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We have owned Gypsy for years and she is very comfortable with our presence. She has the type of disposition that just begs for human companionship, so we knew she would not be bothered with us watching the birth event. Not all mares are this comfortable with people and I suggest, if you want to be present for the birth of your next foal, spending as much time as possible with your mare leading up to the event so you do not stress her when you show up at this very important time in her life. It is also important to interfere as little as possible and stay quiet, calm, and observe from a distance. When we arrived at the stall, we could see one little foot enclosed in a white bag. Gypsy was standing up and pacing the stall. She would lie down and we could see the little foot up to the knee, but she would stand up again and it would slide back inside. Finally Gypsy decided to lie back down and we were thrilled to witness the birth of her colt. The below pictures show the series of events which all took place in less than 15 minutes. |
This was a normal, uneventful birth. The colt stood up on his wobbly legs within minutes and was sucking shortly after. We stayed with the pair until the foal was standing and nursing, but then we left to give Gypsy time to quietly bond with her new baby. We could still watch them from the camera inside the house to make sure everything was going well. There is nothing more exciting to a breeder than being present for the birth of a foal. I hope everyone gets to experience this event at least once. The barn camera made this all possible for us. Without it we would have had no idea what was happening in the barn that evening. This wonderful series of pictures is what “foal watch” is all about. It is frustrating, tiring, and for the most part boring, but when it ends with photos like these and memories of the event that you will always carry with you, it is worth every moment. |
Around 8:30 in the evening on May 22nd, we happened to glance at the barn camera and noticed our mare Gypsy, was somewhat agitated. She was 380 days along in her gestation so we were used to false foaling signs from her. She was already experiencing the longest gestation time our vet had seen in his years of practice and we were keeping a close eye on her. As she paced the foaling stall and swished her tail, we noticed something white. At first we thought it was dust on the camera, but soon realized the moment was finally here. My husband, daughter, and I threw on our shoes, grabbed the camera, and quietly and quickly made our way to the barn. |