Suprise this morning

[Alan Lightstone]

Man, another birth without an epidural. I'm crushed.

Congrats!!

[John K Jordan]

Is the mare nursing the baby okay now?

All seems well. There is plenty of milk. The foal was nursing within a few minutes of putting them together, right after I dipped her mouth in a handful of mama’s milk (just in case). She licked her lips and soon found the fountain.

Day 2: baby is active, prancing around the round pen, making mama work to keep up! I’ll probably fill up the SD card on my phone quickly if I don’t stop taking so many videos and pics. So many people want to come see her - I could charge for parking.

[Tom M King]

Sounds good!! We had one mare, after a difficult delivery of a foal that was all legs, that got so tight from being too full that she didn't want the foal to touch her. We ended up having to twitch her, but after the baby relieved some of the pressure, all was normal. Since then, I've always worried about that first nursing taking too long to start.

[John K Jordan]

Sounds good!! We had one mare, after a difficult delivery of a foal that was all legs, that got so tight from being too full that she didn't want the foal to touch her. We ended up having to twitch her, but after the baby relieved some of the pressure, all was normal. Since then, I've always worried about that first nursing taking too long to start.

I was concerned too, especially since I didn't know when the foal was separated - it was a least a couple of hours because her coat was completely dry, but if she rolled/slid under the fence just after birth it could have been much longer until the first feeding. (The birthing spot was right next to the fence with a slight slope away from the pasture, 3 strands of tape/wire electrified, maybe 12" gap under the lowest.) I did express some milk first which may have helped. So many things could have gone wrong!

[Rob Luter]

This takes me back. I grew up on a hobby farm with all manner of critters. Newborn foals are very cute. Calves are fun too. My favorite were the Nubian Goat kids. They love to play when they're small.

[John K Jordan]

Mama and baby are doing well. I put a lead rope on mama and take her out every day to an area with an abundance of grass, baby stays close. I put a halter on the little one so she can start getting used to it. Even the smallest halter I can find, "Weaver Foal Suckling", is way too big!

A recent photo:

baby_horse_Secret.jpg

JKJ

[Tom M King]

Looks like it has some Arab in it. It seems like there ought to be some Arab foal halters, but I don't know. It's definitely a pretty foal face!