Calls to Cam Owners.....Viewers and Owners please read this.

[Heather]

I sent a letter to the cam owners today...if you didn't get this and you are a cam owner, I apologize.  You may want to contact me and update your email address that I have on file.

I hope this letter finds all of you well.  Unfortunately I know that there are two farms today that are mourning losses.  One was not on cam, but the other was.

Today a foal died because it didn’t get out of the sack.  Someone saw the mare pushing, they posted on the forum but didn’t call because they were afraid to.  No one saw the post and called the cam owner until it was too late.

This is not what Mare Stare is about.

Somewhere along the way we lost track of what is important and people became afraid to call the cam owners.  We need to stop this or there will be more losses….senseless losses like today.

Please remember to be courteous if you get a call. You don’t have to chat with the caller all night, just thank them and tell them you will check…or that all is well.  We rely on the viewers to assist us in our watch…at least I do.  I like the security of knowing that there are extra eyes.  I’ve had several of my own saved this year by viewers, and I am always very appreciative of all the calls I get, whether they are needed or not.

Heather

I found out after this email was sent that the poster did call - tried three times but got no answer.  I'm glad that she tried.  However, I wonder how many don't call for fear that they are wrong...or that they will be scolded?

Viewers...if you see a problem please call.  If you can't get an answer please try to find a moderator..if you can.  Go in Chat...or call me!  My number is all over this site - 803-466-0629.  Put me in your speed dial...it's all good.

Our rules still apply to not call and complain about the quality of the cams, the cleanliness of the stalls, etc.  But if you see a problem it doesn't matter how much poop is in the stall, or how staticy the cams are....the life of the animals is what matters....and that's when a call needs to be made.

And those cam owners that don't want calls have removed their phone numbers from their cam pages or have had notes listed not to call.  I can respect that as well.

Many of the cam owners have responded with the same thing I have said.  I would rather get a call for nothing...then to get no call.

I've encouraged them to reply here.

[carolprudm]

I agree.  I did post once "Do not call my cell, it's outside and I'm not going to leave the cam to go get it" only because it wouldn't have done anybody any good to call it

[kjmhorses]

I did get Heather's e-mail and I wanted to respond to it...It is a terrible tragedy what happened to the foal and mare and their owner/s..I am so very sorry for their loss today...
I wanted everyone to know, we want you to call us, anytime of the day or night if you see anything out of the ordinary happening, or you see a foal being born, etc....I would rather be safe then sorry...There is way to much time and effort involved in getting these mares to the actual foaling and having nice healthy foals born...Nevermind the heartache in losing a foal...
We are KJMhorses, PLEASE call, anytime of the day or night...We have 2 mares due 1 week apart, one is a first time mother to be and the other one(Sweet Dixie Diva)is the one who was saved by the caller who was brave enough to call me last year...
Because of one viewer last year who called me at 1:20am and told me my mare had gone down and did a big roll and was now hard up against the wall and could not get up....It took everything we had to get her back on her feet again, she foaled one hour later...I really would hate to think of what would have happened had this person been to afraid to call...
Please do not be afraid to call if you see anything..
Thank you
Kathy Miller of
KJMhorses

[MandyUFM]

 I agree with Heather.

 I've posted many times, I welcome those calls.  I think they are very important and a critical part of Mare Stare.  Yes, we want to share the miracle of birth with everyone but there is another bonus.. having our girls watched closely by many eyes and alerted when something is amiss.   

I was with another company last year but was invited to post about my girls on Mare Stare.  One of the things that convinced me to switch over was the mare starers.  We had a mare who foaled early, with no bag.  We werent watching close.  We got a call from someone who WAS watching.. the foal was still in the sack.  That call was invaluable.   We got many calls last year when our other mares foaled as well.   This year, very few calls and I've often wondered why.    I've got 2 more mares to go..  I'd much rather run and check on a false alarm then miss the real thing.



***sidenote***  We have 2 handicapped kids...  I posted that on my cam so people would know that they may answer.  If you dont get the answer you were hoping for just try another number!! 



My thoughts and prayers to the farms and mares whose hearts are breaking with the loss of those foals. 

Thank you to the one who tried to get through....

[glenhillfarm]

I did not recieve the email but wanted to post a reply here.
I always appreciate the calls when a viewer feels the situation warrants my attention.  I had a horrible red bag delivery last month and it was  MareStare faithfuls (blacklabs and devotee) who called when the mare first started acting like she was going into labor.  Because of the phone calls I was out in the barn when the water broke and was able to get the foal out in record time.


