The “milk test” – trying to cut down on all nighters during foal watch
As mentioned a couple of entries ago, pregnant mares usually foal at night, and it is best if people are around, just in case something goes awry. Thus typically means many sleepless nights waiting on the mare to foal. Not surprisingly, this is not an activity most people look forward to, and there are lots of hints and tips on how to forecast when the birthing will happen – so you can sleep easily until then.
This year I decided to try a product which you can use to test the mother’s milk. The idea is that, as the mother is closer to foaling, her milk will chemically change from a clear liquid to an opaque white (looking a lot like skimmed milk, in fact). During te change, the calcium content is changing as well. By testing the milk, using certain chemicals, you can get an idea of how long it will be before the baby comes.
We have been using a product called “The Foal Watch Kit”. Here are the steps:
1) Around 4-5pm we milk the mare enough to gather about 5ml of fluid
2) Measure out 1.5ml. Add 9ml distiled water, and one drop of some purple solution (of course it has a name – I just do not remember what)
3) Take a vial that has a small amount of some magic clear fluid in it. Vials provided in the kit, of course. Using a contraption provided, suck up a small amount of the milk solution into the vial. Rock to mix. If the color of the mixture remains purple, suck up more milk solution. Once the color turns bright blue and remains there, read the side of the vial. The more fluid in the vial, the lower the number (who knows why (?)).
4) When you finally have a reading of 200 or more, you are likely (about 85% chance) that you are within 48 hours of having a birthing mare. If below 200, there is a 98% chance she will not give birth that night.
How do I like it? Pretty well so far. If it actually works, one could cut down foal watch to 2-3 nights.
During the last few days Cori has shown 90, 100, 150, 200 and tonight it was 250. Since the reading was 200 last night and she did not have the baby last night, there is supposedly an 85% chance the baby will come tonight. We’ll see.
Waiting for Cori’s foal
The average gestation period for Friesian horses is about 340 days. Ours usually have their babies a little earlier, but when Cori had her first foal in 2005, she delivered smack dab on day 340. That means this year she is due on June 18, but we have been assuming she may go before that. And thus, it is “foal watch week”.
Since horses generally foal at night, and since the foal could be in distress upon delivery, it is common for horse owners to check the mare during the night. Cori is at my parent’s farm, so this generally leaves them with the burden of getting up every two hours to see how she is doing.
Though all foals are a gift, this year’s foal is special. It is our only foal this year. The foal has a buyer (and a friend) who has been patiently waiting for 2 years. The foal’s father is a wonderful stallion who can no longer produce many foals, so this baby is a rare (less than 10 this year) production from him. Cori is my first Friesian. I bought her as a 6 month old and she is now seven years old. She is a wonderful mare – loves people, trained in riding/driving, highly rated (1st premie ster) at her inspection, and just pleasant to be around. She is really special to me. So, this year I am helping my parents and covering the night shift for them this week.
When will the baby come? Who can say. We are trying out a new forecasting technique which tests the milk. You run this test each day and when the chemical indicator shows “200″ (whatever that means), the baby should be here within 24-48 hours. Cori showed “100″ last night, which tells me she is still a few days away. But still, the indicator does not work in all mares.
The baby has certainly dropped. This picture is from 6/12 in the afternoon. The drooping bulge in her belly is the baby lying on its back, with with head towards Cori’s hips and rear towards her shoulders. So, the foal’s spine is along Cori’s lower belly line. This is the standard fetal position in a late pregnancy. The baby will move a little, especially stretching its feet up and out. Must be uncomfortable as all get out.
Cori seems content and doing well. At night she shifts a lot from foot to foot. I think the baby must really be heavy on her. I have been trying to make her more comfortable by adding a fan to her foaling shed, and rinsing her with cool water in the afternoons, then letting her graze (on a lead line) for about 10 minutes on grass – this is a real treat for her now. In the afternoons before I pen her up in the shed I give her some hay and an apple. Nothing makes a Friesian happier than eating.
Cori appreciates the company. She is a little lonely in her foaling lot. In the mornings she gets to see the herd as they come for their breakfast. But mostly, she is alone with the humans. And we are a poor substitute. Yesterday evening as I walked to the lot, there was one lone horse across the way, waiting with Cori. This is quite odd for a lone horse to leave the herd in order to be alongside another horse in a different paddock. I took a picture, below. Cori is on the right and the other horse on the left, across the driveway.
I had already guessed who the horse was who kept Cori company. This is Hiltje, Cori’s mother. Mom and Dad say the horses never really forget their foals. It sure looks that way.
Cori is pregnant!
Coriander, my 6 year old Friesian broodmare, is pregnant. This is her 2nd foal, and she became pregnant after only one insemination. We are so happy and relieved! This should be a wonderful foal – the offspring of a top quality mare and one of the best breeding stallions in the world. If all goes well with the baby, s/he will be sold to a local (Blacksburg) woman who has been waiting about 18 months already for this little critter. So, happily the baby will be nearby for at least a while.
So, Cori is now at day 25 and we'll ultrasound her again at 45 days or so, and then do a final "make sure" exam at about 75 days. If things are still good then, it is just a matter of checking her at 5 months or so and making sure she has the proper diet, care, vaccinations, etc. The foal will be due in very early April, 2007.
That Cori – she is such a wonderful mare. Beautiful, sweet, a good breeder and a good mother. I am definitely lucky to be owned by her 
Goodbye Samson (sniff)
Well, we have been boarding Samson and his owner picked him up today. Samson was Cori's first foal and he just turned 11 months old. I am glad I was not there when they picked him up – I would have been heartbroken to see him go. Dad said he walked right on the trailer like a good boy. He is now going to be boarded at a quarter horse place in NC. The man running the place, along with Samson's owner, picked him up. They brought an older gelding on the trailer to ride with him so he would not be too frightened and they promised Dad he would be in a paddock until he got used to his new home, then he would be with a herd of boys as he grows into an adult. If you are in western NC and pass a group of quarterhorses and a big, lovely Friesian, wave hello to Samson for me. What a sweet boy. This has got to be one of the worse parts about being a breeder – seeing them go….
Hiltje had a colt!
Yes, he was a couple of weeks early, which was a good thing because he is HUMONGOUS. He had trouble getting up, because he is HUMONGOUS, so he went to Va Tech for some TLC until he could build his strength up enough to lift his HUMONGOUS body. Even so, it took 6 people to hold him down to put the feeding tube in. One vet tech, sweaty face, hair down in her eyes, looked at me and said woefully "my word, he is strong". My guess is that Hiltje figured if Dahlia did not have to be pregnant anymore then Hiltje did not have to either. And Hiltje, our alpha mare, does whatever Hiltje wants. Thank goodness she is a sweetheart.
He's doing great now, standing and eating and pushing everyone around. He's at least 25% bigger than Tara – he probably weighs a good 130 pounds or more. Too bad this is not an H year because he would be a good "Hercules". Hiltje is having to get used to him again since he did not nurse on his own for a couple of days. When he goes to nurse he hits her like a Mack Truck, which pisses her off. But I think that will pass soon.
He is Sibald x Lute and the blackest thing I have ever seen. We got a lovely 1st premie filly with this cross a couple of years ago. So we are hopeful. Don't know much about his personality yet, but he is good looking. His name is Tsjemme (sorta like "SHEM-uh" but more of a "ch" sound up front), which is Friesian for Timothy. We named him after my brother. The vets call him Tim. After he's weaned he's going to a home outside Charlottesville to some folks who are excellent carriage drivers. A good thing since he'll probably be a "tractor trailer" sized adult!
Looking forward to getting him home and I'll get you some pictures.
