[bay_blnd jmpr07]

My boss just lost another foal...

Yesterday morning her new mare, Sox, lost her foal. Sox is no rookie to being pregnant and foaling.

My boss was in the garage with her farrier when Sox was in labor. Sox was on marestare but my boss had forgotten to keep the phone with her and she never heard it ring...

The foal couldn't get out of the sack.

My boss feels horrible. She is very upset and overwhelmed with guilt.

Last spring her pali pinto mini ended up having a psuedo-pregnancy.

Last month her grey pinto mini had a breech and rushed to Boston to the vet clinic.

And now this...She was very short with her e-mail. I have no idea how Sox is, but I expect she is ok and healthy.

I am so heartbroken...

[BuddyPalAmiga]

Oh that is soooo sad

[ryu2832]

Heartbreaking. Raising foals is the most joyous, nerve-racking, devestating thing I have ever done with animals.

As much as we want to, and try, we can't be on-call every minute of everyday.

Sincere condolences.

[bay_blnd jmpr07]

After the vet examined everything it was determined there was nothing my boss could have done had she known and been with the mare.

The placenta had detached early...The foal hadn't been getting anything for awhile before Sox went into labor. Foal was a still-born

It does make my boss feel better knowing it isn't something she could have prevented.

I feel bad thinking this, but I'm beginning to wonder why she's having so much trouble foaling out her mares.

[moondust]

I'm so sorry. This is so terrible! It is making me scared, as there is no way for me to be with my mare arond the clock because she lives at my bro in laws, and I can't spend the night out there any more, because now that he's back from vacation, there's not enough room there for my 1 year old daughter and I to stay. Stuff like this really FREAKS me out right now.

[Appylvr]

That's awful... how sad. I hope Sox is ok.

I've heard minis have a higher risk of foaling problems than regular horses... is that true?

I just read your update. How sad, but at least your boss knows she couldn't have helped even if she was there.

[Haas Horse Farm]

I am so sorry. I know that there have been a lot of this for whatever reason this year. Thank goodness Sox is okay. I am not being rude but I just have to ask... was the mare off fescue for the last trimester of her pregnancy?

[bay_blnd jmpr07]

She only feeds grass hay...She was let out in the pasture every day for many hours a day. The grass is very short and not a pretty lush kind of pasture.

[APatchOfHeaven]

Originally Posted by bay_blnd jmpr07

I feel bad thinking this, but I'm beginning to wonder why she's having so much trouble foaling out her mares.

I don't know if this is a possibility, but I have read this recently in another forum.

"'Experts with the University of Kentucky (UK) report that Eastern tent caterpillars are now wandering in the area, and population levels are among the highest they've seen since the 2001, when mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) hit Central Kentucky particularly hard.'

'The Eastern tent caterpillar populations are dramatically up this year--the highest I've seen since the MRLS crisis. The larvae are full size, many trees are totally defoliated and I've seen very large numbers of caterpillars moving along fence rails and wandering out many meters into pastures adjacent to the cherry trees we are using to conduct Eastern tent caterpillar trials," said Dan Potter, PhD, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture professor of entomology.'
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=11833"