Foals of 2014

[amfuller]

Nice looking Shackleford foal. She's a cutie.
Shackleford filly out of Dixieland Bull
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 3352_n.jpg
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 4722_n.jpg
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 4585_n.jpg
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 2478_n.jpg

[Della]

Curious about bedding: 99% of these foal pics show thick straw bedding in the stalls.
When so many people choose shavings to bed their horses, I'm surprised to see this amount of straw.
I've always preferred straw to shavings for my riding horses - I believe horses spend more time down and resting. Is that why it's used so much for mares and their foals?

[BaroqueAgain1]

This may not be an expert opinion, but it seems like shavings would stick to a wet newborn, basically coating it in wood shavings. Harder for the mare and/or attendants to clean off?

[TBird]

Curious about bedding: 99% of these foal pics show thick straw bedding in the stalls.
When so many people choose shavings to bed their horses, I'm surprised to see this amount of straw.
I've always preferred straw to shavings for my riding horses - I believe horses spend more time down and resting. Is that why it's used so much for mares and their foals?

Shavings have a bacteria that can get in the umbilicus (which in a just-born foal is an open conduit into the body) and cause infection. Straw is much safer.

[Private Thoughts]

We raise chicks and ducks. You have to be careful when using shavings with them as the ducks, especially will try to eat the shavings and can die if they ingest too many. The dust that many shavings have as well might be of concern. I know with the chicks it can cause alot of respiratory issues.

[Private Thoughts]

The link didn't work for me either. I was sitting on a plane one time, and I was talking to a woman who breeds/boards thoroughbreds. She was telling me about one of their mares where the foal was too large and it was stuck. They pulled it for hours. After the foal died (they had taken her to the vet by this time), she told me they wrapped chains around the dead foal and tried to pull it out that way. It still wouldn't come (she was watching all this). After a while they told her to leave because they were going to have to cut the foal into pieces to get it out. Even with what you guys have said, I still can't understand why a c-section was not done in situations like this. The way she spoke about it was that this happens from time and time, and it is never pretty. I would think a c-section would be much more humane for the mare than taking it out piece-by-piece. I am still horrified by the story, and I think of it whenever I see mares going to the clinic for giant foals.

There has to be a better way.

The first foaling I ever witnessed was one where the foal died and they had to use chains to pull it out. It was awful and to this day I still can remember seeing that. Thankfully it didn't come to the drastic measures described above. That is so sad. But I guess to save the mothers life, necessary. The mare I witnessed whose foal died never had had foaling complications in any prior foaling and there was not indication this foaling would be any different.

[Le Beau Bai]

This is likely a dumb question so please don't flame me. In light of what happened to Careless Jewel, Rachel, and many other mares that have "too large" foals, why can't they do a c-section? Horses have abdominal surgery for colic, and sure it is never risk-free, but I would think it would be lower risk than trying to help a mare naturally deliver a foal that is too large.

Found this in one of my uni books, it's Equine Reproductive Physiology, Breeding and Stud Management - M.C.G Davies Morel

Caesarean are risky due to the requirement of general anaesthetic, adhesions, reduced future fertility, hypocalcaemia and infections. Mortality rates for foals is approximately 10%. In cases where the foal is already dead, a fetotomy (dissection of the dead foal in situ to allow for removal) is the preferred cause of action as there is less risk to the mare.

As others have said, by the time you know there is a problem there is often not the chance to get the mare to the vets for surgery anyway. Also in the cases of fetal dystocia, the mare then becomes prioritized over the foal in most cases.

[ChampionCurlin]

f. Scat Daddy x G3W Indy Groove (2/15)

[amfuller]

WOW! Not sure of dam but look at this baby by Bluegrass Cat!!
https://twitter.com/I_AmStoli/status/43 ... 28/photo/1

[TBird]

WOW! Not sure of dam but look at this baby by Bluegrass Cat!!
https://twitter.com/I_AmStoli/status/43 ... 28/photo/1

I thought that was snow on that foal at first!

[RuffiantoRags]

WOW! Not sure of dam but look at this baby by Bluegrass Cat!!
https://twitter.com/I_AmStoli/status/43 ... 28/photo/1

I thought that was snow on that foal at first!

That foal is out of an Airdrie Apache mare so he got his coloring from her sire. I work on the farm and he is quite a striking colt!

[BaroqueAgain1]

Gorgeous foal, and not just because of his coloring. I hope he gets to the races...sure won't have a problem picking him out of the field.

[CoronadosQuest]

WOW! Not sure of dam but look at this baby by Bluegrass Cat!!
https://twitter.com/I_AmStoli/status/43 ... 28/photo/1

I thought that was snow on that foal at first!

That foal is out of an Airdrie Apache mare so he got his coloring from her sire. I work on the farm and he is quite a striking colt!

Do you happen to know the mare's name?

[Ketama]

First chestnut foal for Frankel! Dam Turama is by Pivotal - Our Queen of Kings (Arazi) and half to G1 winner Spinning Queen.





Another pic of the little colt:


Photo courtesy of Trevor Jones

[ChampionCurlin]

c. Awesome Again x EZ Indy (2/?) - dam is 1/2 to Banshee Breeze

[ChampionCurlin]

c. Hard Spun x Life At Ten (2/17?)

[ChampionCurlin]

[ChampionCurlin]

f. Kodiak Kowboy x Leva Mae (1/16?)

[ChampionCurlin]

c. Baltimore Bob x Ducky McLean (1/16?)

[second_glance]

Another cute pic of the very energetic Get Stormy colt o/o Spanish Wedding. Also neat: Crestwood says he was bred by Caroline Webster, who broke Clyde before he was sent to Tom Bush.

http://ow.ly/i/4CLN9/original