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Re: [RC] A JOYFUL DAY long with questions - Merry WicklundIt is my happiest, appiest (sorry couldn't resist) time of the year. We have one born May 29, and 2 more due in about a week. Our babies are born in the pasture (15 acres mol). Usually at night and most often when we are gone to a ride. The first thing we do is be sure the mare has cleaned out the afterbirth. We observe the baby to be sure that once it is up on his feet and moving, it has nursed and gotten his colostrum (sp?), and is peeing and pooping. Then we bring the mare and baby into the round pen and apply iodine to the umbilical area and give the baby a tetanus shot. We do not imprint our babies at birth as they are turned back out in the pasture to just be babies until weaning time. After they are weaned, they go to the round pen for some natural horse-man-ship training. If you imprint you DO have to be sure and do it correctly. ie: hold on to the baby until it quits
struggling and it is YOUR idea to let it up. And yes, they will look very skeletal for the first few days but if they are getting enough nourishment from mom they will normally fill out in about a week. Merry ======================================================
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