Bow's 2015 Foaling

Bow is 314 days today.

I have prepped her stall and wrapped/braided her tail since she's been itching it like crazy and has ripped chunks of it out. She is very uncomfortable, evident from her constantly switching the feet she rests on, the itching, deep sighing, and looking back at her sides when the baby kicks or moves.

I did notice something odd, I don't even know if its important though. I was in another part of our barn and glanced over at her stall and saw her winking, like she was trying to pee. She kept on doing this for a minute or two, straining to pee. She did finally end up peeing and she let out the deepest sigh of relief I have ever heard. I don't know what the cause was of this though?

Her milk hasn't changed. I do think her milk is getting to be a darker yellow? The taste is also different, not sweet, salty, or bland. Kind of an odd taste. The ph is also about a 7.2 so its dropped from a 7.8.

Pics:

Went down to see her today after having an unsettling dream about her that had nothing to do with her pregnancy. (I actually had a dream that she got lost in a blizzard and I had to find her.)

Ol' well. She's fine. VERY grumpy, out of character for her. She swatted her tail at me when I was around her hind end and was actually keeping her tail clamped down when she walked, which I found odd since she had little to no resistance in her hindend left. She also did not like me messing with her stomach and kept pinning her ears back when she looked back towards her sides.

She was stalled over night and I let her out of her stall into the dry lot with the other mares. She is getting more and more pushy with them but doesn't mind their company. Vulva is still long, still rubbing her tail, bag is full, milk is still yellow, etc. Belly dropped again.

she looks great. Don't you love how they keep you guessing??

No. No I don't. lmao

Still the same tonight. Hoping it changes soon. :/

A few updates today.

1. She did not eat all of her hay last night, which is new since before hand she would leave it empty.

2. Her milk is FINALLY cloudier. The picture makes it seem like its not, but trust me it is.

3. My 5 year old filly who is attached to this mare's hip, first thing when I let Bow out of her stall, Connor the filly, tried to nurse and spent a lot of time sniffing Bow's tail and vulva. This is new behavior for this filly.

4. She has been laying down more often, rubbing, and now kicking her belly; which is new.

Pictures:

I think she was actually nosing around and smelling the milk. I think most of the herd can actually sense that she's close, because I had to the sire of the unborn foal in with the mares to work with him (he is gelded now) and he walked passed the mares in flaming heat and went straight to her to sniff her belly, nicker, and sniff her bag. He's a smart horse and was with the mares year-round through out their pregnancies, foaling, and weaning. So I think he can tell what's going on and so can the other horses.

317 days

I feel like we're going nowhere. lol Her teats are finally filling in though and this is day two of not eating her hay overnight.

Lol I had to ask my mom if her milk had become more cloudy or not because I've been staring the the stuff for two-three weeks now and I think it throws me off.

She's looking perfect. Her vulva is super relaxed and her nipples are filling in and her milk is a nice, dark, cloudy, yellow.

I do have a question though. I have a watched her urinate a few times and she's had to stand and wait for it to come. She'll stand and wink for a minute or so until she finally pees. And clue what's causing that?

pH tonight was also a 7.2 tonight, so no difference ther .

Pretty sure her pH has dropped down to 7.0. I'm not sure, based on the strips. I'll post them in a few.

I know it looks like it should be more of a 7.8, but its not. This strips is a lot lighter, but the pic doesn't do it justice at all.

This is a 7.8 with these strips at 303 days.

Alright, ph tests from today and last night.

10 pm June 2nd:



5 am June 3rd:



11 am June 3rd:



The 11 am pic doesn't show how light it truly is. This test wasn't like the ones before where it went dark and had the dark edges and was kind of imbetween. This time is was trying really hard to be an orangish tone.

Ill second that , best of luck , don't think you will be waiting much longer

Shhhh guys. She needs to stick it out at least until Thursday night at 4pm. That way I have all weekend to watch her.

I seriously don't know how you don't have a baby yet! For the past week I've been watching your thread feeling confident that your new post will be a picture of a baby, but your mare just keeps holding on! While I think you are now at the point of no return, I will cross my fingers that she waits until tomorrow at 4 for you

Went out this morning and we have a DEFINITE 6.8 pH test result. There are no doubts in my mind that its orange. Before hand I was very unsure as to what they were because they REALLY wanted to be orange but were still reddish.

Milk is still a cloudy, thick, super sticky, yellow. I was able to get a lot more out this morning than before.

I have a two hour college class tomorrow morning that is an hour away, and I'm not sure if I can justify being away from her for four hours and this close....Skip day!

Pics:







pH tests:

Natural sunlight:



Barn Light:

I'm camping out in the barn tonight. From my observations over the past four hours, she is starting to have loose, soft stools, and is urinating more often. I did douse her in fly spray because they're bad, but also because I wasn't sure if she was kicking at flies or her baby. She is definitely kicking at her baby.

Her appetite has not changed nor has her herd behavior and she does not mind me being in her stall whatsoever.

I'm hoping for tonight or tomorrow morning.

6.2 pH this morning.

Well she needs to have that baby already!