# When do you start checking your mares through the night?



## Vickijay (15 June 2010)

Hi,

How ready are your pregnant mares before you start checking them more than just last thing at night? or sleeping (or not as the case may be!!) there etc? I guess lots of people have cctv.


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## Beatrice5 (15 June 2010)

When she waxed up I was checking her through the night and baby came that night 

Some people seem to have weeks of foal watch sleepless nights though !


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## GinnieRedwings (15 June 2010)

I'd say it depends on the mare, how well you know her and how accurately you "read" her. Only had to do one night with my girl this year.
With a maiden, I would take no chances and start watching at very recognisable sign of letting down... sometimes weeks! ... and take notes so that you can narrow it down next time round!
Good luck x


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## Vickijay (15 June 2010)

GinnieRedwings said:



			With a maiden, I would take no chances and start watching at very recognisable sign of letting down... sometimes weeks! ... and take notes so that you can narrow it down next time round!
Good luck x
		
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See thats what I thought, esp as what if she only waxes up after I have left at 10pm lol. 

Do you mean letting down actual milk? Or just bagging up? She has had a large ish bag for a while but no proper milk yet


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## cruiseline (15 June 2010)

Vickijay said:



			See thats what I thought, esp as what if she only waxes up after I have left at 10pm lol. 

Do you mean letting down actual milk? Or just bagging up? She has had a large ish bag for a while but no proper milk yet 

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We have 7 foals on the ground so far this season and only one of them waxed up!!

We start watching them as soon as they get any signs of bagging up. We have cctv on them as well as foal alarms. We still managed to miss one of them foaling


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## Vickijay (15 June 2010)

cruiseline said:



			We have 7 foals on the ground so far this season and only one of them waxed up!!

We start watching them as soon as they get any signs of bagging up. We have cctv on them as well as foal alarms. We still managed to miss one of them foaling 

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So say you didnt have cctv, when would you start watching them if it envolved sleeping in your truck (which is quite nice, but never the less not as nice as bed) and wandering out to check throughout the night????


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## cruiseline (15 June 2010)

Vickijay said:



			So say you didnt have cctv, when would you start watching them if it envolved sleeping in your truck (which is quite nice, but never the less not as nice as bed) and wandering out to check throughout the night????
		
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It really depends on the mare!! If she is a maiden and you don't have any record of previous foaling, then I would say 2 weeks before her due date, especially if she has bagged up. 

We have had mares foal early, late and on time this year, it really is a guessing game. You could use the milk strips which could give you a better prediction.


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## Vickijay (15 June 2010)

cruiseline said:



			It really depends on the mare!! If she is a maiden and you don't have any record of previous foaling, then I would say 2 weeks before her due date, especially if she has bagged up. 

We have had mares foal early, late and on time this year, it really is a guessing game. You could use the milk strips which could give you a better prediction.
		
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She has had one baby before but was early like 320 days and she didnt do any waxing then. Shes now 328 days and has been bagged up for a while, but no proper milk.

I was just chatting to a friend about milk testing, id have to use garden centre ones now as would be too late (hopefully lol) to order some from the interweb and she said garden centre ones arnt that good?????

Im going to go check her now


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## S_N (15 June 2010)

What is your mare's LSD/LID?

If you don't have CCTV, then use a baby monitor!  That is how I foaled both of my homebreds.  I've never worked anywhere (apart from my current place of work, though I am not strictly involved in foalings anymore, though do attend the odd one) that has CCTV.  When I was working foaling nights, it was all foot work and observing the mares the old fashioned way lol.  That's all very well when there are dedicated night staff, but when you work full time, most of us not in the horse industry, it's not practical.  For my own, I slept in a caravan at the yard, with my dog and had a baby monitor in the stable with my mare.  I'd check her last thing at midnight and from then only set my alarmS (plural - I had 4) for every 20 mins.  With her first she waxed up 9 days prior to foaling and for the last 6 days ran milk, for her 2nd she waxed up 21 days before foaling and ran milk for 17 days prior to foaling.  She also had placentitis for the 2nd and wasn't very well in last 10 days.


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## imafluffybunny (15 June 2010)

I normally start watching on CCTV from 320 days but I also milk test which I have found very accurate. 
Although last Sat morning I turned up to find a foal born at 315 days and the mare showed NO signs whatsover, the mare isn't maiden and I have foaled her before so dont always rely on the 'signs'!!


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## the watcher (16 June 2010)

Two years ago I spent 10 nights on the barn floor because I didn't know how the mare would progress.

This time round with the same mare I am hoping she will progress the same way, she is viable now and bagging up but to my eye at least isn't looking quite ready and isn't waxing up at all. If no changes have happened in the next week I will then start spending the nights with her.


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## holiday (16 June 2010)

Changes can happen very quickly so I start foal watching a couple of weeks before, however we do have the pleasure of cameras, so they are on in the bedroom but I check last thing at night then every two hours, if the mare is showing to be imminent I sit up and watch but some of ours have not waxed or even had a milk change when they have come in from the field but as we know the mares we have noticed their change of behaviour and been more vigilent with them.

Good luck, if her teats are still slightly turned in she probably wont be just there however any change to straight down then open she will be very close.


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## Vickijay (16 June 2010)

Hi,

I slept there last night, which was actually ok as my truck is really comfy, it was just a shame that I kept having to wake up and go outside!!!!

So I guess now I have done it once then im pretty much stuck there for fear of missing it!! At least Im only working a few hours a day so time to rest. Although Im not sure how well learner car drivers will go down with my lack of sleep!!!


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## Touchwood (16 June 2010)

All the mares are on camera here from 310 days.  The cameras are linked to our house so we can easily watch them.  We are generally in the house all evening so can see them anyway (which is very helpful in getting an idea of the mares normal behaviour pattern).  We have also started milk testing this year, which I have to say has been very accurate and is definately something we will continue - I would never rely totally on it though, its not 100% accurate (nor does it claim to be), and some mares come on very quickly with their milk, whereas others slowly climb up the scale.
In general, in conjunction with bag development, muscle and vulva slackness and the milk tests, we are sitting up from approx 320 days with every mare.


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## S_N (16 June 2010)

Honestly, if you'd don't have CCTV, beg, buy, borrow (I borrowed mine) a baby monitor.  You will hear when she breaks water (providing she is standing up) and you will also get used to her movements through the night and any changes in behaviour.


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## Clodagh (16 June 2010)

You can get a baby monitor with a picture now, TheresaW had one, there was alink on here about them a few weeks ago.


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## S_N (16 June 2010)

Clodagh said:



			You can get a baby monitor with a picture now, TheresaW had one, there was alink on here about them a few weeks ago.
		
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Can you?  FANTASTIC!! Even better!


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