It's that time of year again...foal watch can commence. How apprapo since it is Mother's Day!
It's going to be a bit more work this year, than last because I set up the foaling pen at the river ranch instead of bringing my mare to town. By the time the weather allowed me to get her out without giving her the trailer ride from hell over rough gravel roads, she was too close to her due date to risk moving her to unfamiliar surroundings. So I will be driving to the ranch daily to check her. My brother lives in the house there, so can keep his eye on her throughout the day.
I much prefer to have my mares closer to me, when they foal, cause I love getting to see the baby move and watch for changes...
About all I will really be able to see this year is bag action...
Hopefully, this mare shows wax before foaling. She is a maiden mare, so exactly what she will do is unknown. However, if she gives me good indication of imminent foaling, I can stay at the ranch overnight and wait for the baby. I am so excited!
It's going to be a bit more work this year, than last because I set up the foaling pen at the river ranch instead of bringing my mare to town. By the time the weather allowed me to get her out without giving her the trailer ride from hell over rough gravel roads, she was too close to her due date to risk moving her to unfamiliar surroundings. So I will be driving to the ranch daily to check her. My brother lives in the house there, so can keep his eye on her throughout the day.I much prefer to have my mares closer to me, when they foal, cause I love getting to see the baby move and watch for changes...
About all I will really be able to see this year is bag action...
Hopefully, this mare shows wax before foaling. She is a maiden mare, so exactly what she will do is unknown. However, if she gives me good indication of imminent foaling, I can stay at the ranch overnight and wait for the baby. I am so excited!
15 comments:
Foal watch is so exciting, so full of promise. Can't wait to share it with you.
Oh goody, more babies! ;) Can't wait to see what you get!
That mare looks like she's about to burst. Hang on to your hat.
Good luck! I got a Mothers Day baby today--one crazy splashed up filly. I only have one mare left to go
Hope your foal watch goes well!
lol only horse people take pictures like that.
How exciting! Can't wait to see the new baby!
I agree with Sydney.....only horse people take photos like that!!LOL I took a similar one with my little one nursing on the first few days.... it was so sweet, I couldn't resist. We watched ours being born on a webcam in the barn hooked up to our computer. For two week prior to her due date, my husband and I took shifts watching it. She was a textbook mare in foaling, had all the signs waxed and ready. I had just gone to bed @ 1 finishing my watch and all of a sudden my husband came running into the room saying she was eating one minute and the next laid down and he was halfway out! We have only bred once AI. It's a lot of work and I don't think we'll do it again but it was a great experience. Do you keep your foals or sell them? I would have a hard time selling I think! Fun times for you....take lots of pictures for us to see! Luanne
I can't wait to what you get this year! Is that time already? Wow!
I still look fondly at Holly's pics when she looked like a fattened wood tick. She squirted milk for a whole 24 hours. I mean, she had a milk trail! It made me a nervous wreck! I can't wait to see the new addition!
Only horse people take pictures like that AND only horse people lean in on their computer monitors to see if they can detect any wax action going on there!! LOL
Good Luck - this is such an exciting time of year!
Ohhh, that's too funny...leaning forward to see if you can see wax!
Not yet. Chunk's belly is dropping, but her bag hasn't done anything for a few days and it is nowhere near full enough yet.
BET-We don't sell anything until they are at least 2y/o and only then if we know the person is definitely going to get the horse broke. Ideally, nothing goes on the market until they are 3-4y/o and at least started. Personally, I think too much can go wrong by selling babies. People don't take care of them, don't handle them, don't get them broke and the next thing you know, they are standing in a loose pen somewhere.
Ideally, we raise them, ride them and get them going in a direction that suits them(mostly rodeo, but some have ended up in the show pen) and somewhere along the line someone asks if they are for sale. Some are, some aren't. I'm working on the "for sale" list...it's a work in progress.:)
OH I am so sorry that you didn't get her moved!!! You are so right about those maiden mares!!! My maiden mare this year was in foal for almost the full 365 days!!! Oh I can't wait for pictures!!!
Can't wait for foal pics! Ya~I love this time of year!
AHHHHHH babies!! I love em!! I can't wait to see them. I do hope your mare gives you some signs. It's crazy how some mares are totally by the book and others just make up rules as they go. I guess we are like that too. I can't wait to see the babies. I bet they are going to be tanks!! Your mares look HUGE!!!
More babies!! yay! Good luck and hope everything turns our exciting (in a good way) and fun. Hope you get to be there when it happens, but I'm sure turning up to a surprise one day would be fun too. Can't wait to see more baby pictures of big fat happy babies :)
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