I have a question regarding transporting my mare to a foaling facility a the end of March. She is due the beginning of May. I let the stable where she is currently being kept know that March would be her last month there, and that I had arranged for her to go to another farm to foal. The reason being that the other farm has more experience foaling ( they have foaled 6) while this boaridng facility has foaled just one last year. The owner of the facility where she is now doesnt want me to move her to the other place. He says that the owner of the other place works off the farm and his wife has a bunch of little kids to watch, while he is retired and the horses he has ( only mine will be foaling) he has 5 including mine are all he does. He thinks that moving her at this late date might cause problems for her. He says that she is used to him ( she has been with him since she came up from PA in November) and that she is used to the other horses, the quietness etc. Moving her to a new facility with new horses, new smells, new people, and new bacteria etc. is not a good idea. He also tells me that although he has foaled only one other mare so far, he grew up on a dairy farm and has lots of experience with cows birthing and all the complications that come along with it.
So.... my question is.... do i keep her where she is now and let the owner of this facility look after her and help with the foaling if my mare needs it ( shes a maiden), or do I move her half an hour away when she is about 300 days to the other ranch where there are more horses, i think three other mares due to foal, and new people for her to get used to.??
TX. Breeder Posted From: 199.3.209.184
Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 03:37 pm:
You would want 30 days for your mare to build antibodies against her new invironment.So as long as she has a month in the new place, you are fine. I would be most concerned with the safest facility. The best stall and pen would be important to me. Experience with dairy cattle will not help your mare at all.In some cases, it could be harmful. You should have access to a veterinarian or someone that has some working knowledge of a mare foaling. Call the attending veterinarian of the other facility and ask him about his availability. Nothing can replace knowledge and experience. Will your mare have her own pen? I would not want my mare thrust into a new herd situation at this time.As for her getting used to the people, if they are knowledgable, she will be fine.
horselady Posted From: 67.71.153.246
Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 03:46 pm:
Yes the 30 day requirement is why I am thinking of moving her at the end of March - if I move her at all. She is due May 4-12th
Each mare at both facilities have their own 12 x 24 stall. She has her own pen 50 x 150 at the present boarding facility, but would be in with the other pregnant mares at the new place, then after foaling would again be in with the mares with new foals.
My vet has visited my mare at the present boarding facility for her rhino shots, and is familiar with both owners though the other foaling facility has only been operational for a year. The boarding ranch where she is now has been operational for about 6 years. Other factor - present boarding place has only 5 horses, no outside horses coming and going, at least at this time of year with the temperatures and snow at the levels they are right now - new foaling facility has 20 or so with new people coming and going, buying and selling horses, and 3 mares due to foal that I know of. Just the couple runs it with one hired hand on a part time basis. The owners wife is also pregnant and due at the beginning of May, which is when my mare is due.
The vet is about the same distance from both places, so access isnt a factor here.
Only positive in the new facility is their experience of foaling 6 mares, 2 of which they were present for, the other 4 went through the night while they were not present, and of those they lost one due to no fault of theirs (deformed foal)
twhgait Posted From: 69.23.217.156
Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 03:51 pm:
I had a similar discussion with my vet as I was going to move my pregnant mare to a new farm we were looking to purchase. Because I would have to get safe fencing up and do a lot of work (and it's winter here) before she would have been able to come, I figured it wouldn't be until late in her pregnancy in Spring. He told me that it was fine. He told me many Throughbred mares are transported late in pregnancy back to KY to foal for racing purposes. He felt my mare could have been safely moved any where prior to 3 weeks before her due date (we ended up not buying that farm, so it's a mute point for us now). If I were you I would take into consideration your mare's behaviors and how she tolerates change. I think it would be fine to move her but if she has a hard time settling down, maybe I'd move her sooner to give her time to be adjusted to new handlers and stall. I've read on these forums that 95% of the time, things go well and someone just needs to be there just in case. If your current barn is somewhere that you can get your vet out to her quickly and there's somewhere you can sleep and watch her (or someone is there to watch her), I'd stay. Obviously you should do what's comfortable for you, though!!
horselady Posted From: 67.71.153.246
Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 06:31 pm:
The new barn has accommodations for watching, though its not a heated barn so you couldnt put up a bed and really watch her. Same goes for the place she is at now. Not heated and no place to set up to watch her, though the owner is out in the barn all day and half the night as it is.
