Warsaw Poland travel blog delayed a week.

Sorry all......last Saturday's blog post on travel in Warsaw Poland has been delayed for another week.  We've been a bit busy at the farm here!  Meet Pearl, our new Saddlebred filly, shown at 3 days old!  She's a double dilute cream, meaning she will ALWAYS produce a dilute foal when she's bred (buckskin, palomino, etc).  She MAY be homozygous for the tobiano pinto gene as well.  We'll have to wait for color testing to confirm that.  Fingers crossed, as that would mean she would always produce a pinto foal as well!!

And ...... meet Rebel, our miniature colt.  He's 1 month old and came home over the weekend.  He stood only 18 inches tall when he was born!  He's not too much bigger than that now!

What to do AFTER your mare foals.

*Note*  My apologies for this post not going up yesterday as planned.  I attempted to schedule the posting of this blog and apparently it did not go off as scheduled!

So your mare has foaled, mom and baby appear fine, you are exhausted and now you can go take a nap, right?  WRONG!!  You still have work to do!

First, you want to be sure your new foal is breathing normally and that he/she appears alert and bright.  Make sure the mare is not aggressive toward the foal (or toward YOU!).  Even a mare that is sweet and easy to handle, can become overly protective of her new baby and may try to charge you to drive you away.  Before moving in to attend the foal, be sure the mare is OK with this.  The mare will usually lick the foal to dry it off, but if she doesn't right away and it's cold outside, then go ahead and take a towel and gently dry the foal off. 

While the foal is still down, this is a good time to treat the umbilical cord with a disinfectant.  You will continue to treat the cord twice a day for 3 days and be liberal with your application.  A common disinfectant to use is PVP Iodine.  You can squirt it on the end of the umbilical cord directly or you can use a dip cup.  Place the Iodine in a small (4 oz or so) cup and then dip the cord into the cup.  You can also use Nolvasan disinfectant (the blue stuff) in a squirt bottle and liberally dose the end of the umbilical cord with that.   

The foal should attempt to stand within 30 minutes after delivery.  They will be awkward and will take a few nose dives, but let them try on their own.  If, after a few attempts, they just can't get their legs under them yet.....you can step in and help them to stand.  You can pick them up and support them, so they can stand against you.  They will still be shaky, so let them lean against you for support if they need to.  Don't be concerned if they take a few falls while attempting to take their first steps.  This is very normal.

After the baby is on his/her feet and trying to take a few steps, it will be time to find the milk bar!  The foal should nurse within the first two hours after delivery.  If they haven't nursed by 3 hours after delivery, it's time to call the vet.  The baby may need medical assistance.  Watch him/her for a few minutes every half hour or so, to be sure the foal is still alert and active, nursing well and appears to be thriving.  The foal should nurse enough during the first 8 to 12 hours so that it gets sufficient colostrum in order to absorb the antibodies from it.  If that passive transfer of antibodies does not occur properly, then the foal will definitely need veterinarian intervention.  Even though the foal is nursing well, the mare's colostum may not have contained enough antibodies, so veterinarian intervention may still be needed. 

Many moons ago, we lost a foal because of this.  It's called "Failure of Passive Transfer".  The colt was nursing fine, seemed bright and alert and all seemed well.  The next day, he was more lethargic and his eyes were beginning to look sunken in.  He wasn't filling out like he should have.  We called the vet and sure enough, he had not gotten the antibody transfer from the colostrum.  The vet did all he could, including IV infusion of antibodies, but it was too late and the foal was lost. 

Since then, we have EVERY foal's IgG level checked by a simple blood test performed by the vet, about 12 hours or so after foaling.  (The IgG level checks for antibodies in the bloodstream.)  If the IgG level isn't high enough (800 or over), then we have the vet treat then and there.  Knock on wood, we haven't had any lost foals since then.  Here is a good article written by Colorado State University on this subject.  http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/erl-learn-foals3-failurept-apr09.pdf

The mares normally foal during early morning hours (2 to 5am is a common time).  By the time all of the above things have occurred, the vet's office is normally open and we call them to schedule a routine foaling check for later that day.  Of course, if something seems amiss, call them at their emergent number and do not wait for the office to open!  Also, even if the foaling went well but you feel that something is just not going as expected with the foal or the mare, follow your instincts and let them know that you need the vet to come out sooner.  Better to err on the side of caution.

