Conference noted::equitation

    
    
    I agree that babies and their mom's can get dependent on heat lamps
    and the like.  
    
    However, for newborns, heat lamps are certainly helpful.  (Having lost 
    a foal from freezing because the foal came unexpectedly when it was -20 
    and we didn't have heat lamps on, I would rather let them be a little 
    dependent than have a dead foal.) 
    
    Most of the people that I know that have foals arrive in the middle of
    winter that have temps like NH use heat lamps or some other source of 
    heat at least for a couple of weeks.  After the foal has strength, 
    they start turning them out for a little every day and start shutting 
    off the heat source during the day.  Then gradually turn off the 
    heat source at night.  

    If it's that cold, I'd use heat lamps and blankets.
    
    Another trick one can use instead of or in addition to a blanket for a
    foal is this:
    
    Take a man's sweater or sweatshirt(V-necked wool sweaters are ideal) and 
    put it on the foal so that the front legs go in the arms of the sweater
    and the "body" of the sweater covers the foal's barrel. If the sweater
    has a V-neck, that's a perfect "cut-out" for the withers.
    
    

    Hi John,
    
    I agree with .1, better to spoil the foal than have a 
    dead one!
    
    My mare just foaled on 11/30. It was a VERY cold morning and
    the foal was shivering like crazy. I scrubbed her down really
    good with dry towels and immediately put her foal blanket on.
    When she finally laid down for a nap, I placed several more 
    blankets on top of her and she quickly warmed up. She has had
    her blankey (yes I call it blankey) on almost non-stop since 
    then.
    
    Write or call me offline if you have questions.
    Tina 267-2304
    

        After eight January foals, here is some possible help.

    Two 60 watt heat lamps in the stall when the foal is born (we always
    turned it on three days prior to due date to acclimate mare).  Also
    keep a thermometer in the stall.  (We have double dutch doors.  Could
    regulate the temp by turning on/off one light.  Try and keep it around
    50 degrees).

    Stall should be bedded with hand shaken straw.  No lumps.  Also
    prevents health problems associate with dust from sawdust or shavings
    in newborn foals (if possible, shake the straw outside the stall and
    then move it in).  Straw should be 8"-12" deep with banked edges
    (prevents casting).  Usually 10-12 bales to start.  You may want to
    start out lighter depending on foal's foot stability.

    Be sure to have on hand the following:

    Iodine for Umbilical cord and soles of feet
    Enema (for .. guess what!!)
    Plenty of clean dry towels
    Warm water (Mare may want this)
    A clean bucket to catch the placenta in (the vet will want to examine it
        afterward)
    A tail wrap for the mare (we always kept the tail wrapped 3 days prior
        to due date until after foaling)
    
    Suggestion for a good reproductive vet - Harry Gil in Bolton, MA.  Tuft
    referrs a lot of their cases to him.
    
    If I think of something else, I'll write again.
    
    H

    Re .4
    
    "Stall should be bedded with hand shaken straw.  No lumps.  Also
    prevents health problems associate with dust from sawdust or shavings
    in newborn foals (if possible, shake the straw outside the stall and
    then move it in).  "
    
    While I agree with most everything in .4, I disagree about straw. We
    used straw exactly once for foaling. I found it *MUCH* dustier than 
    sawdust and removed the straw after a few days. Since then, I have used 
    sawdust for foaling. We have never had any problems.
    
    You don't have to take my word for it, .4 makes a reference to the fact
    that straw is very dusty when it recommends that you shake out the
    straw outside!

    Hi all!

    Thank you so much for your suggestions and ideas.  I printed off all
    the replies last night and brought them home for my girlfriend to
    review.

    We've got a number of action items to work for the weekend as a result.

    Regarding the straw controversy, we apparently lucked out and found
    some that seems relatively dust free, but we'll keep that in mind.

    Thanks again.

    -John

    My instructor has had many early babies - need to w/ the Futurities.
    The foaling stall stall is usually wrapped in plastic (very high 
    ceilings  in the barn) and heat lamps turned on.  Once the foal is
    a few days old, the lamps are weaned off, although the plastic is
    left in place to prevent drafts from getting in.  
    
