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Thread: End of Nov

  1. #11
    Super Moderator Horse Of The Year teecee has a spectacular aura about teecee's Avatar
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    Tony Cahill
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    . Geeze, in the South Island of NZ I'd reckon that half the mares would still be struggling to hit a proper cycle & it doesn't stop them producing early winners.[/QUOTE]

    So true. From what I hear thoroughbred studs seem to shut off serving around November here and thus most foals are on the ground early. I don't really know how they manage it. I guess it must be something to do with limited service numbers via live service or something.
    At NRS only about 60 % of the foals are on the ground by 1 Dec. Dec tends to be the busiest foaling time at NRS... indicating how many mares are served in January.
    That's in a early year. We were foaling upwards of 50 mares in January. When I started I was told that January foals always had problems and it would be a busy month nursing sick foals and diificult deliveries. I guess the numbers of problematic ones are not really higher but they can be more intense. I put it down to the mare more than anything. with serving to come after that most seasons. even after the stallions had gone back north.
    I have a filly foaled 18 Feb. now 2, well grown and showing as much promise as any.

  2. #12
    Junior Member Yearling Nemera will become famous soon enough
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    Rena Johnsen
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    At NRS only about 60 % of the foals are on the ground by 1 Dec. Dec tends to be the busiest foaling time at NRS... indicating how many mares are served in January. That's in a early year. We were foaling upwards of 50 mares in January. When I started I was told that January foals always had problems and it would be a busy month nursing sick foals and diificult deliveries. I guess the numbers of problematic ones are not really higher but they can be more intense. I put it down to the mare more than anything. with serving to come after that most seasons. even after the stallions had gone back north..[/QUOTE]

    There does seem to be a trend to finish earlier and earlier each season. The problem we find with January & later foals is not so much sick foals but increase in incidence of contracted tendons which often leads to dystocia (difficult deliveries), and more time spent on getting such foals to be self sufficient ( splinting, drugs, confining, assistance standing and nursing). So that has something to do with the earlier finish. I also wonder if it's due in part to the cost of employing foaling staff to watch fewer foalings over a longer season being less economically viable. Hope that makes sense
    Last edited by Nemera; 11-30-2011 at 06:07 PM. Reason: wasn't clear what was quoted

  3. #13
    triplev123
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    G'day Rena,

    The greater incidence of contracted tendons with the later foalings really interests me.
    Any thoughts as to why that might be?

  4. #14
    Junior Member Yearling Nemera will become famous soon enough
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    Rena Johnsen
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    No idea, and we have certainly had our thinking caps on. It's hard to find out if other area's have similar problems but it certainly does in canterbury and have heard of anecdotal stuff from all over the place. Most likely environmental directly, or indirectly (affecting gene expression maybe?), but no obvious causes from tissue samples taken. We thought that mare age/ problem mares as being a factor later in the season but that didn't fit as the incidence in them was no higher than in the younger mares. There was a girl doing a PhD at Massey on foal leg deformities and how it affected their future racing performance, which data was collected for, but then her funding was pulled, and that was the last I heard of it
    Management wise the grass is normally shorter that time of year, and we are feeding out by then, but the mares tend to be fatter as well as they've had all the spring grass. So where do you start ?

  5. #15
    triplev123
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    The only one we've ever had with contracted tendons was given a calcium blocker in the form of an old school antibiotic and that allowed the muscles attached to the tendons to stop spasming and relax. I wonder if there's something to the calcium levels present in the feed at that time of year...maybe the levels are really high and they're getting overloaded with it? Just a thought. I remember reading that good Lucern Hay has calcium levels that are in excess of the requirements of most horses.
    Last edited by triplev123; 12-01-2011 at 01:26 AM. Reason: added 'the muscles attached to'

  6. #16
    Junior Member Yearling Nemera will become famous soon enough
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    Rena Johnsen
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    Quote Originally Posted by triplev123 View Post
    The only one we've ever had with contracted tendons was given a calcium blocker in the form of an old school antibiotic and that allowed the muscles attached to the tendons to stop spasming and relax. I wonder if there's something to the calcium levels present in the feed at that time of year...maybe the levels are really high and they're getting overloaded with it? Just a thought. I remember reading that good Lucern Hay has calcium levels that are in excess of the requirements of most horses.
    Yes , we use that antibiotic(erythromycin ? spelling) a lot, and it is very effective. I have heard of young horses fed almost totally on lucerne developing club feet so probably could cause contracted tendons. But the only supplementation the pregnant mares get are meadow baleage and rock salt, and we used to see it when feeding meadow hay in the years before using baleage.

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