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  Discussion on Is she just uncomfortable or should i get used to no sleep?
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 15, 2000 - 7:53 pm:

Last night i received THE CALL (from Darren aka UNICRN) My mare who is 313 days is walking around head down, pulling faces, biting her gut and the occasional "contraction" (picking up hind leg and holding it for a second) and standing very strange. i stayed in my car all night with her, waking to any sound, but no go. What im asking is this too early to be sitting all night viduals just to find that she just does not like all the kicking? NB this is some serious kicking to the side and down it looks like a pub brawl is going on in her belly! her teets are fairly full but not hard she squrts a small amount of milk when urinating, a tiny bit of waxing, her ass is sagging and her tail is VERY relaxed. (if im standing next to her when it/he kickes her she looks at me like i did it!) Also is this too early for the health of the foal? The mare has been very well fed and has had the best minerals and supliments money can buy.
Any words of wisdom/experience would be welcome. she is a maiden so there is no past history to go off.
Cheers
Julies
PS please if possible respond soon as i asked her to cross her legs but she just gave me the best ugly head she could pull!

PPS Just for a laugh. Before i arrived Darren walked out to her in the paddock and she was standing spread legged tail up with a big puddle behind her, needless to say for a split second Darren thought this was it but no she was just taking a leak. That will keep him on his toes!

Posted on Sunday, Oct 15, 2000 - 9:08 pm:

Julie,
While this could very, very well be = IT - with the symptoms you describe, I would be on the phone to my vet ASAP - particularly with a maiden mare!
Also - not to infer that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference, my husband thought my maiden mare was "urinating", when in fact she was passing her water prior to a (thankfully!!) quick and normal foaling.
Personally, I think and hope that the next time you post it will be with the details of the blesses event!
Bonnie

Posted on Sunday, Oct 15, 2000 - 9:11 pm:

Julies
THANKS! You had me ROFL with "her ass is sagging"....LMAO
OK...back to your questions...it is sooo hard to say but it sounds like she is getting close. My maiden mare went about 10 days past this point. Things sound similar except for the pub brawl simulation. she was very uncomfortable and did literally try to climb the walls. I spent 2 weeks at the barn waiting. Finally I bought the milk tester kit which was a great relief. It tells you when she wont have the foal, so you know when you can stay home and sleep!
Is she still eating her normal ration?
I *think* a foal under 320 days is premature and will require lots of extra *help*.
Good luck and keep us posted.
barbara

Posted on Monday, Oct 16, 2000 - 1:08 am:

Just rang the vet and they don't seem to be too worried. "three weeks either way is ok" I bet they sleep in their beds of a night not the back of a car waiting for a splash!
i have found most books etc say 320 is the minimum time for a "safe" foal also, this is why i am asking her to cross her legs!
She is still eating though i am only giving her Lucerne to keep things moving so to speak.
Vet just rang again to suggest that i have an IGG done, which i was going to do anyway, the other advice they gave me is to have lots of showers as it will be when i go to do this that she will foal. They can laugh, they slept last night!!!:-)
As for her ass well imagine a largish QH ass made of candle wax in the sun on a hot day. Yep thats the mental picture im aiming for and that is what she looks like (on a realistic scale though).
If the foal needs extra care well i guess work can't realy argue if i need a few days off. At the stud ( the other end of my work) they have anything up to 4 foaling atendents plus onsite vet and fully equipt surgery for foaling time. Not fair!!!

Will keep you posted, I already know it is a boy because the way it kicks the hell out of mum, but then again mum aint no sugar and spice all things nice kinda mare either, time will tell.
Julies
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