2016 Miniature Horse WORLD Issues April/May 2016 - Volume 32, Number 2 | Page 25

the foal hadn’t come as predicted. Mother nature and especially mares do not read the manual. Reiterating the theme- one shouldn’t rely on a single method of predicting but should first get educated and then use every resource - including intuition – that is available. At the very least, the mare stare viewers allowed Merry to get a good night sleep- most nights at least. There is a MareStare moderator in Wyoming who stayed up all night and watched the cams and would call if anything changed. FINALLY -on Feb. 27 at 1:00 in the afternoon, Rosie foaled! According to Merry, she broke every rule of foaling! ERL Voltaires Comin Up Roses and her son, Brookhavens Flirtin With Fame Merry had to laugh. Rosie made her question everything she knew about foaling and wouldn’t you know it, she was the mare we chose to follow when foaling! Such a mare! But it does prove the theory, no mare foals the same, each one has their own timeline and ways of getting prepared. Merry says, “I guess none of these tools are foolproof, you must just use what works for whatever situation you have.” n Mares foal within 12-24 hours after their milk tests six pH. Wrong. She foaled two weeks later. n Mares usually foal when their milk makes a jump on the colostrum refractometer or goes to the top of the scale. Wrong. She foaled two weeks later. n Try Quiessence® Drug Free Pelleted Product Magnesium / Chromium Formula Mares will exhibit butt rubbing, tail flagging and flehmen (yawning) when they are close to foaling. Wrong. Rosie did this for a month before foaling. n Mares usually don’t foal in the daytime. Wrong. She foaled at 1 p.m. n Foals should stand and nurse before 2 hours old. Wrong. Foal nursed within 3 hours. n Foals that are born in winter typically have winter coats. Wrong. This foal was born with a summer coat. Cresty-necked, overweight, founder-prone horses and ponies have shown weight loss and improved soundness with magnesium added to daily rations. Pelleted, palatable, drug free Quiessence® is also effective for relaxing hot, tense or nervous horses, and sore, tight muscles or back. Call For A Free Sample: 540-337-5450 Visit our website at: NUTRITION THAT WORKS www.FoxdenEquine.com A P R I L / M AY 2016 Miniature Horse World 23