Maiden Mare Photo Journal
Mother To Be
Jewelea Ferella (Elle) is a four year old maiden Shetland mare. She was bred to Minivale Manhatten (a 9.3hh Black Buckskin Miniature Horse) for a late 2007 foal. At the time this journal was begun, her actual due date was not known, but it was later learned that she was due around the 2/12/07. She ended up foaling on 16/12/07, giving birth to a little black colt who we named Badlands Rockabilly Rebel.
This page started out as a photographic journal of the stages of her development for the interest of myself and some of my horsey friends. Surprisingly the page gathered more and more followers as time went on, so I then decided to add the time line of events that occurred on the actual night she foaled, as well as some photos.
Jewelea Ferella (Elle) is a four year old maiden Shetland mare. She was bred to Minivale Manhatten (a 9.3hh Black Buckskin Miniature Horse) for a late 2007 foal. At the time this journal was begun, her actual due date was not known, but it was later learned that she was due around the 2/12/07. She ended up foaling on 16/12/07, giving birth to a little black colt who we named Badlands Rockabilly Rebel.
This page started out as a photographic journal of the stages of her development for the interest of myself and some of my horsey friends. Surprisingly the page gathered more and more followers as time went on, so I then decided to add the time line of events that occurred on the actual night she foaled, as well as some photos.
Last Trimester
Side Profile
Udder Development
Teat Development
| 18 August | 11 September | 6 October |
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| Elle arrives at the farm looking very pregnant! She is quite alert and active and enjoys running and playing with the other ponies. | Belly and hindquarter muscles have started to "drop". She appears tired and starts to stand under herself more to support the weight. | Belly continues to expand and drop. She starts to have several laying-down naps during the day and spending a lot more time on her own. |
| 11 October | 1 November | 17 November |
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| Belly is definitely starting to change shape and is hanging lower and shifting forwards. | Look closely. Belly shape has shifted a lot more forwards in the last couple of weeks. | Belly seems slightly smaller and more tucked up again! Flanks have dropped away. |
| 19 November | 22 November | 29 November |
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| Last night she was restless and foal was kicking around inside. Very soft either side of tail. Vulva is looser than usual. | Still no foal. Belly seems to have tucked up tighter but she is still soft around tail and foal is active at night time. | Belly is definitely being held up higher than even a few days ago. Has the foal finally moved into position perhaps? |
| 1 December | 2 December | 5 December |
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| She almost doesn't look pregnant anymore! What is going on? | Belly has GONE! I am starting to think she foaled and I didn't realise!! | It's back, it's forwards, it's up and it's down, I don't know what it's doing! |
| 8 December | 10 December | 13 December |
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| Her belly is looking fuller towards the middle again. | She has some minor swelling underneath her belly today. | We definitely have a V shape belly, this could be the night! |
| 14 December | 15 December | |
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| She didn't foal last night but she was restless. The V shape has gone again. | The V shape is back again slightly and she looks "ribby". She foaled 6hrs later. |
Udder Development
| 6 October | 8 October | 11 October |
 |  |  |
| Elle's udder shows the very first signs of starting to take shape and "unfold" in the back region. | Just two days later, her udder is even larger and begins to fill out. | Development appears the same. Teats are filling out, but still very much turn inwards. |
| 1 November | 17 November | 19 November |
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| Udder development has slowed down, although it does look slightly wider. | Teats have enlarged and unfolded, but udder seems smaller in general. | We are finally bagging up! Udder stayed this size all day and into the next day. |
| 22 November | 29 November | 1 December |
 |  |  |
| The udder has disappeared again! It is the same size it was 20 days ago. | Teats are definitely bigger, but udder still hasn't filled up again after shrinking. | Udder is springing again! It is starting to look sleek and shiner than before. |
| 2 December | 5 December | 8 December |
 |  |  |
| Exactly 24hrs later, udder is definitely filling out front and rear of teats now. | We are definitely starting to see a bag filling up there, can't be too much longer! | Not the best photo, but udder development remains consistent. |
| 10 December | 13 December | 14 December |
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| Udder is fairly big today, looks fuller in real life than photo. | Udder remains at a consistent size all day and night these days. | Udder appears more sleek and shiny again today. |
| 15 December | ||
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| Udder is shiny and fuller around the teats. She foaled 6hrs later. |
Teat Development
| 8 October | 1 November | 17 November |
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| Teats are very small and very much pointed inwards. | Slightly bigger but no major changes. | Teats have enlarged and now point downwards. |
| 19 November | 22 November | 1 December |
 |  |  |
| On close look you can see her tiny "bags" starting to fill. | Still not much change at all from this angle. | At last the udder is visibly fuller from this angle. |
| 2 December | 5 December | 8 December |
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| Definitely showing the bag from behind now. Teats are much wider. | Bag is hanging lower and appears fuller behind the teats. | No obvious change from this angle. |
| 10 December | 13 December | 14 December |
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| Udder is really bulging out the back end today! | Less bulge out the back today. | Not a great photo but udder is really bulging out again today! |
| 15 December | ||
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| Udder is poking out the back like a sausage! Lips of vulva are slightly parted. She foaled 6hrs later. |
Labor & Foaling
Stage One
20:00PM - She is eating her dinner and acting normal. Her udder is bulging out the back today and her ribs are more prominent.
23:15PM - Her tail is continuously moving, mostly flicking up and down, but she is otherwise fairly relaxed in appearance. I reapply her tail bandage that has fallen off and she does not object to me handling her tail like she usually does. She wants to snuggle her head into me and follows me around within inches as I walk around her yard as though she doesn't want me to leave her. I notice that there are three very recent (fresh) piles of manure in the yard.
00:45AM - I sit with her for a while and she rests her head in my lap and dozes.