I am so sorry about the loss of the foal today.  Such a sad time.  Hugs to the owners.

[barkerja05]

I too would rather get a call at o'dark thirty for a false alarm then have nobody call at all. Foaling time for anyone is full of anticipation and worry, and having the marestare family watching is comforting. Please call if anything looks out of the ordinary or if a horse is foaling, even if you are not sure. And thank you to those who do call, thats what the numbers are there for:)

[merry]

I also got Heather's email and would like to re-emphasize...PLEASE call me even if you are unsure and can't find a mod. I am by myself and have delivered 9 foals so far this year with 2 more to go. I use every available means to check my mares and Marestare has been invaluable to me in the past. I also use Equipage and as I have said, I am known to wake to the alarm, turn it off and fall back asleep before I reset it...as I did last night.

I feel a lot of Marestarers are afraid because they have been instructed to find a mod if they are unsure. That is a good first step, but if you can't find a mod, and you are concerned...call...I don't think there is a cam owner around that would be mad...and you may save a life.

Marestare has become such a huge site that I'm afraid there are a lot of viewers that just want to "catch a foaling"...but there are many devoted viewers that are an irreplaceable asset to us cam owners. And, Laurie...if you could prop her up and suture her eyelids open, start an adrenaline IV, and feed her occasionally, would be watching 24/7. She is truly the nigthtime MS angel!!! Oh, I guess you would have to get her a port-o-potty too...

Thanks all and Call!!!!

[jennywho]

This was my first year on Marestare and I can not thank everybody enough for giving me that extra peace of mind just by knowing others were helping to keep an eye out. The phone calls were greatly appreciated. I would rather someone called every time a mare looked even slightly suspicious than to not get a call at all. So a huge thank you, I am already looking forward to next foaling season.

My heart goes out to those who lost babies today and this year, it's never easy.

[Bigwoodsfarm]

Oh please call us anytime.  I would rather have a million calls than have someone feel they are unsure and not call!!!
 
Marestare is wonderful and it's so nice to know if you just give out and dose off some wonderful person is out there helping you watch and having your babies arrive safely!!!!!
 
 
A million thanks to all the foal watchers!!!!!!  And a great big thank you to Heather and her troops for offering us this fantastic service!!!!!!!
 
Deby
www.bigwoodsfarm.com
 

[Silverbelle]

We got phone calls twice so far - THANK YOU!!!!  We would have slept right through both of those!! This year I am on the walking wounded list and my pain meds just zonk me out.  I would much rather get a call for nothing than miss something!  Thanks again to all the faithful watchers.  Those extra eyes are life savers!

[Sue J]

I am so sorry to hear of the two losses today.  We, as cam owners, have so much invested into the anticipation of the birth of a new born foal to lose one because a viewer may be afraid to call seems so senseless to me.  That is not why I joined Mare Stare.  Please don't get me wrong, you have no idea how much we appreciate all the viewers.  But somewhere along the line, it seems that the viewers have become hesitant to call a cam owner.  Yes, we are tired, it may be 3:30 a.m. and we've only been to sleep for 1/2 hour so we may be grouchy, or we've been watching our mares for what seems like an eternity with little or no progress and no end in sight, or we could be aware a mare is close and we're on our way to the barn and want to get there as quickly as possible.   If a caller gets a short, curt response, please don't take it personally and don't think your call in unappreciated.   It's simply a reaction to the immediate stress that you might receive a less than cordial response.  If that's the case, please understand the circumstances.  This farm has been a member of Mare Stare for 3 years now and that was after I too lost a foal.  After losing that one baby, I obtained a breeder alert and cams in order to have extra eyes to avoid the heartache of losing a foal.  Please, please, please don't ever be afraid to place a call if you see anything suspicious or something that causes you concern.  I have repeatedly said, I'd rather lose a few minutes sleep due to a phone call than lose a foal.   I am one cam owner that will always appreciate any call.  

We have two more mares to foal this year.  One is due 6-21 and the other is 6-24.  These are two new mares to the farm that I purchased already in foal so I know none of their habits or normal routines.  Medi, the mare due 6-24, is already bagging up so she is in the barn and can be seen on cam #2.  Indy will be brought into the barn as she gets closer to her due date.  REMEMBER, please call for anything and thank you for watching over our mares.    

[Penny-LilPondarosaMini]

I feel the same call me 100 times if you feel you need to I'd much rather get a call that is a false alarm then someone be afraid to call otherwise.  My numbers are being put on my cam and are on page one of my thread.  Please never be afraid to call me even if you just want to talk.  I would love to hear from you.  I am greatful knowing someone cares about my girls.  I got call last year and am greatful for them all.

