We've not had the best weather over the last month with a series of sleet/ice storms and very cold temps for Southern Maryland. Normally I "rest" my pastures this time of year because of the wet/mud. Pebbles absolutely LOVES to go all the way to the very end of her field as far from the barn and the boys as possible to hang out. I have thought about it a lot and I know that if left to her own devices that is the spot she will choose to have her foal. For a multitude of reasons this is not a good idea. I had Scott install bar holders where we had removed the section of fence for her to have access to that pasture and now I can simply slip the boards back in place and Pebbles is shut in to her run in and stall area. It just makes sense to start having her spend her nights in where if she does manage to foal without me being there I know it is dry and protected from the elements. We have dubbed this area the "maternity suite" and have plans to put rubber mats down in the entire area so that I can bed it all with deep straw.
Two night ago at feeding time we put up the boards and got Pebbles set up for her first night of staying in. I filled multiple hay bags and gave her her Alfalfa hay in the usual corner that she eats from. I had checked her udder and her lady bits and saw no significant developments so we were just about to shut off the lights when Pebbles started showing some new behaviors. She got very restless and was pacing and pawing, ignoring her hay all together, and then she backed her butt up to the wall and pressed very hard against it, almost like sitting on the wall. Horses that have hindend issues will often sit on walls and broodmares will often do it to relieve pressure from the foal. This got my attention so we nixed the plan to leave and decided that she should be watched. Throughout that first hour her behavior continued to change and she went from wanting to be touched to being extremely grouchy about any contact, had several small urinations, one very loose bowel movement (not her normal), and would move about and then sit on the wall again. Once she was pressed up against the wall she would lower her head and go into a series of stress yawns. We could see that the foal was very active and as time went on her belly was changing shape. I decided we had better stay longer so we made a mad dash for home to get our overnight bags, food, and several more layers of warm clothing. We set up a radiant heater on the mounting block, 2 buckets, and were in the for the long haul. Pebbles restless behavior continued for several more hours before she finally settled and I made the decision to call it a night. At no point did I see any changes in her udder or the shape/color of her vulva. My thought is that Pebbles foal was changing position as foals will do in prep for eventual birth. I do believe that Pebbles is a maiden mare and not being used to the sensation of these changes they can often react rather dramatically. Of course any of us who have had babies will tell you that it's uncomfortable at best and sometimes downright painful when they roll around in there.
So where does that leave us? I still think that Pebbles is on track for a March foal. She will continue to spend her nights in her maternity suite and I am likely in for a lot of lost sleep. It's been years since I have sat foal watch so the excitement is real but ask me again in a few weeks, lol. Last night when we shut her in she was very content and in to her hay. Such a stark contrast from the night before!
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