I've been waiting anxiously for about a month now for my mare Genevieve to foal. I was told when I got her she was due end of April. If your calendar reads same as mine, it's now almost the end of May. Doesn't matter that she's a seasoned ol 'timer, I'm a nervous Nellie new Mom.
When I called Roy, he said, wellllll, maybe she was bred the following heat cycle instead of the first heat after the foal heat (huh?). Plus some foals just take longer to cook than others.
Not helping.
But good news. When I did my fourth check of the day on her a couple days ago, I noticed she was bagging up. For you city slickers out there (and you know who you are), that means her udder is getting bigger as it's starting to fill with milk. A soft sign that foaling will happen soon (my book says a few days to six weeks to foaling, so we're really starting to narrow things down here).
So yes, between PTO meetings and baking for the bake sale, I'm checking udders.
Another sign of impending delivery would be elongation of the vulva, but to quote Igor of Young Frankenstein, "I'm not going to be the first..."
Guess I'll have to just be content with apprehensively checking Gen repeatedly throughout the day till the foal is done "cooking". Maybe some LaMaze breathing would help (for me).
Wonder if I could get my hands on What to Expect When Your Mare is Expecting. Anyone have an old copy I could borrow?
More than likely you will check, recheck, wring your hands, pace, check udders, recheck udders, and one morning you will wake up and see an extra little horse in your pasture. Not to gross anyone out, but check (if you can) and you will see a mucus looking substance(the mucus plug) under her tail(you know what I mean) about 2-6 hours prior to foaling, also a hollowed out looking area on either side of her tail top side, her temp. will drop slightly, and she will pace and look nervous(wonder why)a day or so before. Good luck! Can't wait for the pictures. I am a fool for foals!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat to expect when your mare is expecting. . .hilarious! I don't have horses but do have my hands full with children, dogs, chickens and bees (and husband, of course), so. . .I almost feel your pain. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Louise! Now I'm off to go see if I can find you....
ReplyDeleteIsn't it scary waiting! Bella our house cow is due in September, and I'm already getting nervous for her. I'm sure she knows what she's doing, it will be her third calf, but she's such a sweetie, I would be so upset if anything went wrong!
ReplyDelete@Liz, they're fine. It's us Nervous Nellies that need the hand-holding and the breathing coaching!
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