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Discussion on Trailering mare and 1 month foal - six hour haul
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Monday, Jul 7, 2008 - 7:56 am:
Hi all
I hope to retrieve my mare and one month old foal from Co. Westmeath this weekend. It will be a six-hour trip. Any advice other than plenty of straw?
My farrier who often does such trips says just stop once for about half an hour if the roads are ok, as the foal will work out how to balance and nurse just fine. Otherwise if you keep stopping for them to nurse it just makes the whole journey worse.
When we arrive, into a stable or out into the field?
Thanks for your advice.
Imogen
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Jul 7, 2008 - 9:03 am:
A one month old foal should be fine 6 hours without nursing Imogen so whether to stop or not is optional from this standpoint. All other things being equal I would deliver into a stable for a good going over then let out in the field for a good stretch.
DrO
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 8, 2008 - 3:21 am:
Good luck Imogen[is she in foal again?] and pictures please at arrival?
Jos
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 9, 2008 - 2:18 pm:
Sad news. Catherine's scanning technician found a large growth about the size of a melon rather than a foetus. It's the same cyst/growth on the left horn noted when we were trying to get her in foal last year but it seems to have grown quite a bit.
Catherine's arranged to get the mare endoscoped at the local vet hospital on Friday when she should be in season so I'll know a bit more after that but it doesn't sound too good.
I am feeling guilty because of course now I am ascribing various pieces of behaviour to pain from this growth - spring 2007 she started jumping badly - I thought it was hip arthritis or front fetlock arthritis.
Summer 2007 she was very cranky about being scanned and cramped up on the vet's arm which she had never done before. Autumn 2007 she started to get quite lame going downhill which again, I thought was hip arthritis, so I stopped riding her quite early on in the pregnancy. I hope I haven't been putting her through a lot of pain but there is no way to know.
Fingers crossed...
Imogen
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 9, 2008 - 2:54 pm:
Imogen, I'm so sorry to hear about the growth instead of a fetus. I hope it is nothing too serious. Don't "beat yourself up" as there is no way to know.
Also, if your roads are at all like those in France, I can see why you post a question about trailering a mare a foal! Although in very good repair, the French roads were very narrow and winding compaired to ours and would make trailering that much more worrisome.
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 9, 2008 - 3:10 pm:
Sara, if you thought French roads were bad, wait till you come to Ireland! In fairness to our council road-workers, the torrential rain is always destroying their work, but Irish roads are not great except for the main roads paid for by the EU...
I am very glad that the mare's growth has been found, but I'm hoping I won't have some difficult decisions to make. I'm guessing that its position on the left horn rather than near the ovary, and the growth pattern over a period of years, makes it more likely to be a tumour, unfortunately. I'll just have to wait and see what is found on Friday.
I think they thought it was a cyst when it appeared on the scans in previous years. I don't think a cyst would be likely to get to melon size, though, would it Dr O?
Imogen
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 9, 2008 - 3:37 pm:
Imogen,
Very sorry to hear of your mare's growth. I will definitely keep my fingers crossed that it proves to be something benign and/or treatable.
Keep us posted.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 9, 2008 - 6:26 pm:
It would be far and away the largest cyst I have ever heard of Imogen. Let us know what they find.
DrO
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 10, 2008 - 2:43 am:
So sorry to hear about your mare Imogen.Keep my fingers crossed.
Jos
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Member:
babychop
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 10, 2008 - 10:52 am:
Imogen, there was no way for you to know - my beloved cat had pancreatic cancer & I thought it was hairballs because he kept throwing up - even the vet thought so as well for a year, I lost my Pousse a year ago January & I still cry, thinking of how I missed his pain. Animals try to tell us in their own way, we don't always understand and hind sight will only bring on the guilt so stop. As soon as you found out you started taking the right steps. Prayers to you & your mare, they've made amazing inroads with surgeries, with any luck they'll be able to take care of this growth & have your mare come out A O.K.
Don't beat yourself up for missing the signs, we humans aren't always that good at reading minds.
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 10, 2008 - 1:16 pm:
Catherine thinks that the strange sarcoid-type growth on the foal's leg may be connected as the foal's leg could have been in contact with the tumour in the uterus as it was developing.
