Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

RE: Re: [RC] early spring foals - heidi

My TWH filly, Anny, was born on Tuesday.  I'm in So. Calif, but , according 
to the weatherman, we are having the coldest March since 1921.  I have no 
barn and it has been cold and rainy almost every day.  In desperation I took 
apart my pipe corral and put four 12' panels together under my carport.  Then 
I put a bag of shavings down, then spread two bales of straw on top of that.  
I leave mom & baby out in the large corral when the weather is clear during 
the day.  But at night I bring them into the small pen.  So far the Anny is 
doing great.    


Linda has hit on the main thing--which is keeping baby dry.  If baby is
dry and has some good bedding, even sub-zero weather is not a problem. 
(Have had to deal with enough winter foals that that's why we don't
breed until they can foal in the summer now.)


    For the past few nights ( since Tuesday) my boyfriend has helped me move 
them. Anny is so interested in everything she doesn't follow too close behind 
MOM and then MOM get excited, starts calling and trying to get to Anny who is 
merrily smelling or tasting my truck, the wheelbarrow, a tree, or whatever 
else she finds.  I'm going to try to bring them up by myself in a few minutes 
as my boyfriend had to go home.  If I have trouble, I'll ask a neighbor to be 
the "hazer" or drag rider to herd Anny into the pen. 


Linda, the key to handling mares and foals by yourself is to take a soft
rope and loop it in kind of a figure-8 with one loop around baby's chest
and one around the butt, with the cross over the back.  You can hold
onto the cross and pretty well maneuver a new-born where you need to
go, and mom will happily lead wherever you take baby.  Or sometimes I
just "lead" baby with one arm around the chest and one around the butt,
and mama's leadrope draped over one arm.  

Heidi


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=