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Post by dalesponyrider on May 22, 2009 9:46:15 GMT -1
As a matter of interest, how often do you check your mares in the night when they are due to foal? I thought every hour was reasonable and now someone has told me I'm being silly. I don't have a web cam!
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Post by DalesLady on May 22, 2009 10:15:01 GMT -1
We have cctv linked to the tv in the bedroom, but I only check every 2-3 hours, funny thing being that I can sense the movement when I am asleep and woke up as Maverick was beginning to arrive having been asleep for four hours the night he arrived!
modified to make it clearer this is only our previous experience based on how our mares were! I think if my ponies were different ones, (like this year), I would be checking more for sure.
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Post by harveydales on May 22, 2009 11:30:02 GMT -1
Just been talking to Irene about this, the pre-web cam days when she worked on a stud farm. They would only check a couple of times through the night so that's about every 3 hours I suppose adn 9 times out of 10 the mare would wait until no one was around. But when it's your own pony and after all the 2 of you ahve been through I can understand why you are checking so often. But I think you need to think about your own health too. It can't be much longer.....
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Post by cadeby on May 22, 2009 12:47:54 GMT -1
When we think foaling is imminent we check every 30 minutes  It is exhausting, but since a textbook foaling should only take 20 minutes, things can go wrong very quickly. Years ago, we lost a Percheron foal that was breach because we only did 3 hour checks. We have never forgiven ourselves, even though there is no guarantee that the outcome would have been any different had we been there. We made a vow on that day that since we humans choose to put our mares in-foal, we owe it to them to do our absolute best to try and see them safely through the process. We don't have CCTV which would make life lots easier. Martin and I do shifts - four hours on, four hours off. We are lucky because we don't have to get up for work/family commitments the next day, so we do realise that this sort of system cannot work for everybody. Our advice would be to make discrete visual checks, trying not to disturb the mare, at least every hour in the final stages. Be guided by your instincts. D is your mare and you know her best. 11 months is a long time to wait for a foal and a week or two of sleep deprivation is worth the end result  Is there anyone else who can do some of the checks for you, so that you can get some rest? |
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Post by DalesLady on May 22, 2009 13:06:41 GMT -1
good point indeed Helen. You can't be too careful can you. Linda, I am only talking of the experiences we have had so far (above), and none of them have taken long at all. One mare doesnt show any signs before she foals, so its hard to know when to begin checking at all. I think if I knew it were more imminent I would be up and awake and sleep would be forgotten. Diana was easier to predict, but only the night before, and half way through the night I realised she was waiting to go outside in the morning and sure enough, 20 minutes after going out, she foaled! Good luck Linda, hang in there. There is a saying which tells us that the mare will foal when she is ready, and another which tells us they wait until our backs are turned, so us humans therefore just have to be onhand guessing and remaining quietly hidden and that is the hardest part. When foalette arrives you will forget how tired you are and how worrying and difficult it has been, at least for a while. I hope she produces soon. You are exhausted, but will soon be elated. That filly is worth the wait.  |
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Post by sunny on May 22, 2009 14:09:53 GMT -1
On behalf of Linda, thanks for those replies which I will relay to her. I offered her time to go to bed this afternoon and made the mistake of going into Saturn's field without my phone...as it was all arranged. Well, Linda tried to phone me to check all was ok before she went to sleep and then appeared in a panic as I hadn't replied! I am very cross with myself as she desperately needed a rest but she's promising to relax this afternoon. I do hope D foals tonight. She is very affectionate at the moment and appears quite realxed so i do think she's been practising her yoga!
Keep all your fingers crossed for tonight pleeeeease!
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Post by zeldalithgow on May 22, 2009 15:33:35 GMT -1
Everything well and truly crossed here  |
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Post by leannwithconnie on May 22, 2009 15:34:45 GMT -1
Fingers crossed for tonight then D. |
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Post by Anna on May 22, 2009 16:25:54 GMT -1
When we think foaling is imminent we check every 30 minutes It is exhausting, but since a textbook foaling should only take 20 minutes, things can go wrong very quickly. Years ago, we lost a Percheron foal that was breach because we only did 3 hour checks. We have never forgiven ourselves, even though there is no guarantee that the outcome would have been any different had we been there. We made a vow on that day that since we humans choose to put our mares in-foal, we owe it to them to do our absolute best to try and see them safely through the process. We don't have CCTV which would make life lots easier. Martin and I do shifts - four hours on, four hours off. We are lucky because we don't have to get up for work/family commitments the next day, so we do realise that this sort of system cannot work for everybody. Our advice would be to make discrete visual checks, trying not to disturb the mare, at least every hour in the final stages. Be guided by your instincts. D is your mare and you know her best. 11 months is a long time to wait for a foal and a week or two of sleep deprivation is worth the end result  Is there anyone else who can do some of the checks for you, so that you can get some rest? Echo, wholey and completely. Couldn't have worded it better so I'm just echoing. |
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Post by sammy on May 22, 2009 16:29:12 GMT -1
We also have cctv now but when Victoria foaled 2yrs ago we didn't have it set up in her stable as Delight was lame etc etc!! I checked Victoria every 2hrs during the night but at one check she was fine and the next the foal was just appearing. I should have been doing hourly checks at lest! Go with what you think is best, don't mind anyone else, your pony. your foal!! Rightly or wrongly, once my ponies start to foal I am with them all the way. I don't leave them alone until I have an afterbirth and the foal is up and suckling and has done what it should after that and mare and foal have bonded. Eleven months is a long time to wait for a foal, hang on in there, from what you say not long now. If she is now running milk I would be doing 30 min checks. Best of luck, hope all goes well |
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Post by tinkerdorisalison on May 22, 2009 19:03:18 GMT -1
if someone says you are being silly then they are very tactless and not vry helpful.  I was torn last year whether to stay up or go to bed, luckily I woke up 12.45am and popped out and doris was there - foals feet out. would probably try and be reasonable and trust her to do it ... rubbish reasoning I know |
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Post by dalesponyrider on May 23, 2009 12:39:42 GMT -1
Thanks guys! I will continue to check every hour and every half hour if I think something has changed. I've only done 2 nights out of the 10 doing half hour checks, all the rest have been hourly.
Last night wasn't so bad as D seemed to sense my complete exhaustion and stay where I could see her most of the night. I only had to get dressed and search in the cold to find her once!
No, there isn't anyone else to do the night time checks and I am trying not to panic at all the clients I've had to cancel! My bank balance is asking D to produce very quickly! LOL!
Everything is on hold until we have a live, healthy foal. Things are going to be incredibly hectic once it's here but it will all be worth it!
Thanks once again for the reassurance guys!
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Post by leannwithconnie on May 23, 2009 13:59:15 GMT -1
Good luck Linda...I feel sure she will foal this weekend. |
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Post by jap on May 23, 2009 16:33:37 GMT -1
after speaking with linda this afternoon i sincerely hope that "D" gives birth soon.lol.
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It is exhausting, but since a textbook foaling should only take 20 minutes, things can go wrong very quickly.
