Sending a mare to foal at stud

[flintfootfilly]

Just wondered if anyone has any tips about sending a mare to foal at stud. I know it's not particularly common (to say the least!) with Dales mares, but would be grateful for any thoughts....... whether it's regards how to find out about studs that take mares in for foaling, best ways of finding a stud where the mare will be well cared for, approximate prices, the kind of facilities you might expect, how early the mare should go to stud before likely foaling date, how soon people would travel a newborn foal and mare back from stud, oh and I guess also whether anyone's aware of any Dales stallion owners who take in visiting mares to foal and then be covered on their foal heat....... and whether it's worth having the mare flushed out if opting for covering on the foaling heat?

Lots of questions! Just one line of thought that I want to explore a bit at the moment!

Sarah

[dalesvic]

Hi Sarah,

I don't know anything about the subject really, and can't really answer your questions. Just thought I'd add that I know End House Stud at Gisburn take mares for foaling. I spent a couple of weeks there last Easter, when they had mares visiting.

During the day they go down to a turn-out paddock all together where they are fed haylage. They then come back in at around 4.30 to the indoor arena, and more haylage.
The ones that were closest to foaling would be stabled at night in foaling boxes, and they had CCTV and would wear a foaling alarm.

I doubt it is the place for you but just thought I would add it anyway.

[flintfootfilly]

Thanks for that Vicky! I think I'm going to sound out my vets and the local tack shops and find out if there's anywhere really local who does this. There's a good chance I may be away the week that Dora is due to foal........ though who knows whether or not she'll actually foal "on schedule" anyway. LOL. But just want to be well prepared. Another option is to rig up a webcam which I can keep an eye on long distance (I'll be a 4 hour drive away), and to ask my ponysitter to take temperatures twice daily so that we can predict the likely foaling day. It worked for Megz and that was my first attempt at that, so it's definitely worth another go. Don;t really fancy a 4 hour drive each morning and each evening to come back home to check on her, but hey, there's a lot of water under the bridge til we reach that stage anyway, so plenty of time to think things through further.

Thanks again! Much appreciated.

Sarah

[dalesvic]

Yea, I'd have thought your vets should have an idea who could offer it locally. There's a good chance that Dora won't foal during that week I suppose, but then they always seem to do what you don;t want them to! You certainly don't want to be travelling 8 hours a day anyway!

It's interesting to hear that you predicted Megz foaling date by taking her temperature, I knew you had done it but had forgotten.Lets hope Dora is as predictable as Megz

I'm sure you'll sort something out Sarah, you always seem to think of everything so I'm sure it will work out- and it is a long way away yet as you say ;D

[shaklana]

when it comes to problem spotting and solving, the dilligence and expertise of the person given responsibility is worth 100x more than flashy facilities and monitoring equipment. can you get a suitable person to care for her at home that week?

[flintfootfilly]

Alison, I just don't want to presume too much of my ponysitter, so would prefer to have a few alternatives. But I trust my ponysitter totally, and she's foaled her own mares at home in the past. But I suppose the other thing in my mind is that I'm the only one who really knows what is normal behaviour for Dora and what isn't, so I do still want to be able to keep an eye on her one way or another to watch for more subtle changes.

Sarah

[shaklana]

well then dora will have to travel with you! seriously though, to send her away you're looking at around 4mths away: 2mths before for dora to produce antibodies to the local diseases and 2mths after for the foal to be tough enough to face the challenges (both medical and physical) of moving to a new environment.

[Debbie]

There's a good point shaklana...the mare does indeed need to be exposed to the new environment/diseases well in advance in order to produce usefull antibiodies for her foal I'd completely forgotten about that.

I do hope you can come up with a system that will make you feel comfortable Sarah...that's gotta be scary having to travel when one of your girls is foaling. Although it is heartening to know the sitter's foaled her own...she's better prepared with the 'what if's' and the whole foaling thing then.