I Am A Nervous Wreck - So Talk to Me Please!

Next Time you had better learn and chart the gestation pwereiod or your gonna just be doing this over and over. IS this your first incident with a pregnant horse?

If it is I hope youre keeping good observations of what she looks like so that when she finally does foal youll have some reference for the next time. Otherwise youre gonna be a basket case with worry.

I know I must be driving all of you crazy and I do apologize for that. My vet said I'm driving him nuts too. Yes, this is my very first experience with a pregnant horse. When I got her she was already pregnant and is a rescue horse and there is no real way to find out exactly when she was bred.

I do apologize to all of you for the yoyo effect of this thread. When she has that foal I'll let you know. No more guessing it might be soon, etc.

You started this thread about 5 months ago, I was just reminded. That seems to be enough time for you to start getting educated on pregnant horses. SO, in the ensuing half year, what have you learned? This is a pop quiz.
I hope that youre vet is cutting you a deal on consultation. Our vets are in business so we actually have an account with them and they are on call (however, we have a commercial interest in our sheep).

ANY REAL IDEA ARELLA, AS TO WHEN SHES DUE??
Im starting to doubt your veracity a bit.

I don't think next November's a realistic option so you're probably reasonably safe to pick January.

I hope your grandfoal has a safe and stressfree arrival in early 2010.

Farmerman,

I got the horse from a friend of mine who bought it at a rescue horse auction. She bought Miss Joy and Lulu, her two year old filly. She had the horses for about three months when I got them from her. She has no idea when she was bred and we are not able to backtrack anymore than about to the time Pam bought them. So, as far as she and I can even guestimate, Miss Joy is at the least nine months along.

Fortunately, my vet is pretty accommodating and patient with me. I have been researching pregnancy in horses to learn as much as I can. Of course, the vet can do an ultrasound and find out pretty close to the time it is due but that's too expensive.

I really am sorry I got everyone so excited. When I got her and she was acting funny I immediately thought she must be ready to have the baby. I knew so little about pregnancy in horses that I assumed that had to be what was going on with each change in her. Now, like I said, I'll post the pics when she finally does have that little thing.

Again, I do apologize.

Maybe she's waiting until new years eve?

Well, I was praying for a Christmas foal but nothing! So, maybe New Year's Eve. I am going to name the foal Resolution Joy if it's born in January.

I do know one thing though. I will never get another horse that is already pregnant if I do not know the date she was bred. I am driving myself crazy everytime I see a change in her because I think, "oh! It must be time!" and I know I have driven many, if not all of you crazy with this. Just be glad you aren't my vet! The poor guy, I probably sound like a stage mother or something to him.

That ' s perfectly OK. I hope u had a Merry Christmas
and I wish u and your horses (plural) a very Happy New Year!!!



David

Oh my GOSH!! What is taking her SO long??!!

Still no baby?

Wow

What did the veterinarian say about a date of birth ?

Has your vet palpated her? There's no way a vet could be that far off on a due date, and no way a decent vet wouldn't palpate.

If you got her in July, your friend had her for three months before you, and the rescue people knew she was pregnant when they sold her at auction to your friend... the latest she could have been bred would have been around mid February. Gestation is around 11 months. Generally, if you know the breeding date you can add one year and then subtract 25 days, but a 350 day gestation is normal so the one year minus 25 days is really one year minus 25 days and then give or take a week either direction of that date.

So, If you got her July 7th, and your friend had her for two - three months (we'll split it and call the auction purchase date April 20th) and the auction knew she was pregnant (determined by an ultrasound at 45 - 60 days, even later in the pregnancy if by palpation) then we are at a breeding date of somewhere around ...February and a due date of Mid January.

If you don't have a foal on the ground in the next two weeks she probably isn't really pregnant. There is a chance that she was pregnant at auction, but that the foal was reabsorbed prior to the 90th day of the pregnancy. That wouldn't surprise me if she was a rescue animal.

Oh, and if she is pregnant and this cold snap continues she may hold off a few additional days. Either way we aren't talking more than three weeks for there to be a baby on the ground. If your friend has the auction date you'd be able to calculate a little more precisely.

Squinney,

I have tried and tried to find information about Little Miss Joy and the place she was rescued from and when but I have had no luck at all. The only thing I know is it was some place in Bastrop, which is about 50 miles or so from me.

I am beginning to think you are right about the vet. I don't think he knows anything! Everytime I ask him a question, it's mostly she'll have it when she has it. He was pushing for an ultra sound and I felt uncomfortable about that.

I think you are right about the dates you figured. If she dosn't have it by March she definitely isn't pregnant. But if she's not pregnant then something is wrong with her. She is wide as a house! She has teats hanging and has colustrum can be milked from her teats. From what I understand, that doesn't happen unless the horse is pregnant. My husband said I can call a new vet or I can even get the ultrasound or whatever I wanted to do but he thinks I just need to leave the horse alone, quit freaking out, and let her have the baby. I know he's right. He usually is.