The foal should also have it's first bowel movement (called the meconium) during this first 12 hours of life as well.  It's normally very dark in color and sticky.  The foal will struggle to pass it.  You do want to be sure all of it has been cleared from the foal and the foal should not continue to strain.  Some vets will advise you to give an enema to the newborn foal as part of the routine foaling procedure, to help them pass this meconium easier.  For miniature foals though, since they are so small, be sure to check with your veterinarian before giving an enema. 

Don't forget about your mare during this time!  Make sure she has plenty of fresh, cool water.  Allow her to munch on hay as soon as she is ready.  She can have her normal amount of grain at the next scheduled feeding.  There will be blood, of course, but let the veterinarian check your mare for any tearing when they come to do their visit later in the day. 

You'll want to be sure you collect the placenta and save it for the vet.  I've found it keeps best (especially in the heat), if you put it in a bucket of cool water.  Be sure to get all of it.  It should look like a "Y" shape and will have a hole through one horn (one of the "Y" arms), where the foal came out of it.  It should look like its' all there with no other tears or rips.  If it looks like some of the placenta is missing and you cannot find it in the stall, then call your vet ASAP and let them know.

NOW you can go take that nap!!  Enjoy your new foal!!  Here's a picture of our new miniature colt, shown at 4 days old.  His name is Rebel, he stands 18 inches tall and he's quite a show-off already! 

 

 

 



Next week's topic will be a travel adventure!  Just because you live on a farm, doesn't mean you can't enjoy a bit of travel.  It will even be horse related!!  Enjoy your week everyone!!

The time has come....what to expect during foaling.

Now you've waited for almost a year, you've been watching your mare and know the signs are pointing towards her foaling.  This is the sequence of events to expect with most foalings.

There are 3 stages of foaling.  While all mares are individuals, they all should progress through these stages in some fashion.  By being familiar with the different stages, it will help you feel more confident and be ready to assist your mare, if needed.

Stage 1:  Breaking of the water bag.

This stage NORMALLY lasts about 1-2 hours.  The mare may act colicky and paw the ground, bite her sides and swish her tail aggressively.  She may sweat around her neck and flanks.  Frequent urination or slight discharge dripping is normal.  She may pace and snatch small bites of hay.  She may lie down and get up frequently.  The birth canal is dilating during this time and the water bag may become visible at the mare's vulva.  Do NOT break the water bag yourself.  When the bag breaks, there will be a rush of fluid (two to five gallons).  This is the ending of  Stage I.


Stage 2:  Delivery of the foal.

This stage normally lasts about 15-20 minutes.  If it is delayed over 30 minutes, please call your veterinarian immediately!  If you observe a red velvety sack during this period, also call your vet immediately!  These are both emergent situations!!

During this stage, the mare may stand up, lie down, or roll to properly position the foal for delivery.  Most mares lie down to deliver but if your mare stands and delivers her foal, you should try to catch the foal to prevent injury to it.  The proper position of the foal during this stage resembles a diving position where the front legs will appear first with the foal's nose tucked between them. The foal's hooves should be positioned so that one hoof is slightly ahead of the other. If the soles are up, you should call your veterinarian immediately!  This is an emergency situation!!  If you see a backend coming out first (or trying to come out first), this too is an emergency and you need to call the vet ASAP!!  A mare may rest with the foal half in and half out. That is not common, but is certainly not unusual. 


Stage 3:  After delivery of the foal, when the afterbirth (placenta) will be expelled.

This can take up to 3 hours.  If it goes any longer, call your veterinarian for advice.  You do NOT want to leave this unattended.  You also do NOT want to forcefully pull the afterbirth out.  This can tear the mare's uterine lining and can be a life-threatening situation!  In addition, a retained placenta is toxic to your mare in less than six hours.  If the mare hasn't passed it on her own within 3 hours, call the vet please!