Fortunately she has kept a sample of the tissue she removed from the foal's leg so that will go to the laboratory too, but of course it will be a while before I get the results.
I think I will probably collect them this weekend anyway since it is highly unlikely that I'm going to get the mare in foal this year now. Thank goodness she didn't go in foal on the foal heat or I really would have a dilemma to tackle. Catherine says both are in good form and the mare is not in any obvious pain.
Imogen
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Friday, Jul 11, 2008 - 1:29 pm:
Catherine just rang to say it IS a very large ovarian cyst and not a tumour, which is really very good news.
I'll find out more over the weekend as I am going to collect them, but her advice is to do nothing until the foal is weaned, then check again, and if it has not reduced, have it drained in good time before next year's breeding season starts, as they think she should be able to breed again too!
I'm very relieved but won't really be able to relax until mare and foal are out in the paddock by my house...
Thanks all for your good wishes and advice so far!
Imogen
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Member:
babychop
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Posted on Friday, Jul 11, 2008 - 1:54 pm:
Good to hear Imogen! Thanks for the update
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Friday, Jul 11, 2008 - 2:53 pm:
That's good news! You must be very relieved, hope she will be home soon.
Jos
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Member:
ekaufman
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Posted on Friday, Jul 11, 2008 - 6:11 pm:
Great news Imogen. I have had everything crossable crossed for you on this one. Good luck getting them home and settled.
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Saturday, Jul 12, 2008 - 9:45 am:
Very glad to hear the good news, Imogen!!
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 13, 2008 - 4:04 pm:
Got back after nearly six hours driving and as you can see from the picture, mare and foal arrived in great condition. Foal stood up or slept for most of the journey.
Many thanks to Catherine for her fantastic hospitality and care of mare and foal.
I will now wait for the report to arrive from the vet hospital and then discuss it with my own vet but it's likely we'll wait until the foal is weaned and the mare dried off around Christmastime before trying to drain the cyst as there is a risk of haemorrhage.
Imogen
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 13, 2008 - 7:43 pm:
Nice baby, Imogene! I hope your mare does o.k. She looks like a nice mare and good mother. They sure don't look any worse for wear due to their trip.
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 3:31 am:
It looks like mummy is able to take good care of her baby without looking horrible herself so apart from the fact that Catherine seems to have taken excellent care of the both of them you wouldn't think she feels bad.
Sometimes horses surprise you pleasantly given time to solve their problems. I will keep my fingers crossed and who knows what you will find on the next scan? I've seen little miracles happen!
Jos
PS Lovely foal are these meant for showjumping or eventing?
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 5:51 am:
Thanks for the compliments! The breeding could be either SJ or eventing, Jos - Mum is a Cavalier and Dad is a registered Irish draft who competed up to CCI** and Grade A SJAI. Let's just hope it has a jump...
Strange foal. Completely different character to the other two full sisters - very wary of humans yet much more independent of Mum which is stressing her out as she keeps losing track of it and panicking.
In fairness every human it's met so far has stuck it with a needle so that could have something to do with it... I will have to spend some time handling it.
It seems quite confident though - went on to Catherine's lorry and my trailer with no problems.
Imogen
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 6:32 am:
Sounds like you've got one with 'horns 'to  , could be the year just as with wine. But I think you are right Unlimited[born at the studfarm and indeed from time to time stuck with needles getting dewormed and meeting the farrier and in between no 'quality time' with humans, seems more prudent then little Utah.
She'll come round fast enough if you just come to hand out 'goodies' I bet.
Jos
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 10:17 am:
I feel sorry for the brood mares with foals those independent foals! At least you don't have to worry about the mare gaining too much weight if she's trying to keep up with her foal. Jos is right, I'm betting with your attention the baby will "come around" very soon. He really is nice looking.
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008 - 2:10 am:
We're going to bring them into the stable for feeding each night for a while to allow handling. The mare is definitely ribby and there was plenty of grass at Catherine's. Last night the foal was absolutely shaking when I touched it but didn't kick out at all.
Poor hubbie. Just when he thought he was safe from the horse stuff for a while!
Imogen
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