Are you ready for a good laugh! I hope our story fills you with humor!
We purchased Paela, Hannah's black Welch cross pony in January 2009. After riding her for a week and passing her prepurchase exam with flying colors we brought Paela home. We were told she was an easy keeper...a handful of grain and a couple flakes of hay per day was all she needed.
In April, when Paela started to shed out I noticed her ribs were showing and felt she was too skinny...but she had a belly. The vet was out in April to vaccinate the horses and I asked why she was so skinny yet had such a big belly. For a pony, she gets as much feed and hay as my horses and she is skin and bones. The reply "she just has a hay belly and is having a growth spurt." What causes a hay belly? Not enough exercise; well, we all know that Paela gets too much exercise with as much riding as Hannah does.
Thinking it was worms, I wormed her monthly but the ribs still showed. Paela was always hungry to the point Hannah could no longer ride her on the trails with out Paela pulling the reins out of Hannah's hands to eat twigs, leaves, weeds and grass. She was famished and would eat anything! I figured she was just being a pony.
Some of us joked that she looked pregnant...but no that could not be...I bought her from a reputable trainer.
The vet was out again at the end of May which by now Paela's belly was larger, her ribs were still showing and now she was getting 4 pounds of grain and 4 flakes of hay per day. The vets comment was the same, just a hay belly and a growing spurt. I said to the vet "she sure looks pregnant" - but that is not possible.
Evidence appeared on Thursday, June 4. Hannah came into the house. "Mom, Paela's booby's look different. She has a sack and her teats are huge!" I inspected Paela and sure enough she had a sack. I compared her sack to the other horses and Paelas were definitely enlarged. Mike inspected and he felt they looked the same as the others :0 I guess he did not know what to look for:) Friday I called the vet and the response over the phone was false pregnancy. By now both Hannah and I felt Paela was pregnant. On Sunday I finally decided to email the trainer I purchased Paela from. Her response was "she is not having a false pregnancy. If she is bagged up she is probably pregnant; let me contact the original owner."
Monday June 8 we received our answer. The original owner tried to breed Paela to a Draft style pony called a Gypsy Vaneer in July 2008. The breeder said the stallion did not cover Paela and was not bred. The vet in Michigan also confirmed Paela was not pregnant and Paela cycled before being shipped to Maryland to be trained and sold. There is a 95% chance the stallion was a Gypsy Vaneer. The original owner also had a miniature....ready for this....donkey- jack- that broke into Paela's paddock. Now Paela was terrified of that little thing and could almost step over it. The jack was also very violent toward Paela. There is a slight chance it could come out as a mule with long ears. Both stallions throw color - black and white foals. Either way the foal will be adorable!
Tuesday we got milk from Paela and Thursday the vet confirmed Paela was pregnant. Hannah spent the day fluffing the stall with straw and pampering Paela. She was definite the foal was to arrive that night. The vet said no. If she is bred to the gypsy Vaneer her due dates are June 23-June30th. Mares gestation period is 9 months plus 5 days. Donkeys gestation period is 12 months. Just a note, Dollie foaled last spring 8 days early.
When Hannah first thought Paela was pregnant she wept and cried "Who will I ride, show and who will I jump" - thinking she could not ride Paela for 3 - 4 months. Mike was not happy and retorted 'we need a plan'. Just when you have a plan a different one comes along! Never a dull moment on the farm!
Hannah and all of us including Mike are ecstatic. The vet told Hannah she could gently ride Paela until she delivers and start riding again a week after. We will work with the foal and Paela so that both are comfortable leaving one another for short periods of time...10 to 15 minutes. We are hoping to take Paela to the Queens Anne's County Fair in August. In the mean time, Hannah has been riding Dollie walking and trotting and working the other horses.
We are taking Paela to a foaling facility near us on Friday June 19th to offer any assistance to Paela during delivery if needed. As much as we want to have the foal delivered on our farm, this is Paela's first foal and the stallion is large. It would be devastating to loose Paela or the foal.
A surprise like this happens once in a life time. What a gift! Because there is so much unknown as to when the foal will arrive and what it will be we are having a lottery. The person with the most correct answers will win a free portrait of the foal by Hannah and a private invitation to the foals birthday party at our farm.
