Max can tell you a few good stories about foals that were in trouble. We have been very blessed with quite a few foals but some have been touch and go. Some need help breathing, standing, nursing, and a tug or two to help mom give birth. We try to let the mom's do as much as possible in having her baby but if she or her foal is in trouble we have assisted a few times. That is why we use the foaling camera's and the foaling collar on the mares halter. If the mare lays down flat the foaling collar sends a signal to our house that mom is laying down. Sometimes she is just sleeping and sometimes she is foaling so we get woke up a bit this time of year.

Thanks for taking part in our foaling and I hope you get a change to see one foaling. If you do not I tape them all and Max can have you over to watch one with her. Please come by and see the cute foals anytime.

Did Meadow wax because she was worried about the vet seeing her hairy legs????

Yes there is a vet available if we need one. We use Wisconsin Equine Clinic and they have 13 vets on staff. If Meadow should need a C-section yes she could have one preferable at the clinic about 7 miles away. It is expensive but so are these beautiful horses and they are all insured.

I will ask Meadow about practicing her Lamaze breathing later when I go out and feed her. A mare can be in labor up to 6 hours or so but most of the labor goes undetected. They can eat right up to the time they give birth and lay down have the foal and get up and resume eating or they can just stand there and try to relax through the contractions or they can pace, get up and down and etc:. They can even postpone the labor if it has not progressed to far. In the wild they leave the herd and go off and foal quite often in rainy weather as they are somewhat protected. The foal can keep pace with the mare with-in 1 hour of birth if it is healthy. Horses are flight animals not fight animals so they would rather run than fight but if they are challenged they will protect themselves and their foals if they can. Every mare is different and every pregnancy is different as most are bred to different studs but mares tend to have foaling patterns and certain down times when they are more likely to foal. Thanks for your questions. They were very good ones.

Yes, but only sometimes call me to hear some story.

Do you assist Meadow when she has a baby?

Has Meadow been practicing her La Marez breathing? How long are horses in labor? Is there any way to tell when the foal will come? Is there a vet available if something would happen? Could they do a C-section if they needed to?

Dear grandma it works and I am excited to share it with my friends and Erin's mom!

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