>>>> And we also do not watch them...we try to let them be...it can be hard....but we found that the more we watch for a baby, the longer it takes..... Skye
>>>> That is not necessarily true. It all depends on your relationship with your mare. I hate to have a mare suffer giving birth when I can easily help her. Add a little pull to her push and that baby comes out much more easily. Also, if you are right there you can prevent a $%^&load of trouble. Misrepresentation will happen occasionally and if you know what to do you can save both the foal and the mother. We've had this discussion many times, and I bow to Anneliese's experience as official list midwife. I doubt anyone on the list has been present for more births. She's right - if a mare trusts you, she will allow you to be with her, and I'm glad I listened to her. Anneliese drilled that into my brain before my first three mares delivered in 2004. Not only did Bjola "allow" me to be with her the day she was to deliver, she would actually try to block the gate and keep me with her when I'd try to leave her paddock that day. I was also certainly glad I listened to Anneliese's advice when Miska was born (the night before Bjola gave birth to Ima). Cary and I were doing the 11pm mare check together, knowing "tonight's the night" for Brunka, deciding who would take which shift watching...when Brunka abruptly turned her back to us and broke her water - ok, we'll just share the watch duty! She went down to deliver quickly, but Miska was a big filly. Her head came easily, but Brunka was too tired to push the shoulders out, even though she presented normally. We both knew there was trouble, so I immediately got on the phone with the vet, who told us (Cary!) exactly how to pull, and me how to cut the sack. We acted quickly, and it was a good thing. Miska was not breathing, not even moving at all, and her gums were blue, but the very instant I cut the sack, she started struggling to get up like any healthy newborn. It was Brunka's first foal, and she was exhausted, and didn't get up for a while - I finally gave her some Banamine at the vet's direction. I know Miska was in serious distress, and wouldn't have made it very long at all without intervention, and I'm not sure even Brunka would have made it had someone not been there to assist her. I can't imagine how horrible it would have been to find one or both dead the next morning. As it was, they barely missed a beat, Miska got her colostrums with our guidance and all was well. Brunka was tired for a while, but fine. The old "leave 'em alone to foal" idea is simply barbaric, maybe it's just an excuse to sleep in a warm house. Our mares deserve the same level of care as other breed mares get. Karen Karen Thomas Wingate, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.22/1112 - Release Date: 11/5/2007 7:11 PM IceHorses Community for Photos and Videos: http://kickapps.com/icehorses "The greatest enemy of the truth very often is not the lie- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." ~ Arthur Schopenhauer [] Lee Ziegler http://leeziegler.com [] Liz Graves http://lizgraves.com [] Lee's Book Easy Gaited Horses http://tinyurl.com/7vyjo [] IceHorses Map http://www.frappr.com/IceHorses Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