01:25AM - Her udder is waxed up.
02:05AM - She passes some manure which is a bit sloppy. Her udder is consistently dripping an opaque yellow liquid from both teats.
02:10AM - She passes more sloppy manure. I notice a clear discharge from her vulva.
02:20AM - More sloppy manure is passed. Her udder squirts streams of milk for a few seconds. She paws at the ground and lays down for the first time this evening.
02:30AM - Stands up again.
02:35AM - She passes some very sloppy manure (cow pat consistency).
02:50AM - Lays down again.
Stage Two
02:55AM - Contractions begin while she is in the sitting position. Waters break.
02:56AM - Amniotic sac appears.
02:58AM - Front feet appear, she struggles to push the foal out any further.
03:00AM - She gets up and lays down again on the other side, as she sits down the foal's feet pierce the placenta.
03:10AM - After some very hard contractions for a few minutes, she gets the head out and the foal starts to try to breath so I clear the placenta away from his nose and hold his head out of the puddle of mucous.
03:15AM - She struggles with getting his shoulders out so I help her my gently pulling the foal's legs in time with her contractions. As soon as his shoulders are out he becomes very active and starts knickering and kicking to try to free his back legs of the mare. The foal is born!
03:20AM - Elle sits up and acknowledges the foal by knickering to him. The foal manages to crawl up closer to her head and she licks him.
03:25AM - Elle stands up. Foal tries to stand.
03:30AM - Elle is agitated and trembling. She keeps pawing at the ground and at the foal (striking him on several occasions) and straining to expel the placenta.
Stage Three
03:35AM - Placenta is expelled. It appears to be intact although it does have several small tears.
03:40AM - She keeps straining as though to urinate but doesn't. She is still excreting a bloody liquid from vulva. She is licking foal and talking to him one minute, and then pawing and biting at him the next. She seems to be uncomfortable and keeps getting distracted and forgetting about him.
03:45AM - Foal finally manages to get proper footing and starts to look for something to suck.
04:05AM - Elle is still trembling and agitated. She lays down again. Foal lays down with her, seemingly exhausted and frustrated. He still hasn't sucked despite trying to locate the teats for at least 20 minutes.
04:45AM - I hold the foal at Elle's side until he manages to find the teats and latch on and suck. He loses it several times and I have to help him find them again, but finally he settles down and has a good drink. Once he starts drinking, Elle seems to relax more, and so do I!
Foaling Photos
20:00PM - She is eating her dinner and acting normal. Her udder is bulging out the back today and her ribs are more prominent.
23:15PM - Her tail is continuously moving, mostly flicking up and down, but she is otherwise fairly relaxed in appearance. I reapply her tail bandage that has fallen off and she does not object to me handling her tail like she usually does. She wants to snuggle her head into me and follows me around within inches as I walk around her yard as though she doesn't want me to leave her. I notice that there are three very recent (fresh) piles of manure in the yard.
00:45AM - I sit with her for a while and she rests her head in my lap and dozes.
01:25AM - Her udder is waxed up.
02:05AM - She passes some manure which is a bit sloppy. Her udder is consistently dripping an opaque yellow liquid from both teats.
02:10AM - She passes more sloppy manure. I notice a clear discharge from her vulva.
02:20AM - More sloppy manure is passed. Her udder squirts streams of milk for a few seconds. She paws at the ground and lays down for the first time this evening.
02:30AM - Stands up again.
02:35AM - She passes some very sloppy manure (cow pat consistency).
02:50AM - Lays down again.
Stage Two
02:55AM - Contractions begin while she is in the sitting position. Waters break.
02:56AM - Amniotic sac appears.
02:58AM - Front feet appear, she struggles to push the foal out any further.
03:00AM - She gets up and lays down again on the other side, as she sits down the foal's feet pierce the placenta.
03:10AM - After some very hard contractions for a few minutes, she gets the head out and the foal starts to try to breath so I clear the placenta away from his nose and hold his head out of the puddle of mucous.
03:15AM - She struggles with getting his shoulders out so I help her my gently pulling the foal's legs in time with her contractions. As soon as his shoulders are out he becomes very active and starts knickering and kicking to try to free his back legs of the mare. The foal is born!
03:20AM - Elle sits up and acknowledges the foal by knickering to him. The foal manages to crawl up closer to her head and she licks him.
03:25AM - Elle stands up. Foal tries to stand.
03:30AM - Elle is agitated and trembling. She keeps pawing at the ground and at the foal (striking him on several occasions) and straining to expel the placenta.
Stage Three
03:35AM - Placenta is expelled. It appears to be intact although it does have several small tears.
03:40AM - She keeps straining as though to urinate but doesn't. She is still excreting a bloody liquid from vulva. She is licking foal and talking to him one minute, and then pawing and biting at him the next. She seems to be uncomfortable and keeps getting distracted and forgetting about him.
03:45AM - Foal finally manages to get proper footing and starts to look for something to suck.
04:05AM - Elle is still trembling and agitated. She lays down again. Foal lays down with her, seemingly exhausted and frustrated. He still hasn't sucked despite trying to locate the teats for at least 20 minutes.
04:45AM - I hold the foal at Elle's side until he manages to find the teats and latch on and suck. He loses it several times and I have to help him find them again, but finally he settles down and has a good drink. Once he starts drinking, Elle seems to relax more, and so do I!
Foaling Photos
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| 01:25AM - Udder waxed | 02:56AM - Amniotic sac appears | 03:10AM - Head appears |
 |  |  |
| 03:15AM - Foal is born! | 03:20AM - The moment of recognition | 03:45AM - Finally gained balance |
Badlands Rockabilly Rebel
By ponykid, shot with KODAK DX4530 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA at 2007-12-16
Bright little black colt foal born 16 December 2007.
