Pregnant Maiden Mare Questions

Ok guys I found this site, mainly because I was looking for more information on my mare. She is driving me crazy waiting on her to foal. This is her first pregnancy which makes me more nervous. I just want to make sure I'm around when she's ready. Just really looking to see if anyone thinks she's close or if I still have awhile. She was pasture bred so I don't have a good idea on how far along she is. The picture where she is looking quite hateful lol is from around 2 weeks ago and sorry at the moment the one of her bag is the best I've got. Oh and don't mind the hair we were in the middle of brushing when I took the picture.

Hey Ashleyjade

Welcome to the forum What a lovely mare you have.

Can you do me a favor and try and take a few more pictures of her as it will give us an indication of how the foal is currently riding.

Take the photo by bobbing down to her level and take it from say 5 meters behind her. This will give us a better indication of where you may be at with her pregnancy.

Ask as many questions as you like, everyone is really friendly here and there are NO attitudes , so makes it a great place to learn and hang out whilst waiting for her to foal

Cheers Ryan

Thanks I'll try and get some better pics tommorow!

Here's a few from this morning, still need to get more.

Baby is still sitting sideways. When she is close she will look slabsided because baby lines up with moms spine. Can you please get a picture of her private area to see how she's elongating. Also a picture of her bag from below, looking up. That will show us how her bag is developing. Thanks

Thanks for the pictures, I think you have a little time yet as the foal is still riding sideways. As you can see from looking behind her that her sides are sticking out. So what your looking for is for the sides to become more slab sided.

I know you said she was pasture bred, would you have any idea as to a time frame ? Its hard with Maiden mares as they dont always like to play by the rules but use this as a good learning tool in case you decide to breed her in the future. Make some notes about the changes you are noticing during the different stages of her pregnancy as she may be a mare that will show the same signs ect in future pregnancies.

Theres also some really good Pinned threads at the top of this section of the forum that will help you prepare for the birth.

Keep us posted

I'll see if I can get more pictures tommorow. I will definitely be more aware of a time frame when breeding next time. It has been driving me crazy trying to figure out when she might be ready. She was with the stud for several months and to be honest I never seen her in heat or him covering her. So unfortunately it could be soon or even a couple months from now.

Just thought I would add a couple more pictures from today. I can't tell much change but if anyone else does feel free to let me know. I am also about 90% sure I seen movement. Can anyone tell me how far along when you can see the foal move. I have not felt any kicks and this was the first time I was almost positive I seen kicking. The picture of her udder is muddy where she has been rolling and it seems like it is raining constantly. But it's a start.

With her udder development, I'd say within the month. No guarantees, since she is a maiden.

If you put your arms around her belly, with your hands resting right in front of her udder; you can feel movement as early as five months along. Wait till she's been eating for about fifteen minutes.

Since she looks closer to the end of her pregnancy, you can visibility see the foal move. The foal will move less the closer she gets.

Yes, her udder is developing nicely, but seems to have a ways to go yet, with filling in at the back. You should also try to take a photo of her udder from behind, with her tail pulled to the side. Keep a close watch on her, because you just never know.

YES Magic Marker Minis - wonderful tip! I used to do that but it's been so long I'd completely forgotten to tell anyone. I'm so glad you did, now someone new will learn this.

Thanks guys, I'll see what kind of pictures I can get today

Just a question my mare has been frequently laying on her side today. Not really rolling just laying. Is this a sign labor is close?

No, she's probably just sleeping. The weight of her pregnancy is probably weighing on her. One of our mares was always laying down toward the end of her pregnancy. Mares in labor will pace, get up and down, roll, and will act overall very uncomfortable. Soft stools also happen in the beginning, as they are cleaning themselves out.

It could be and also may not be. Have you noticed any changes in her at all... I see in your last photos the foal may have moved some, it doesn't look like her stomach is as wide. Eventually you'll see her belly appear to shrink. Have the muscles in her buttocks started to relax? The tail head muscles will feel squishy, look hollowed out, and you'll also notice a inverted v shape when you view her from the side. It's gradual, sometimes not noticeable on all mares but after you've foaled out a few it's all pretty easy to spot.

Have you checked her for a bag? In the last month (when you know when that is) if you'll move the tail to the side and run your fingers across the back of her bag you'll see and feel when it starts to change. This is WAY more predicable than looking at her teats from the side or from under her belly. Speaking of that can you express any fluid from her teats? Her milk will go from clear, to white, then to sticky yellow. When you get sticky yellow she is close to foaling. If you have a way to check her milk that will help you.

Have you noticed any swelling of her vulva? it will swell and elongate. Have you noticed any loose stools? Sometimes when the mare is close she will sweat. I know you said she is lying but have you noticed any sweat on her neck?

Forgive me for asking so many questions, I'm just trying to get a grip on any progression you may have noticed, or not even realized that you noticed.

Sometimes mares will get restless, anxious, and also want to be left alone. Some mares don't want any interaction and some don't mind. Mares can stop their labor.

Keep in mind none of this is exact. I've foaled out mares that were text book for years then one day not in any way close to showing ready....they drop and push.

