Post by Steph @ Elements on Feb 22, 2007 16:36:06 GMT -5
OK Folks... I'm going to say this here and then I will also copy it to a more appropriate place on the board....
First, Shiraz is NOT trying to kill the colt! She is not biting him, nor kicking him. She HAS jerked her jeg and banged into him and she has nipped at him when he is too rough. He does NOT have a mark or a scratch on him. If anyone has ever been bitten or kicked by a horse that has MEANT to harm, then you KNOW that you don't come away unscathed if they are serious about it...
Momma horses teach their foals appropriate behaviors in ways that humans are no longer allowed to. This is perfectly normal. I have also seen a mare that TRULY did not accept her foals and I KNOW the DIFFERENCE.
Next, these two are NEVER unattended! They are on 24/7 watch from the house with at least one, usually two, and sometimes as many as four or five people here! I have gotten some VERY innapropriate comments/messages/etc about the lack of care these two are getting. Anyone watching them as much as we are here would SEE that any time they need to be attended to, they are.
Last, we KNOW our mares here and know what they want as far as attendence &/or interfenece/intervention during foaling. (Thank you to the folks who commented about my knowing what to do after seeing me deliver some difficult births in the past). Shiraz has grown up with us and lived with us almost all her life (except for a few months with Pam
). We KNEW that she would be scared and need the reassurance of her humans to keep from losing it completely. She did NOT hold off foaling because I was in the stall with her. <sigh> There are other mares her that I would never enter the stall while they are foaling unless it is absolutely critical! These include Niki & Tabithe of the mares still due this year. Niki is very bonded with me, but prefers to be on her own for birthing. Tabithe has not been handled extensively, and while well behaved when handled, has had several foals on her own and is not likely to need anyone bugging her.
Please, do not criticise someone for doing something differently than you THINK it should be done. Also, THINK before you call at o'dark thirty when the person has been up for at least 48 hours and had a really rough couple of days. If you watch CONSTANTLY and see a mare not letting a foal nurse, then yes, it would be appropriate to inform someone. But when you only watch once in a while, you may not have SEEN that 10 or 30 minutes earlier, someone was in the stall and the colt drained the mare. NOW he is just being pushy and playing with his mom, which still hurts!
I'm sorry if this sounds less than the generally amenable person that I am, but if you SAW some of the comments.... <sad sigh> At least I know that the majority of you DO understand that we DO know what we are doing and will always take care of our animals better than most! ;D
Steph
First, Shiraz is NOT trying to kill the colt! She is not biting him, nor kicking him. She HAS jerked her jeg and banged into him and she has nipped at him when he is too rough. He does NOT have a mark or a scratch on him. If anyone has ever been bitten or kicked by a horse that has MEANT to harm, then you KNOW that you don't come away unscathed if they are serious about it...
Momma horses teach their foals appropriate behaviors in ways that humans are no longer allowed to. This is perfectly normal. I have also seen a mare that TRULY did not accept her foals and I KNOW the DIFFERENCE.Next, these two are NEVER unattended! They are on 24/7 watch from the house with at least one, usually two, and sometimes as many as four or five people here! I have gotten some VERY innapropriate comments/messages/etc about the lack of care these two are getting. Anyone watching them as much as we are here would SEE that any time they need to be attended to, they are.
Last, we KNOW our mares here and know what they want as far as attendence &/or interfenece/intervention during foaling. (Thank you to the folks who commented about my knowing what to do after seeing me deliver some difficult births in the past). Shiraz has grown up with us and lived with us almost all her life (except for a few months with Pam
). We KNEW that she would be scared and need the reassurance of her humans to keep from losing it completely. She did NOT hold off foaling because I was in the stall with her. <sigh> There are other mares her that I would never enter the stall while they are foaling unless it is absolutely critical! These include Niki & Tabithe of the mares still due this year. Niki is very bonded with me, but prefers to be on her own for birthing. Tabithe has not been handled extensively, and while well behaved when handled, has had several foals on her own and is not likely to need anyone bugging her. Please, do not criticise someone for doing something differently than you THINK it should be done. Also, THINK before you call at o'dark thirty when the person has been up for at least 48 hours and had a really rough couple of days. If you watch CONSTANTLY and see a mare not letting a foal nurse, then yes, it would be appropriate to inform someone. But when you only watch once in a while, you may not have SEEN that 10 or 30 minutes earlier, someone was in the stall and the colt drained the mare. NOW he is just being pushy and playing with his mom, which still hurts!
I'm sorry if this sounds less than the generally amenable person that I am, but if you SAW some of the comments.... <sad sigh> At least I know that the majority of you DO understand that we DO know what we are doing and will always take care of our animals better than most! ;D
Steph
