared to be repositioning the foal. We put her in a stall and she immediately laid down and started pushing. I didn't panic yet. I was getting everything out preparing for the delivery. My only worry was that I didn't know if her water had broken yet or not. As soon as I got everything out I gloved up and took a look. Nothing visible. Had hubby immediately call the vet. Our vet was away (never fails) so we got the on call vet and he talked hubby and I thru this. He had back to back colics and could not get to us.
As soon as I went in, I found NOTHING. Very deep I found the unbroken sac and felt a brief glimmer of hope for the foal. I broke the sac. In a very dreadful and stuck position was the foal. I located the ear and worked my way to the muzzle and could not budge that head. I pushed, pulled, twisted and could not move this foal. At that point hubby and I switched out. After a very long time of maneuvering he was able to get the head up and around and one leg. Then we had a horrible time getting the second front leg. Eventually we were able to pull the foal out. A gorgeous Palomino Colt!!! Pure agony.
The vet helping us did not know when he'd be able to be out to tend to my poor mare. I called another vet and he was able to come right out. I gave her banamine straight away and with his care she is doing very well. Accepting the loss of her foal was very traumatic for her. She was frantically trying to get him up. I think this was the worst, most agonizing part of the ordeal.
Doc examined the afterbirth. Upon examining the cord he found an area he didn't like the looks of and he says he believes the foal somehow twisted the cord (one of the 2% chance of happening things), and had died. He says its not a concrete diagnosis, but based on what was presented to him and the position of the foal, he believes this to be what happened.
We are just devastated!! The loss is so overwhelming. I know I can't keep dwelling on what could have been because it never will be, but dang!!! This is just awful.
If we can get our mare thru this with no founder or infection and a good solid recovery, life will be good. Her spirits seem good and she seems like her old self. She's plenty unhappy about being on a hay only diet at the moment. I take that as a very good sign. Things are looking very good for her recovery which is a total blessing.
I wish everyone a safe happy foaling season. If you are like us and very new at this, read everything!!!!! Book knowledge isn't "applied knowlege," but its still knowledge and a definite bonus in a crisis situation. I knew what had to be done. I just needed the vet to reassure me that it was ok.
I do not take photos of our losses as they will never be forgotten.