She is an easygoing mare, and he loves her to death, and with only 5 horses to look after, mine being the only one that is going to foal, I have to wonder if she would get better care there than moving her to a new barn with people I don't know just because they have one more year of foaling experience and have 5 foals on the ground compared to his one.
At this point im not sure what I will end up doing. Both places are private boarding facilities, both are close enough that the vet can get there in under 10 minutes, and we have vets on call at the vet hospital 24/7.
I guess I'll mull it over and make a decision. I am paid up til the end of March at my present barn, so moving her would cost me double, loss of present board and cost of new board, not that that is any big decision factor, just another piece of the puzzle.
Horselady: We move our mares that are difficult foalers to a facility about 15 minutes from here at least 30 days prior to foaling. This facility is also a layup facility for injured horses as well so there is a lot of coming and going. The person that runs the facility is a veterinarian so we feel confident in how the horses are cared for.
My personal opinion is have the foaling facility provide you with names and numbers of references especially if they have not been in business long. We worked with two major TB farms when I was at the vet clinic, both foaled out mares and were happy to supply clients with this information. What type of education does the foaling facility have to offer public foaling services?
I am a little concerned about you current situation comparing mare foaling to cow birthing. Cows are a lot more forgiving than our fragile mares. Many people who raise cattle have no problem hooking the calves up to tractors and pulling them out during a difficult birth. Not to say that this gentleman would but it is never a good idea to compare the two. Cows can also calve for hours with no cost to the heifer or calf however as we all know...not so with our mares!
Good luck. Sorry for the long post! Sometimes the best thing you can do is go with your gut feeling!
outlawpaints Posted From: 64.53.77.245
Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 09:24 pm:
horselady:
Sounds really like you have already made up your mind. go with your gut feeling. If neither place has a place to set up to watch then you cant loose by staying who you are with. unless there is other reasons for you moving your mare. Just because they may have a little more experience doesn't mean if something happens they will be able to "fix" it. I would go with who you are comfortable with and your mare. She is the one who really matters after all. Safety of course is always a good thing. If she has her own pen to be by her self I personally would rather have her there rather than in a pen full of other mares. Accidents happen everywhere. better be safe than sorry. Good Luck!
horselady Posted From: 67.71.153.246
Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 09:35 pm:
I agree with you outlaw, Im considering leaving her where she is. She is used to the owner, and she has her own paddock. My only concern is the electrical fencing as I don't think it is adequate for a foal to be out in. I will be calling him tomorrow to see what plans he has for accomodating not only momma, but the new baby. His other horses are all privately boarded as well, but there is a huge Hannovarian that has a nasty temper. I would hate for the foal to get through the fencing only to be stomped to death by this big brute... not that it would happen, just that after losing a foal last weekend I am being overly cautious at this point.
outlawpaints Posted From: 64.53.77.245
Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 10:12 am:
electrical fencing is not adequate for a foal. they could easily slip under there and then as you said get stomped to death by the hanovarian. Is the stall big enough for them to stay in for a few days? maybe if it is, sounds to me your best bet would be to keep her in the stall and then to give her a little excercise walk out in the paddock with her until you can get a handle on the electric fence.. SORRY for your loss. it is hard. we lost a foal last year. OUR FIRST>>> but hopefully all will go well for us this year. expecting it to behere in about a month or so... I would not say you are being overly cautious, just a good owner who cares about their horses. good luck and keep us posted on what happens.... Thanks!
horselady Posted From: 67.71.153.246
Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 10:47 am:
The foaling stall will be 12 x 24. She could stay in there with the foal for a few days with no problems. I have a call in to the boarding facility and left a message for the owner to call me back regarding the fencing issue. I know he also has riding arenas, so maybe one of those would be a better place for Becky and her foal to be kept. Being winter, I havent really noticed anything but the inside of the barn, the stalls and the paddock where Becky is when she is outside. He is no doubt in the barn with the horses at the moment so I will keep you posted after I have a chat with him.