PS MMM you are absolutely right about mares lying a lot when they get close to the end of their pregnancy.. some of mine would drive me nuts setting off the alarms night and day only to find them peacefully sleeping.

Thanks guy, I didn't get any pictures today to compare. Might I add this horse absolutely loves me one day and follows me around like a lost puppy and other days she seems to run to get away from me. She's been a little moody here lately. She doesn't let me do much around the tail area and seems to only let me mess with her. I don't know how to get her past being skittish. I am out there with her everyday trying to get her past these issues. Which explains why I don't have any pictures of her vulva. Hopefully she comes around more after she delivers. I think she is still carrying wide so I don't think we are quite there yet. But I did see the baby rolling around yesterday, no small kicks like I had been seeing. I was actually starting to wonder if I was just hoping she was pregnant.

I'm glad to hear you are seeing actual foal kicks! As she gets nearer you'll see a lot of movement while the foal is positioning itself, and you'll see her rolling to help it into position.

Just being with her everyday will help her get over her skittishness. Horses are curious so even if you are not focused on her she'll be focused on you, the more you are out there the faster she'll get used to you and trust you.
You could try to set aside a couple days a week to just groom her and while doing so you'll find where she likes to be touched and scratched. Don't worry about a lot of vulva photos. Since you know what to look for If you check her fairly regularly you will notice a change. If you do take photos though they will show you what the eye may miss and please do share them here and we can point out what you are seeing. Watching her for some of the signs you've been given in this thread will help you spot her progression.

Most mares develop the first changes in front of the udder. Some develop ventral edema, this is swelling which extends from the udder along the middle of the abdomen, and toward the front legs. This is normal but I've also noticed it doesn't happen as bad in horses that are not confined.
Watching in front of the udder where the swelling generally begins, and feeling her udder from behind as the bag forms will be a big help to you. Taking photos of her udder to watch for visual changes, this you will do from behind. Having her accustomed to having this area touched and her teats handled or cleaned with a warm cloth, can also help the foal to nurse after birth. Maiden mares especially need this done. I've never had a mare who didn't love that warm cloth! Between the teats where smegma builds up is a place they can't reach. Expressing a little fluid from the teats is easy and the texture and color of it will tell you when she is close to foaling.

Again remember nothing is absolute. Some mares don't bag up at all. This is why it is imperative to regularly look at her overall. Since you see her everyday it may help you to take a photo of her..maybe once a week from the side down on her level. This will help you, and if you choose to upload those here it will help our members to be better able to point out changes that we see.

Hopefully by watching her closely that will give you some idea when it's her time and you will be able to be in attendance when she foals. If at all possible you should be near in case of trouble. If all is going normally the less you intervene the better. The most important thing (if all goes normally) is for you to be there to open the sack from the foals head so it can breathe. In a perfect world the mare will immediately stand and it all pulls off and the umbilical separates as it should but this happens more rarely than you'd think. Some mares lay right there and rest and the foal dies in the sack. Some mares do get up but that still may not pull the sack off the foals head. Of course there are also some mares who foal standing lol.

Does she have a place she can foal alone with some straw or hay you can put out?

Once she is down and pushing the process is pretty quick. Learning how to recognize trouble NOW is very important. Do you have a foaling kit ready? We can help you with that.

Can you tell us what you feed her daily? is she on pasture?

I dont have a kit together, I have basic stuff like iodine and scissors. We raise goats and cattle so I've seen many difficult births and helped deliver many babies. I've also had a few horses deliver here but not miniatures. Actually I did have a miniature deliver here many years ago. But we didn't plan on breeding her and didn't even know she was pregnant until she delivered. We had brought in a TWH to breed my large mare and she didn't get bred but the miniature did. I didn't know that was possible but have learned my lesson there. And surprisingly the foal was healthy and she had no problem delivering. But the mare I have now is in a small pasture with supplemented hay if needed. I also have been feeding her sweet feed. I'm not sure if she needs a different kind of feed. But I'm open to opinions. She also has access to a shed. I would love to stall her when I think she is ready but she hates been separated from the other horses so Im not sure how well she will do with that. The pasture she is in now is beside the other horses field so she can see and be near them but they are not together.

Since you do have experience you'll do fine! With your experience delivering goats and cows you've got it covered. Iodine is fine to dip with, I like the spray so I can use it on the hooves too.
Ivermectin is something I'd recommend you have on hand to worm the mare with as soon as she foals (just after she passes her first stool).
You'll also want to make sure the mare has been inoculated with what is preferred for your area and include tetanus, do this preferably in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy so she can passively transfer the protection to the foal.

Since she is comfortable where she is I would not move her or confine her. Her feed and living arrangements sound ideal to me. Mares do need their food increased in the last trimester but I'm sure you know that, and from your photos she looks absolutely fine.

It's just a waiting game now. You can read our articles at the top of the board that will tell you what to look for and what to do if there is a problem so you will be prepared.

Watch her close and you'll see subtle changes that may alert you ahead of time.

If you could add new photos today or tomorrow we can have a look-see as to how she's progressed this last week.

And if you think of anything specific please do ask and we'll try to help. It is so exciting waiting for a foal to be born!