[SWF Angel]

I too would rather have a milllion false calls then no call at all. The gal who called about Chloe foaling, I cant thank you enough. With all the mares that are due its so hard for us to stay up 24/7 to watch them and we really appreciate the calls. It gives us a little peace of mind knowing there is always someone helping us watch. I still have 2 mares to go this year and with one of them overdue. I know I have been exhausted.

Most farms have more then one person to help them out, I am by myself here, so even if the mares seem to be acting a little off and start pacing, any call are welcome..

Thanks to all of you for watching the girls who have already foaled and for the continuing watch over the ones that havent foaled yet.
Anyone can call me.

Horsefully,
Angel @ Spirit Wins

[mistymoon]

What a sad day - I know who lost foals today and my heart goes out to you.  We lost a foal 2 weeks ago - only because we didn't have the mare on cam yet - so totally my fault - it is devastating when things don't work out the way that they should.  I have posted many times to call me any time day or night - and we have had many many calls - some have been falst alarms - which is perfectly fine by me!!!!!  We did have a mare a week and a half ago that foaled with my husband right outside the foaling barn - I was just coming home from a client site - and the phone rang when I walked into the house.  Our mare had foaled and the foal was OK - and I think that there were several folks watching and afraid to call.  We were lucky that everything worked out for us - unlike the unfortunate owners today.  I cannot thank Sherri enough for calling to let me know - and I ran out to the foaling barn and the foal was out of the sac and was just fine!!!!
I would rather have a thousand false alarms rather than miss one foaling.  There are so many wonderful marestare watchers that are so fantastic - it is quite unbelievable - and that is what marestare is all about.  
As a cam owner I can't thank people enough for all of their help with watching our mares.  As a marestare addict myself I thank the other cam owners for allowing all of us into your barns.
I hope that we don't see other tragedies like what happened today - it is so sad and definitely isn't what marestare is all about.  I realize that if you can't get ahold of a cam owner - then it would be very scary and upsetting - but at least you know you tried.
Marestare is the best service of its kind - no doubt about it - and thankyou to everyone that is out there watching the many cams and many farms and many horses - you rock!!!!!

[twosuperspudponies]

One time I called a farm because a shadow on a sleeping mare PLUS the fact that my dial-pauses in awkward moments (and I stayed up til like 4 am three nights in a row waiting on a "Sweet" Gypsy Meadows Mare who will remain nameless) made the mare look like she casted herself and broke her neck. I was very new to Mare Stare and had NO IDEA how sleep deprivation effects ones imagination. Anyway, I was panicking and shaking and desperate. So I called! I left a message! I said "Hi! I'm watching your mare on the internet and I think she really needs to be checked on!" NOONE EVER checked! So I got EVEN MORE panicky and called again! I said "I'm so sorry to bother you but I really, really think you should check on your mare!" Still I never saw the lights come on and just before I called HEATHER the mare popped up and peed! I WAS SOOOO EMBARASSED!!!! I just knew that the farm I called was going to be SOOOO MAD!!! BUT they weren't! They actually appreciated that *I* was concerned for the welfare of their horse. And to beat all they THANKED ME for calling!! I couldn't believe it! That was the point that I fell in LOVE with Mare Stare!!! I think I called Denise at Gypsy Meadows the very next night because Sweets looked like she was in labor! Denise said "I KNOW I think this is it!" Sweets foaled a MONTH later!!! HEE HEE!!

Since then, I've called several barns and left lots of messages but I know what to look for a little better now! I can tell you first hand though when you're new to Mare Stare the thought of being the one who calls can be thrilling and also very scarey at the same time. So if anyone is ever not sure and really needs to get a hold of someone soon please call HEATHER!!!! Also, if you ever have to reach a mod quickly and you're not sure who is online report a post! Any post and when it asks you for a comment or a reason type "EMERGENCY NEEDS CALLED or NEEDS HELP" the reported post automatically goes out to all the mods' email addresses! Just a couple of suggestions! And if you don't hear from anyone in a couple of minutes CALL! DON'T WAIT!! JUST DO IT! If it's nothing then no harm is done. If it IS something then you could have saved a life!

Just remember to always check the thread first and when you do call make sure you immediately post on the thread so that a hundred other viewers don't also call. And if you leave a message tell the cam owner your Mare Stare screen name so they can thank you. They like that!!

Happy Staring!!