    Good luck!  And don't worry, the mare will have her baby when she
    thinks the time is right.  I've made many late-nite trips to her barn
    to check on foaling mares in very cold and inclement weather.  Never
    with anything happening....and the mare would be close to a month
    overdue!
    
    Michele 

    Another thing I just remembered when Michele mentioned wrapped
    stalls...
    
    A friend of ours who lives in NH covers the grills/bars in the stall
    dividers and fronts with plywood to reduce drafts in the foaling stall.
    Basically the same idea as the plastic but it adds a bit of privacy if
    the mare is jealous of the other horses wanting to see the new foal.
    And some horses are spooked by plastic...especially the noises when it
    rustles/rattles or whatever...
    

    
    	John, your base note made me cringe with jealousy... not having
    	a baby coming myself this year.  It sounds like you have done all
    	the right things, and you have some great recommendations in the
    	replys here.  I also agree w/John D - straw proved too dusty and
    	I have had years of good luck with shavings.. everyone has their
    	preference.
    
    	Also I wanted to share an observation/story. I had a friend in
    	Kentucky who had a foal born in January and he came into the 
    	world with an INCREDIBLE winter coat - just like "he knew"... in
    	fact... the filly I had born in June that year was born with a
    	slick summer coat - just like "she knew".  The colt was really
    	cute because he was bay w/white on his face and he had so much
    	hair he looked like a little St. Bernard!  All of the votes for
    	heat lamps are probably good advise - you can always wean the
    	baby from that once it's born and stable and all is well.  
    
    	The last 'winter' baby I had was born on St. Patricks Day and we
    	had 3' of snow in Maine.  It didn't pose any problem until I
    	realized I didn't have a place to turn him out ... well, my
    	pastures were fenced with electric and the snow was soooo deep
    	that they were grounded.  I didn't want him learning that he
    	could just run into the fence at no consequence.  So... for the
    	first couple weeks we would park a car/truck at each end of the
    	turnaround driveway and let them out in the plowed area!  It
    	worked great until he figured out how to jump the snowbanks...
    
    	Keep a close eye on her, make sure she gets as much exercise as
    	you have been and as long as there are no drafts in the stall
    	you'll all be fine.  Let us know !
    
    	Best wishes - holly

    
    Regarding the type of 'coat' the baby is born with -- having had 
    babies come with show coats and some that looked like buffalo I 
    checked with a physiologist that indicated there is a high correlation
    between the heaviness of coat that the mother possesses and the 
    heaviness of coat that the baby is born with. 

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the good wishes.  "Winter Moon" called 'Winnie' for short, arrived
around 1:20am on Saturday morning.  At least it wasn't the intense cold of
Sunday morning, but it was close enough at about 0F.  Good thing we had a
blankey at the ready :-)

Things went well except that Mom retained the placenta for about 12 hours
after birth.  On the hour injections of oxytoxin (sp?) we got from the vet
eventually caused her to expel it.  I was pretty worried there for a while
though.

Also, we got it all on video tape.  My girlfriend, Judy, went down to check on
the mom, "Sassy" at 1am on Saturday.  After a hello and a couple of pats, Sassy
went right down and went to work.  Judy had the camera at the ready - took some
shots, came up to get me at a full tilt sprint and returned to continue
shooting.  It was amazing.  Baby was  up after about 1/2 an hour and we got
her first steps on tape as well.

Mom and baby are doing great.  They took their first outdoor stroll into about
a foot of powder snow on Sunday.  Though the temp was  below zero, they didn't
seem to be cold although I was freezing while running the camera.  Winnie did
some trotting and bucking and seemed to really enjoy.  

I'm sure looking forward to the weekend so I can watch her some more in
action outside.  Temps are supposed to finally moderate (thank God) some
by then.

Thanks again everyone, for your advise and well wishes.

-John                                                                      
                     

    
    
    Congratulations to you and the momm and Winnie!  She sounds wonderful
    and I love her name.. she's going to a little tough one for sure,
    coming into the world under the current conditions....  I'm curious
    about her coat - did she come with her own protection as we talked
    about earlier?
    
    	best to you all - holly (who won't rub it in about how warm it
    				 is here in New Mexico)