# False Labour/Foal Positioning??



## zoeshiloh (12 April 2010)

Saturday night I sat up with Alma as normal (she is 2 weeks overdue) and she showed all the signs of finally foaling. I text her previous owner straight away to let her know (she is waiting as anxiously as I am - Alma lost her first foal in 2008). Anyway, we had pawing, sweating, rolling, grunting, contracting - you name it! I have foaled down on TB studs, and foaled my own mares, so am well versed in equine labour. However, after about an hour and a half it all stopped, she went to her haynet, and ate for the rest of the night! I had the vet out early Sunday morning, and he said he thought it was the foal getting into position ready to come out. He thought it would be born Sunday night.

Well, now Monday morning, and still no baby. Alma was not showing any signs to be honest, she was a bit hotter than normal, and a bit restless, but no pawing, biting, kicking etc at her belly like she did Saturday night. She finished her haynet overnight, and gobbled up her morning feed. She looks uncomfortable but not as if she is about to give birth. 

So, has this happened to other people? I have never seen anything like it, not to the degree of what she was showing Saturday night! I don't want to keep bothering the vet, but am a little paranoid bearing in mind she lost a foal two years ago (died seconds after birth).


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## Irishlife (12 April 2010)

Could she have had a mild colic? This happened to one of mine near her due time once and the symptoms are quite similar to the start of labour.

As long as she is settled I am sure everything is fine. Is she a different shape when you look at her from the back? I find that when the foal has turned ready for birth instead of laying transverse, the stomach deflates somewhat and the belly is slung lower.

Good luck with her and keep us posted with pics etc when the time comes.


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## elizabeth1 (12 April 2010)

I had this 2 years ago with my mare.She was lying flat on her back groaning and I thought she was cast.We pulled her over and I was about  to call the vet when she got up and started eating her haynet.Observed her closely for the next 24 hours -nothing,although she had changed shape as described inIrishlife's post.Then the next night ie 48 hours later she gave birth.I think she was  repositioning the foal.She's due again in a fortnight so it will be interesting to see if she does the same thing again.


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## Penniless (12 April 2010)

Had exactly the same thing happen about 4 weeks ago and we honestly thought that the mare was in labour, but turned out to be colic.  Since then, we've had two more episodes exactly the same.  Then on Saturday, just about to go out to work when she started pawing the ground again.  To cut a long story short - although she didn't look too bad, she was definitely uncomfortable so decided not to risk going to work just in case.  Come 5'oclock she was still uncomfortable (not bad enough to get vet out at any point in the day) but phoned him to advise him what was happening.  He suggested giving her 2 butes and he would phone back an hour later.  When he phoned back an hour later, she was absolutely fine.  Next morning at 7.30am she gave birth to a healthy colt foal - so obviously she was in first stage labour on that Saturday.  

And the mare we spent all Saturday night monitoring as she was dripping milk? well she decided to have her colt foal 8 hours after her stable companion had had hers.  Two boys are totally different in temperament and attitude and spent a little bit of time out in the paddock this morning.  Off back out there now to turn them out again for a little while.

Good luck with your mare - hope you don't get as many sleepless nights as we had (the mare who foaled at 3.30pm was 4 weeks overdue).  Amazing isn't it - all that sleep I missed out on, to have one foal at 7.30am and another at 3.30pm.


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## zoeshiloh (12 April 2010)

Thanks everyone - vet been out again this afternoon, as I am VERY paranoid about this mare!! Anyway, he rectally scanned her and said everything looks fine, foal is pretty much positioned to come out, so should be any day now. He said foal was responsive, moving to his touch, and heartbeat sound was good (phew!) so fingers crossed we should have a baby soon! I am exhausted - working full time job and foal watch is not fun! Thank god I only have one foaling this year!


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## JanetGeorge (13 April 2010)

Last year, one of my sport horse mares started what LOOKED like early labour at about 306 days!  She kept it up for 3 WEEKS!!  I was resorting to matchsticks by the time she actually foaled (with NO problems!)

I sure hope you won't have to wait so long!


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