Foal Watch 2010 Update

It hasn't been very long since I last wrote, but some funny things have happened during Foal Watch 2010 that I wanted to share. First thing is that I finally decided to double check Tokaj's due date. In truth, I had not paid a ton of attention to her due date because when I had her bred I believed that I would not be foaling her out myself and figured I would move her to her vet's barn to foal since he has a great set-up. I thought that I would be very busy with other things that ended up not materializing this year and since I find myself freed up... I decided that this experience is not one that I want to miss. In the last few days, Tokaj seems to be showing physical signs associated with imminent foaling and it seemed too early for them. So I double checked and found that she is actually due a week earlier than I thought, and according to her vet (the super patient and generous Dr. Jim Long) she could foal up to two weeks early and be normal for a maiden mare! That means she could foal any time and I need to be very vigilant next week! Yikes.

Tokaj has been removed from her hillside paddock due to her size and weight and how hard it has been for her to move about comfortably. Now she is spending her nights in her double sized stall, with matted floor, and comfy soft straw bed. She has her own fan for warm nights and two open dutch doors to catch a breeze and for scenery. In the daytime she walks 30 feet out to her own 60 foot round pen where she stands, lays, and rolls in soft comfy beach sand. Speaking of rolling, as of a few days ago I saw her almost get stuck on her back trying to roll from one side to the other with her big giant belly flopping all around. She made it from one side to the other though.

Yesterday, during my son's afternoon nap, I heard a commotion outside. My other horse Savannah, was whinnying for Tokaj. I knew immediately that if Tokaj was in her round pen that Savannah would have no reason to holler for her because she would be able to see her, so I peek out the window and there stands the open gate to the round pen. Tokaj is the Houdini of horses and can open latches and untie herself if she is not good and secured. She finally figured out the mechanism to the round pen gate and let herself out. She went into her barn and proceeded to burglarize the feed bin nearest to the door... luckily for me, that bin was almost empty and she did not get much more than a regular sized feeding if even that. She ripped the lid completely off it's hinges, threw the empty bin into the aisleway, and dumped over a wheelbarrow of poop that I had been too lazy to empty before it was full. After wreaking as much havoc as she could, she waddled out onto the sideyard lawn to eat more, and then Savannah the tattle-tale became frantic and alerted me to Tokaj's doings.

I went out to retrieve Tokaj from the sideyard. In her old form, Her Impishness would have run away from me and went directly to the lush green pastures of our neighbor and I would have had to take a second to outthink her in order to secure custody. This time, she looked at me with that old impish sparkle, and then found herself trapped in her 11 month pregnant body. She waddled about 10 steps, went to cross the driveway, stepped on the now painful gravel, and gave up. I had to laugh at her. So, I went up to her, patted her neck in sympathy... I've been there too.... and she followed me to her barn and her soft floored stall to rest from her exploits. She definitely knows when the jig is up.

I know more comedy will ensue when Houdini Jr. arrives. More later.

Here She Is.... My Hungarian Princess!

Well, I finally decided to change my blog photo to show off my Hungarian mare Tokaj. In the photo she is about six weeks away from having her foal. Her due date is around September 26, 2010. This is my first go at breeding and I am hoping for all the good luck I can get.

Her Highness has a double stall, bedded with straw. I have found a wireless surveillance camera sold by a company that outfits the Secret Service and Homeland Security so that I can watch her every waddling move and butt scratch. I can monitor her all night in my sleep deprived stupor if the anxiety gets bad enough. Don't know how my husband is going to stand the glow of the large TV screen depicting equine boredom at it's finest towering over our bed..... but I am certain that it is a necessity and the guest bedroom is mighty comfy if he becomes desperate enough.

We are approximately four weeks out, and I am just now getting fencing contractors out to create the perfect foal safe paddock for Tokaj and her foal when he/she arrives. The temporary fencing that I put up that was supposed to buy a few weeks time until I could go out and install a proper fence for my horses.... has now been up for three years. The horses did so well in it that other projects took priority, but there is no messing around with foals and anything less than super safe fencing. I am lucky to have contractors do quite a bit of it, but the poly wire is all mine to install. Yuck. When I left Idaho some years ago, I promised myself that was the last fencing I would ever have to personally install, and yet here I am preparing to do it again. I love doing projects myself, as long as there is no deadline or pressure. This is big pressure. My (hopefully) dream foal is on the way!

I also need to spend some time researching more about attending a foaling mare, and what to do to keep the foal healthy. Oh don't get me wrong, I've done a lot of research and asking questions, but I haven't settled on what I want to do. My sources suggest slightly different things it seems. In all though, I am hoping all my fretting is not necessary. Tokaj's line of horses bred and foaled themselves in only slightly less than feral circumstances and they are all alive and well. Hopefully she inherited their hardiness and will drop the bundle and get on with it like it was a breeze. :)

If you are wondering what I am hoping for.... well I could tell you that I am just hoping for healthy... which is relatively true, but to be perfectly honest, I would love to have a colt just slightly more than I would like a filly. I have had wonderful mares in my past, but also some pretty silly ones. In fact, I have had a lot of mares. I am just wanting to balance out the picture and ride a gelding again. I was dreaming of a gray colt, but recently found out that even though gray is a very dominant color, that Wistar (the dad) throws nearly all bays, and has never thrown a gray, even on gray mares. So, if I get a colt or a filly it is likely to be bay. Genetically speaking, I could get a gray, bay, or black. All of the above sit quite well with me anyway.

Well, that's it for now. We are on heavy Hungarian watch. I will let you know as the date gets closer and I get more anxious......

P~