Read, heard and researched a lot

I saw Flox being born at the time, but I’ve never been involved in a horse’s delivery otherwise. So, it’s all new and exciting for me! That’s why I’ve been reading a lot about pregnancy, how the birth should go, and what’s important to pay attention to during labor. I also attended a lecture at an equine clinic on the subject, followed an online course, etc. I think I’ve read every bit of info I could get. And honestly, it’s terrifying, because most of what you read or hear is about what can go wrong. But I trust Flox — she’s a true primal mare, and everything has gone great so far. Plus, most horse births go smoothly.

Nutrition has been a bit of a puzzle

It’s now mid-May as I write this part, which means Flox is about 10 months pregnant. Past week we’ve started grazing, and her body really needed that. Over the past months, feeding has been a bit of a challenge. Floxely lost a lot of condition since February and it was hard to get her back up. Tried different feeds, added extra protein like spirulina and pea protein, but she still didn’t gain much. And the extra protein also caused more fluid in her legs, so that wasn’t ideal. As soon as I could, I started hand grazing her daily, and that really did the trick!

Currently, Floxely is on the following diet:

• Unlimited (low) hay

• Gradually increasing grazing time, currently 1–2 hours per day

• ½ kg Metazoa muesli

• ½ kg Vitalbix Active+

• ½ kg Agrobs Sportmuesli

• 20 ml HELTIE horse Minerals

• 15 ml HELTIE horse Vitamin E

• Extra vitamin C

• Cleavers, and starting raspberry leaf for the final month

Still riding at 10 months!

I really thought we’d be done riding by 7 months, but she’s become so strong during pregnancy that we’ve just kept going. Of course, it’s all at a slower pace, less intense, and less often. But keeping her moving is important. She lives on a paddock paradise and is outside 24/7, but I really notice her pelvis stays better if we do 20 minutes of walking. It’s getting harder for her now, so I keep it very light. Sometimes it’s just 10 minutes — straightening, shifting her weight to the hindquarters — and that’s it. The fact that I’m still riding 3 times a week at 10 months is truly a gift!

Floxely is doing amazing!

Feeding was a bit tricky, and yes, she was on the leaner side for a while, but Flox has been doing really well. She’s been feeling good throughout the pregnancy, she’s happy, and you can see the foal bouncing around in her belly. Floxely is really enjoying her pregnancy and life! In this last phase, she clearly seeks out more rest, stands still more often, and sometimes looks really low-energy. Then, half an hour later, she looks bright and cheerful again. The fatigue definitely comes in waves — which makes sense, because the foal is growing fast now and that takes a lot of energy. Plus, the weather is warm now, and summer isn’t Flox’s favorite season.

Preparing the foaling stall

It’s now about 5 weeks until her due date, and I’ll try to keep Flox out in the herd 24/7 for as long as possible. But I think in 2–3 weeks she’ll start coming into the stall at night, so she can rest more and get used to being stabled. Her foaling stall will be prepared soon, and I’m already gathering a sleeping bag, mosquito net, etc. Because I suspect I’ll be sleeping at the stable for a few nights in June!