TX Breeder Posted From: 199.3.209.209
Posted on Monday, February 28, 2005 - 07:35 pm:
It sounds as if your present stall is safe, and she will not be out with other mares. I would just have an understanding with the present owner that he should not take it upon himself to "pull " the baby or anything like that. If he is prepared to watch over your mare, and call the vet when the time arrives, that sounds good.However, the electric fence is out of the question.
twhgait Posted From: 69.23.217.156
Posted on Tuesday, March 01, 2005 - 11:11 am:
I agree with TX Breeder. It almost sounds to me like she would get more personalized care at her current facility. You wrote that the other facility wasn't there for 4 foalings and I guess I'd be wary of that. That tells me that nobody was paying attention.
Sandy Posted From: 4.228.255.213
Posted on Tuesday, March 01, 2005 - 12:27 pm:
horselady, I agree with twhgait...if this place is a "foaling facility" there is no excuse for them to not have been present for 4 foalings. And considering the only reason you would be moving your mare to this facility is the fact that they have more experience in foaling, making sure that someone is actually present for the foaling is a huge concern. Why move your mare there for the purpose of foaling if no one will even keep a good enough eye on her to make sure someone is present for the foaling? I think I'd just keep her where she's at, just make sure you have a good understanding with the gentleman that is watching over her that he will contact you or your vet immediately when she starts to show signs that she's ready to give birth. And also address the electric fence issue.
Rooty Posted From: 69.196.103.102
Posted on Tuesday, March 01, 2005 - 05:21 pm:
If someone has had experience with 5 straightforward foalings it doesn't necessarily make them any better equipped to deal with problems than someone who has only foaled 1 mare. However the BO must realize that horses are not cattle and not hesitate to call the vet if he is unsure. I'd rather have a pissed off vet than try to handle a situation I'm not sure of. I think that observation is the big thing here. 4 minutes can mean the difference between life and death in a red bag delivery!
horselady Posted From: 69.156.76.78
Posted on Tuesday, March 01, 2005 - 10:13 pm:
Hi Guys;
Thanks for all your input. I spoke to the ranch owner today. He has a riding pen that is fenced to the ground at the front of the barn. I thought I saw one, but with the cold winters I really havent bothered to do a check of all the surrounding areas. He says this is where he keeps the small foals and yearlings, newborns etc. I got more info today regarding foaling from him and I know he absolutely loves my mare.... however... experience counts, especially after losing one foal already this year.
I have a call in to the breeder who I plan to breed Becky back to. She has also offered to foal Becky provided I breed back to her stallion. She is what you would call a pro. She already has two foals on the ground so far this year, foaled out 12 last year and has 3 others pregnant for this year, though Becky is the earliest, with the next one about 3 weeks after. She has foaling cameras, video, audio, you name it. The only thing I am not sure of is the fencing issue. I left her an email today so I hope to hear back from her. The only reason I wasnt really considering her before now is that it is about an hour and a half distance, plus about 100 more a month in board than the place I am at now, and a good 200 more than the foaling facility I was considering with the new folks.
I spoke to the ranch owner where Becky is and he agrees that it is much better to transport Becky to her than to take Becky and a newborn foal in a trailer for breeding, then back again. He cares about Becky and also her foal, so is willing to do what he thinks is best for her.
If this breeder doesnt have proper fencing for the foal, then I have decided to leave her where she is, then take the foal and Becky to her place for breeding when the time is right. One way or the other, the foal will be travelling with Becky, either on the way home from breeding, or on the way there when momma is bred to the stud. Stay tuned! LOL will post more info when I have it
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