We purchased Paela, Hannah's black Welch cross pony in January 2009. After riding her for a week and passing her prepurchase exam with flying colors we brought Paela home. We were told she was an easy keeper...a handful of grain and a couple flakes of hay per day was all she needed.
In April, when Paela started to shed out I noticed her ribs were showing and felt she was too skinny...but she had a belly. The vet was out in April to vaccinate the horses and I asked why she was so skinny yet had such a big belly. For a pony, she gets as much feed and hay as my horses and she is skin and bones. The reply "she just has a hay belly and is having a growth spurt." What causes a hay belly? Not enough exercise; well, we all know that Paela gets too much exercise with as much riding as Hannah does.
Thinking it was worms, I wormed her monthly but the ribs still showed. Paela was always hungry to the point Hannah could no longer ride her on the trails with out Paela pulling the reins out of Hannah's hands to eat twigs, leaves, weeds and grass. She was famished and would eat anything! I figured she was just being a pony.
Some of us joked that she looked pregnant...but no that could not be...I bought her from a reputable trainer.
The vet was out again at the end of May which by now Paela's belly was larger, her ribs were still showing and now she was getting 4 pounds of grain and 4 flakes of hay per day. The vets comment was the same, just a hay belly and a growing spurt. I said to the vet "she sure looks pregnant" - but that is not possible.
Evidence appeared on Thursday, June 4. Hannah came into the house. "Mom, Paela's booby's look different. She has a sack and her teats are huge!" I inspected Paela and sure enough she had a sack. I compared her sack to the other horses and Paelas were definitely enlarged. Mike inspected and he felt they looked the same as the others :0 I guess he did not know what to look for:) Friday I called the vet and the response over the phone was false pregnancy. By now both Hannah and I felt Paela was pregnant. On Sunday I finally decided to email the trainer I purchased Paela from. Her response was "she is not having a false pregnancy. If she is bagged up she is probably pregnant; let me contact the original owner."Monday June 8 we received our answer. The original owner tried to breed Paela to a Draft style pony called a Gypsy Vaneer in July 2008. The breeder said the stallion did not cover Paela and was not bred. The vet in Michigan also confirmed Paela was not pregnant and Paela cycled before being shipped to Maryland to be trained and sold. There is a 95% chance the stallion was a Gypsy Vaneer. The original owner also had a miniature....ready for this....donkey- jack- that broke into Paela's paddock. Now Paela was terrified of that little thing and could almost step over it. The jack was also very violent toward Paela. There is a slight chance it could come out as a mule with long ears. Both stallions throw color - black and white foals. Either way the foal will be adorable!
Tuesday we got milk from Paela and Thursday the vet confirmed Paela was pregnant. Hannah spent the day fluffing the stall with straw and pampering Paela. She was definite the foal was to arrive that night. The vet said no. If she is bred to the gypsy Vaneer her due dates are June 23-June30th. Mares gestation period is 9 months plus 5 days. Donkeys gestation period is 12 months. Just a note, Dollie foaled last spring 8 days early.
When Hannah first thought Paela was pregnant she wept and cried "Who will I ride, show and who will I jump" - thinking she could not ride Paela for 3 - 4 months. Mike was not happy and retorted 'we need a plan'. Just when you have a plan a different one comes along! Never a dull moment on the farm!
Hannah and all of us including Mike are ecstatic. The vet told Hannah she could gently ride Paela until she delivers and start riding again a week after. We will work with the foal and Paela so that both are comfortable leaving one another for short periods of time...10 to 15 minutes. We are hoping to take Paela to the Queens Anne's County Fair in August. In the mean time, Hannah has been riding Dollie walking and trotting and working the other horses.
We are taking Paela to a foaling facility near us on Friday June 19th to offer any assistance to Paela during delivery if needed. As much as we want to have the foal delivered on our farm, this is Paela's first foal and the stallion is large. It would be devastating to loose Paela or the foal.
A surprise like this happens once in a life time. What a gift! Because there is so much unknown as to when the foal will arrive and what it will be we are having a lottery. The person with the most correct answers will win a free portrait of the foal by Hannah and a private invitation to the foals birthday party at our farm.
I have attached photos of the stallions and Paela below. I hope you have as much fun with this as we are.
We are so blessed!
We are so blessed!
Declan - Gypsy Vaneer
Jack, the Miniature Donkey
Paela - Mom to be!
Paela's bag on 6/10...to help you determine how far along she is :)
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