I am to blame for the angst I've been having and the angst I have caused everyone else. All I knew is she was pregnant and she made those funny movements (my starting the thread) and then everytime something seemed to change I freaked to the point of probably seeing more than there was to see at the time.

I wasn't going to post on here until I could post the baby's picture because I feel terrible about how my ignorance and flat out stupidity got everyone involved.

It is beautiful out today so I am going to try to get a good picture of her size and how much she has grown (width-wise). I'm sure you will then agree if she ain't pregnant, something is wrong. But she seems, well, healthy as a horse!

Okay, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I called the vet that my trainer said is the best there is. I told him the whole story. I am not sure why he was laughing so much though but anyway, he is coming tomorrow afternoon around 4:30 pm and he said I'll have answers.

One thing he did say was that since she could not have been pregnant very long when she was taken from the place she was, odds are the foal is going to be just fine.

Farmerman,

I don't blame you for questioning my veracity on this. Reading back through this forum I sound like a total fruitcake. So, 318-368-6060 is Dr. Odom's phone number. So, if you can think of anything I might need to ask or keep my mouth shut about or whatever, please feel free to either tell me or call him. Shoot, I don't even care if you call and ask him if he is going to go to some crazy woman's house in Ruston because of a pregnant horse.

Now, the hardest thing is going to be able to sleep tonight knowing tomorrow I will have answers.

While the thought of 100+ people from this forum calling your vet to ask if he has an appointment tomorrow with a crazy lady has me giggling, it might cause him to cancel the appointment. : )

I wouldn't pay for an ultrasound at this point. He should be able to give you a pretty accurate idea from a physical exam.

Not to keep you up all night, but now that you have made the appointment the foal will likely arrive tonight. It's one of those laws of nature, doncha know. Your husband is correct that she'l have it in her own time. Horses have been doing this birthing thing without human interference for a long time. (says the woman with her own freak out thread over puppies a few years back)

I'm placing 50 virtual bucks on it being a filly.

I don 't think u r stupid.




David

We kept horses for about 20 years, and nobody, NOBODY would recommend that an amateur get involved in breeding a horse. I know you got her from a friend, who adopted her pregnant, but if I were you I would board her in a barn where they watch her via TV 24/7, when she is about due. With people who breed and make sure delivery is safe.

Seems I've seen this thread here for a very long time. No baby yet? Hope everything comes out OK and the new vet is more compassionate and helpful to you. Joy will be perfect, you'll see. I'm seeing it that way for you.

I am trusting that not a 100 people are going to call the vet! The thought of that happening never crossed my mind because I don't think people that have been involved in this thread would do that, but I do see the point of the comment.

I am going to ask the vet about boarding her like you suggested. My trainer said I could bring her there so at least that won't be a concern.

I thought the same thing about once the vet comes she'll probably have it but I figured she'd have it tonight. It's not quite light enough to see yet if there is an extra horse out there yet but in about half an hour when I go to feed them I'll know. When I get to work I'll let you all know.

I slept like a baby last night! LOL I feel like I'm going to get some real answers tonight and I think that will help. I know it will help me stop driving everyone nuts about this.

So, we are all going to have some kind of answer later today. The vet is supposed to be here around 4:30 so I'll let y'all know.

Thanx so much for all the kind comments. I'm kind of wanting a stud horse, but to be honest, I'm too much of a novice to handle one, even a baby one so I'm shooting for a filly too!

It's nuts here at work this morning! But inbetween answering the umpteenth phone call, no foal in the pasture this morning. The boss is letting me leave at 4:00 this afternoon so I can get Miss Joy ready for her appointment at 4:30. Will let y'all know as soon as I do!

WOOOOOOHOOOOOO! I AM NOT CRAZY! LOL

Okay, Dr. Odom said, she will have the baby in February. I have to take Lulu, her two year old away from her. He said when I saw milk, it was milk, but most likely Lulu has been snacking! I have to take Lulu away or she won't develop the colostrum that she needs. Lulu will be going to the other pasture with Aunt Indy and Uncle Hank.

Little Miss Joy came out of the pasture pretty easily but Mac had a fit! I had to let him out with her. She did okay, tried to kick the vet once, but she didn't. He said the movements I have been seeing were her trying to get comfortable. He explained at times it may look like the baby is all to one side or in a weird place. He was so nice and patient with me. I kept saying, but she's really pregnant, right? He kept laughing at me. He said oh yeah, she's pregnant! No doubt.

He said she looks good and for her size and is doing fine with the pregnancy. I told him I will be calling him when the foal is born so he can check mother and child out.

And can you believe it? He only charged me $85.00! So ladies and gentlemen - WE ARE DEFINITELY HAVING A BABY!