Most mares will pass the placenta without assistance within one to three hours after the foal has been delivered.  A mare will usually stand up after delivery and this is when the umbilical cord should break.  Do NOT cut the umbilical cord.  Necessary immunities, nourishment and blood are still being passed to the foal through the placenta.  If the afterbirth is delivered and the umbilical cord still hasn't broken on it's own, ask your veterinarian if you should cut the cord then.


Here's a photo of one of our own foals, newly born.  He's a miniature colt.  Mother stands 32 inches tall and father stands 29.5 inches tall.  He birth height was about 18 inches tall, with a cannon bone measurement of 7 inches.  This should put him about 30 to 31 inches tall as an adult.  No name yet.  Look closely and you can see the umbilical cord still attached to the placenta (which the mom has not passed yet).  When she stood up, the umbilical broke as it should.  She passed the placenta/afterbirth about 30 minutes later.

That's all for this week's blog!  Next week, what to do AFTER the foal is born.  Enjoy your week!

Spring is on it's way! Signs that your mare may be getting ready to foal!

Hello All!  We have a small family farm, "Desert Wind Pintos".  Over the years, I've gotten a lot of questions about how to choose a horse, what to look for in mini horses for show, breeding, driving and pet therapy.  I've also had questions on goat milk; how to make goat butter, how to store it, etc.  I know I would have liked a "go-to" place, to get answers and ideas on doing things more efficiently and better when we began, so I thought I'd share some of our farm life here.  I'll do weekly updates.....look for them on Saturdays please!

A little information about our farm.  We currently raise Pinto Saddlebred Horses and Pinto Miniature Horses.  Our farm website is located at www.desertwindpintos.com  We have our own registered Lamancha milk goat, 4 Americauna (Easter Egger) laying hens and we hope to add in a breeding program for registered Gloucestershire Old Spot (rare breed) pigs later this year.  We raise our own freezer beef and pork, as well as can and freeze vegetables and fruit for our family.

Since spring is on the way here in South Carolina, I thought an appropriate topic to begin with would be looking for signs of foaling on your mares.  We have 1 miniature mare and 2 saddlebred mares due to foal this year.  Two in March and one in April.  We've been raising horses for over 30 years, so we've done this once or twice. 

It's so incredibly important to know the exact days of breeding, so you can more closely calculate the foaling time.  While it's true that horses "in the wild" do just fine most of the time on their own, our domestic horses (especially the miniatures) need some extra help at times, making it very important to keep a close eye on the mares and try to be present to help during foaling if need be.

If a mare has had a foal before, try to find out the exact breeding dates and the foaling dates.  Then you can count and see how long she was pregnant.  Mares will usually follow a routine, or close to it.  The "normal" gestation time for a full sized mare is about 340 days, with 320 - 370 being considered  within normal times as well.  Miniature mares will usually go slightly shorter on their gestation times.  Their average gestation time seems to be about 320 days, with as early as 300 days being within limits for a normal foal.  One of our saddlebred mares, Suzie, has had gestations ranging from 349 to 357 days.  So while we take a look at her daily beginning about a month out from her due date, we don't get too excited about our checks until we are approaching day 349.  We know chances are VERY good, that we won't have any action before then!

Here's a link to an easy to use breeding calculator.  www.marestare.com/foalingchart.php

Some of the signs of a mare nearing foaling are subtle, some are more obvious. During the last few months of her pregnancy, her abdomen will grow increasingly larger.  At about one week prior to the birthing, the belly may appear to shrink as the foal begins to move into the birth canal.

Relaxation of the entire posterior reproductive tract (located under her tail) begins to occur about 6 weeks prior to foaling and continues up to the last moments.  By checking the mare daily, you’ll actually begin to notice a hollowing and relaxing of the muscles on either side of the tail head. If you gently poke this area with your fingertip, it will almost shake like jello.  This "jello" state occurs about 3 to 10 days before foaling.

