Mid Winter Days

Here we are, mid-winter at Sugar Plum Farm. The (ever changing) weather is cold today, but the sky is bright blue and new foals are romping in the paddocks with their moms. We are also mid-foaling season here at Sugar Plum and pregnant mares, sometimes unpredictable, are watched 24/7 for signs of an immanent birth. Once a mare is reported to be actively foaling, our on-site Farm Manager is always at the ready to assist, make sure the baby is healthy, able to stand and nurse, and is accepted by the mare.

In rare instances a mare will reject her baby and will ignore or even attempt to harm it. In those cases a nurse mare is brought in to nurse and raise the “orphan”. It is a touching moment and a big relief to see the new mom and baby bond. We are fortunate to have a wonderful facility , Nursemares of the Northeast https://www.facebook.com/northeastnursemares/ nearby with a cadre of lovely mares ready to step in and mother a foal.