Foaling live! MyFarm to live webcast birth of Shire Horse

Queenie, the only Shire Horse mare at Wimpole Home Farm [1] in Cambridgeshire is preparing to give birth. And, as part of the National Trust’s MyFarm (http://www.my-farm.org.uk) [2] experiment, the birth will be broadcast live over the internet.

The live streaming – which can be viewed now - is a key part of the MyFarm project, which aims to reconnect people with the realities of farming. It is the first major birth on the farm since the project started in May, and it was a huge decision to broadcast it.

Richard Morris, Farm Manager, said; "There’s no guarantee the birth will be straight forward, particularly as Queenie had a miscarriage last year and a previous foal had to be put down due to a deformity. We don’t want to hide people from the risks involved - it’s fundamental to our purpose in reconnecting people with the realities of farming to allow the possibility of lows as well as highs. If all goes well, MyFarm Farmers will be able to name the foal and so on, but not until it’s a few days old. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but that’s reality."

Shire Horses are increasingly scarce with only 900-1,500 breeding females currently in the UK [3], and while they are no longer a core part of the working operations on the farm, this birth is a significant moment for the entire breed and for Wimpole’s work with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST).

With no way of knowing exactly when Queenie will foal, a webcam [4] has been installed in her stable and MyFarm Farmers will be able to watch the whole birth as it unfolds, live on the MyFarm website. Infrared lighting is being installed to ensure that viewers will still be able to see the birth, even at night.

In the meantime, Queenie is being carefully monitored by Wimpole Horse Manager, Emma Warner. Emma said: "Queenie’s temperature rose this morning – which is the first sign of a horse getting ready to have her foal. We weren’t expecting her to be ready to give birth until at least the middle of this month, so we are just now making sure she is comfortable and is kept calm, well fed and watered, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly."

Queenie will be looked after 24 hours a day until she gives birth and the farm’s vet will be on stand by in case he is needed.