Horse News!

**IrishSetterGurl** · 02-21-2007, 03:30 PM

Today I got news from our horse vet that my horse WhiteStar is pregnet!
She is going to have twins which is very rare!
Im so happy and she is due in spring or summer!
I also want some help on names to!

**JuniorxMyxLove** · 02-21-2007, 03:46 PM

oh thats great! Hope everything goes well with the pregnancy!
For names...it really depends on what the little ones look like. I personally like the name Calypso for a boy...but thats just me :]
I'm sure when they're born you'll know what they should be named.

**sweetpatata6** · 02-21-2007, 06:03 PM

YEAH!!!!Congradulations! I say we don't name our chickens before they hatch-- I think we must see what they look like first!!!

lol but I seriously think we meed to see what they look like bofore we suggest names!

**Vela** · 02-21-2007, 06:22 PM

Good luck with that, most vets cannot tell about twins, mares generally foal in the spring, and most twins dont survive, so I hope that works out for you. Be sure to have the vet out at delivery for sure, she probably will have trouble.

**Ceph** · 02-21-2007, 07:07 PM

Congratulations on the pregnancy! You must be excited about that.

I dont want to be the bearer of bad news or anything...but Vela is right...most of time time when you have twins you have complications with one or both of the twins or the mare...sometimes all three. I am at Virginia Tech...we have one of the foremost Equine Hospitals in the country, and my Equine Science program (breeding and training of warmbloods and crosses) is attatched to that...usually they get very worried about twins...my Proff said the other day that they have to abort one if there are twins because it is too dangerous for all parties involved (Mares are typically not considered to be one of most efficient creatures in parturition, so complications typically can arise even in a normal birth...making twins very dangerous...there are a whole lot of mechanics that can be messed up).

....I am sorry if I am putting dark cloud over your event...it should be very joyous...I just want you to know as much as you can.

~Ceph

(Repro is my thing right now...I have been assigned a mare and I am in charge of taking her through partrition along with a few other group members...we have 20 mares foaling in late march early april...our main focus is learning about and researching pregnancy and in mares...If you have any questions I can ask Dr. Splan about them also)

**Kalei** · 02-21-2007, 07:46 PM

Yay! Congrats! That is such good news! And I've never heard of a horse having twins before, that is so amazing.

I can't wait to see the babies and most of all hope for a great and healthy birth

**cocker_luva** · 02-21-2007, 10:11 PM

May i see pics of the expectant mother? that might help with names?

**Beki** · 02-22-2007, 08:48 AM

I'm sorry that i have to agree with Ceph and Vela, but don't let that dampen your spirits, with any pregnancy anything can go wrong though for horses it is very rare that both the mare and the foals survive, usually one of the foals are still born or die shortly after. I have a horse too, she is pregnant and is due mid may-mid june, but the first time she had a foal it was alive but because she didn't know what to do, it sufficated in the sac and we couldn't get there in time because of course kitty hawk has to go all the way to the end of the pasture ! this time i'm having a pasture thats right outside my window, so i can keep an eye on her and i'm going to have a flood light on her in the night so i can just look and see whats going on I wish you best wishes and the best of luck with the pregnancy and the birth of the foals. Is your mare gray or the stallion gray, because most of the time, when there is a gray parent, the baby will be gray too, the gray gene is very domonant. My mare is gray and i know that the baby will eventuially turn gray but i'm waiting to see the sex of the baby, i have a few names in mind Keep your head up, we're not doing this to dampen your spirits, we just want you to know everything that can happen. thats all. you take care.

**Ceph** · 02-22-2007, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by Beki

I'm sorry that i have to agree with Ceph and Vela, but don't let that dampen your spirits, with any pregnancy anything can go wrong though for horses it is very rare that both the mare and the foals survive, usually one of the foals are still born or die shortly after. I have a horse too, she is pregnant and is due mid may-mid june, but the first time she had a foal it was alive but because she didn't know what to do, it sufficated in the sac and we couldn't get there in time because of course kitty hawk has to go all the way to the end of the pasture ! this time i'm having a pasture thats right outside my window, so i can keep an eye on her and i'm going to have a flood light on her in the night so i can just look and see whats going on I wish you best wishes and the best of luck with the pregnancy and the birth of the foals. Is your mare gray or the stallion gray, because most of the time, when there is a gray parent, the baby will be gray too, the gray gene is very domonant. My mare is gray and i know that the baby will eventuially turn gray but i'm waiting to see the sex of the baby, i have a few names in mind Keep your head up, we're not doing this to dampen your spirits, we just want you to know everything that can happen. thats all. you take care.

Just out of curiosity...do you do Calcium tests to find out when you need to do foal-watch on your mare?