As the mare’s time approaches the vulva will slacken, becoming wider, looser and longer than normal. Sometimes a mare will tighten this area when you lift her tail to look.  Just talk to her soothingly and gently hold her tail up, so you can see.  Be patient and don't rush.  They will usually relax again in a minute or two and you can get a better idea of what's really going on back there.  You may even try just standing next to her hindquarters and waiting for a glance when she swishes her tail.  This loosening will become much more noticeable within 24 to 48 hours of the blessed event.  The vulva will usually get swollen and puffy looking at this point too.  Shortly before foaling, the cervix will also relax and a small discharge of lubricating secretions may be noticed.  Don't worry if you don't see this.  The mare's stools may become very loose as well a day or two before foaling.  They may resemble cow pies.  This is also due to the relaxation of the muscles in her rear areas.

One of the more obvious signs seen is the milk sack forming. The udder will began to change from the small, deflated sack to a tight, full bag.  Normally the onset of this filling begins between the fourth and sixth week of the countdown to foaling. This is often seen earlier in maiden mares than the seasoned broodmare. Stabled mares may also seem to "bag up" earlier than pastured mares, due to inactivity. It's normal for the udder to swell up at night, but shrink during the day while turned out. When the udder remains tight after a day of free exercise, the wait typically won’t be too much longer.

As pressure builds within the udder, the teats will enlarge and fill out, about four to six days before the foal arrives.  In some mares, the pressure of the filled udder may become so intense that you will see large tracks along the underside of the mare's belly.  These are called "milk veins".  Soon the dry plugs in the ends of the teats will be expelled by this tremendous pressure build up.  This allows colostrum (the first milk) to leak from the teats and it forms wax balls on the end of the teats.  These sticky, yellowish secretions are referred to as wax.  A high percentage of all mares will wax sometime before foaling. Sometimes the mare will knock the wax off by laying down and getting up.  This can cause colostrum to begin dripping too early.  If you see this happening for a few days, call your vet so they can be prepared to give the foal colostrum after it's born, if the mare has lost too much colostrum during this time.  It has been reported that 90% of mares that produce wax, will foal within the next 24-48 hours.  (Below is a picture of wax.)

 Another good thing to check is the calcium in the mare's milk.  When you are noticing all the above signs, milk a few drops of the mare's milk into a collection cup and test it.  There are several good kits on the market that you can buy to do this.  I prefer the "Predict-A-Foal" kit.  It runs about $57.  I've used this one for over 25 years and feel very comfortable with it's accuracy of predicting a foaling within the next 12 hours. The kit contains everything you need to perform 15 tests.

Literally right before the mare foals, she will often become restless. She may pace the stall, begin to sweat, bite at her sides, get up and down repeatedly and swish her tail vigorously.  You may think she is showing signs of colic!  As long as she has been eating, drinking, defecating and/or urinating just prior to this, she is more than likely experiencing the first stages of labor. Even at this point in the game, she may decide to "stall" or "hold" her labor!!  A mare can delay her labor up to a few hours or even days!  If the mare feels uncomfortable in her surroundings, feels threatened or simply wants solitude, she can (and usually will) put the brakes on and wait!!

Try to keep it quiet in the barn and keep the same routine.  Don't invite the whole family over to watch the event.  Don't have the lights blazing in the barn, so you can catch the moment of glory on video.  I'm telling you, 9 times out of 10, your mare will wait until you give up and leave the barn and she once again has her peace and quiet!  Don't be surprised if you go to the house for a hot cup of tea and bathroom break, to come back and find you are the owner of a brand new filly (or colt)!

If you can install a video camera in your foaling stall, that is ideal.  Then you can watch her from the comfort of your home, letting her have the solitude that she wishes for.  When you see the foaling actually happening, you can quietly go to the barn and be ready to assist if needed.  It's best to just leave her to it, but if it looks like she's having a lot of trouble, then it's time to step in and help.  There is also a wonderful website called "Mare Stare" where you can pay them to host your foaling camera.  People from around the world watch your mare for you and call you when they see her go into labor!  WONDERFUL idea!!!!  Here's the link to their site.  www.marestare.com

Next week's topic:  What to expect during the actual foaling.  Until then, enjoy the longer days and hopefully warmer weather!