Way cool! When will you know for sure she’s in foal?
Ha! Just clicked into that cam and found baby donk suckling – behind mom, between her hind legs!
Holy guacamole – Dan at Shady Nook has had his whole arm up inside Lilly, presumably trying to reposition the foal. She’d been lying down, straining and not making progress; they urged her to her feet, tied her short to the wall, and Dan plunged in and labored mightily.
Now they’re walking her around the stall. She’d been colicking all day. Cervix hadn’t widened enough for foaling, but the colic may have pushed her into labor.
Ah – just posted: “they are walking her to try and slow the contractions down until vet arrives. We did this with a mini we had a few years ago that had a foal that was stuck. It worked for her so I am praying it works for Lilly and that they can delivery a healthy foal soon.”
They’ve turned off the camera at Shady Nook while the vet is there. I am sick with worry!
I’ve been following this thread and also watch mares on ustream. I was watching the Friesian mare at Shady Nook, had to step away and came back and found the camera off. It always scrares me when they do that, but usually all is well afterwards. Hope this will be the case here also.
Thanks for starting this. It’s always nice to find fellow horsey people.
Oh my, sad news from Shady Nook:
Oh, that sucks. Poor Lilly! Friesians are one of my favorite breeds, such lovely animals, and I have never met one that didn’t have a wonderful disposition.
Damn. I was afraid of that. And since I have a fairly good idea of what “it was going to be very graphic to deliver this foal” means, I’m glad the cam was turned off. No one should ever see that if they can possibly not have to. I’m sick just visualizing it.
Trying not to think about that. Back many years ago, fresh out of high school, I had a friend that had a Paint mare pregnant with twins; she was unable to deliver, and the vet had to use one of those little wire internal saws and deliver the foals in pieces. I was not there, thank God. Not something I ever want to see.
I was talking to my hay guy this weekend and told him I would probably send Nakota to the pros for foaling. He has about 4 broodies. He said “oh, I never pay attention. One morning I just get up and there’s a baby there. But I lost a foal last year, and the year before last one died inside and I had to cut it out. The mare probably only had a 25-50% chance of conceiving again, so I had her put down.”
I’d prefer a success rate of more than 75% at best.
StG
Just came back here to find out about Lilly, cam never came back on. Now my eyes are wet. So sad when things don’t turn out well, but glad they could save Lilly. I was watching marestare when she went down the second time and called the phone number listed and they went out right away, but I knew something was going horribly wrong, but was hoping for the best.
So sorry and sad. This is the third one lately that has either lost foals, or lost the mare.
:eek: HOLY CRAP! How barbaric! And he had the mare put down after that horrible ordeal because she potentially couldn’t conceive again???
Jesus, what’s wrong with people???
Is the stable you are sending her to close enough that you may get to be there for the birth?
No kidding! I’ll say one thing – given the kind of horse-keeping that guy probably provides, the mare may have been better off dead than under his control and “care”.
Having watched a number of births now, I would definitely prefer to have a mare in the hands of people like Silver Creek and Glenhill than some barbaric yahoo, or than trying to manage it on my own when I lack the experience and skills to handle a problem. Even if there’s no problem at all, the pros appear to make it a much easier process for all concerned, don’t they?
Two of my long-term follows, Night Sky and Premier Friesians, still haven’t given up those babies! Imajica Dutch Warmbloods say their mare is due on the 15th and looks to be getting close.
I watched a goat give birth last night to three does – the same day another goat at that farm had birthed three bucks! Pictures of the babies! – and if your cute-meter doesn’t explode at that, then nothing could blow it out. The buck tiro and their mom as it happens were in the stall next to the doe-birther, and during her labor two of the bucks snuck through the divider into the birthing stall and had to be extracted before they got smooshed under the laboring momma-to-be.
This using mares strickly for breeding really gets to me, especially when horses are no longer of good use and are put down, abused or even killed “accidentally” to collect on the insurance.
Do these owners really become so callused that they no longer have any feelings for the animals?
I couldn’t be in this kind of business, just for financial gain.
I’m watching another live cam of a mare that was given away in foal and had to be taken back as the new owners lost their income and could no longer care for the mare. She is skin and bones and will foal at anytime. Although the resuce where she is now, the original owners of this mare, are taking good care of her, I’m scared this will not be an easy birth, but hopeing for the best for her.
The thing that bothers me about these owners, is that they claim to be a rescue, are asking for donations, but also do breeding, seems to be oxymoron to me. Taking in rescue horses that wind up there from abuse or starvation, but then breeding more that could very well wind up in the same situation. I really hate the breeding farms. So many wind up in rescues, shelters and put down. Break the cycle and stop breeding.
Please don’t litter, fix your critter
PapSett - I’ll be about 45 minutes away, but the good news is the vet can see the barn from her house. And there’s a nice small trailer and a couch in the office if she wants to sleep there. I’ll try to be there for the birth, but it’s more important that Nakota be alright. The barn owner says that she should have closed circuit cameras by that time.
EddyTeddyFreddy - This guy feeds decent feed and his animals get plenty of hay, but he doesn’t seem to be the sentimental type. I haven’t been close enough to see what kind of hoof care they’re getting.
becks2cents - Are they a rescue or a breeding operation? If they originally bred her and are just taking her back, that doesn’t make them a rescue in my book.
StG
OMG… those kids… yup, blew my cute-meter all to hell and back! The little brown and white buck… he is my favorite of the 6.
I have often thought about getting a little pygmy goat for the back yard… seeing him makes me want one again!
“becks2cents - Are they a rescue or a breeding operation? If they originally bred her and are just taking her back, that doesn’t make them a rescue in my book.”
StGermain, they are doing both. They claim to help pay for the rescues, they breed and sell. Doesn’t make sense to me either, just perpetuating and cycling the potential for more rescues imo
I’ll bet this “rescue” is always asking for donations, eh?
ETA: What is the name of this so-called rescue?
Nakota’s home! No more paying board for her. Irish had to show off and flirt when she stepped off the trailer. The barn folks only charged $120 for almost three weeks of board. Considering she’s eating expensive feed, probably $50 of that went down her stomach. I’m waiting for the vet bill. She was ultrasounded every 2-3 days, hormone shots and AI.
First firefly of the season spotted tonight. I think I deserve a hot fudge sundae.
StG
Dreamer at Dusty Acres looks like she could go at any moment now.
Congrats on getting your girl back! That board sounds like an amazing bargain. Enjoy the sundae!