Breeders

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Last summer I had one mare bred to an outside stallion. She was, because of the stallions show schedule and the mares timing only covered 2x on one heat, the last 2 days she was standing. Now all winter long I watched her and said she was open because she didn't really get a belly. This is not a maiden mare and she still has no belly to speak of. Her sides are less distended than those of the 2 open mare in with her. She is however rather flat backed and filled in at the flank. She does not appear fat anywhere else and is normally not an easy keeper. Now she is only a couple of weeks shy of her due date and I recently discovered she is making a bit of a bag. So now I'm wondering, could she actually be bred? Has anyone ever had a mare that really didn't look bred even this late in a pregnancy? I'm watching her like a hawk now just in case but..... Very confused, dang mare.

 

[muffntuf]

Yes that could happen. I have a mare that I swore did not take and she surprised me with a beautiful little filly. She did not look preggers and made little bag before the foaling. It took a few days after the foaling before she had a nice full bag.

 

[minie812]

I purchased a mare last summer and the last foal she had for the previous owner could not see a bag and did not look prego. her vet wanted her in for an ultrasound but she foaled that night

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

So, where do they hide that baby if they have no belly? I really don't know what to think and had already set my mind on no foals this year. Muffntuf were there any issues with the foal nursing? Did it still get plenty of colostrum etc.? Were these 'hidden' foals unusually small?

 

[Jill]

I think she could well be. I had a two 2nd time mom's foal this year and one was 1mos before the other. The one who had further to go in the pregnancy looked HUGE and the one closer up barely looked pregnant. She had u/s in foal just before arriving here but I did slightly question if she may have slipped the foal. But she gave me "Infinity" right on schedule

:wub

Infinity was totally normal size, the mare did make a bag and had plenty of colustrom. If you have any doubt, an IgG test will tell you if you need a plasma transfusion which we actually give to every foal now to be sure they are protected from just about anything under the sun. It's not all that expensive (about $450 conting plasma and farm call). Most only give plasma if the IgG is low, but we had some sick colts come here sick and die last fall from an out of state breeder -- so are being extra cautious to protect our foals. Plasma is done routinely in my area for high dollar TB foals, so figure it's good enough for my babies, too

:yes

PS remember it is actually at the end of the cycle that they catch anyway so she's more likely to get pregnant bred as she was, than if she was bred only two days at the start of her cycle.

 

[Flyin G Farm]

I also had an experienced mare who I figured just didn't settle. A week before she foaled she finally bagged up and even waxed, but still even on the day she foaled she really did not look pregnant...she really didn't look a whole lot different AFTER foaling either!

Tracy

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

i]PS remember it is actually at the end of the cycle that they catch anyway so she's more likely to get pregnant bred as she was, than if she was bred only two days at the start of her cycle.[/i]

This is true of course and the only reason we bred 2 consecutive days was that she was already 3 days into her heat and the stallion was leaving town later that week. We did try to get her covered a third time but she was done. Normally I have the stallion cover mares every other day but we made an exception this time.

So now I'm done with getting a good nights sleep until I know for sure one way or another.

I was kind of thinking you'd all tell me (as my husband has) that she is NOT bred and I should quit imagining signs.lol You know before I decided to breed miniatures I thought I actually knew a little bit about horses LOL

Guess they decided I needed to be a bit more humble and less sure of myself.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Jill]

Oh man, I hear you!!! Anytime I start feeling like I know "a lot" about horses, the horses have a way of letting me know how much there is yet to learn

:yes

 

[Skylight_minis]

I would keep a real close eye on her. I have a 10 year old mare that i was questioning being bred too. She actually lost weight the closer she go to due date.

Foal was tiny but stuck, and red bag. First time i ever had to have a vet pull a foal. The Foal was side ways he had to pull really hard to get her out. Course filly didnt make it. Took a while for momma to get back to normal weight now she's acting like a new foal vet says something had to have been wrong in the pregnancy. When had a very small bag. I tried to milk out the colostrum to freeze it but couldnt get much out. I would have definatly worried about the foal not getting enough. I went out and bought the colostrum powder to have on hand. Didnt have to use it this year but would have if this filly had of made it.

 

[End Level Farms]

I have a mare that I got exposed to a stallion she was HUGE BIG belly huge belly in fact and just kept getting bigger. I SWORE she was in foal slept in the barn for a MONTH watching her act like she was going to foal. One day we woke up she had no belly TONS of milk and NO BABY. Had the vet ultra sound she was in foal. But not until next year. (She had gotten out with my stallion about 30 days before she "Foaled") And the next year when she actually had the baby she wasnt nearly as big and I kept doubting that she was in foal but low and behold she actually gave us a beautiful tovero filly.

I NEVER EVER trust the minis now after that.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

ELF, they are really really sneaky aren't they. Right now I'm going with is pregnant but 2 days ago I would have told you I was a fool (well....that could still be true) for ever thinking she was and she was most definitely NOT> I have decided she just LIKES to torture me and she's probably laughing with the other mares (who can't play too since they weren't with in 500 feet of a stallion older than 4 months last summer) about what amusing creatures we humans are (if only I would leave her udder alone and quite lifting her tail LOL).

 

[End Level Farms]

Ever since we waited for a month for the baby that never happened.

I am now a firm BELIEVER in the fact that they are NEVER PREGNANT until they are in the middle of pushing the baby out and I can actually SEE the baby with my own two eyes. And they are there for only pregnant a maximum of 30 minutes. Because then they are no longer pregnant due to the fact that they have had the baby.

My fiance thinks I'm absolutely certifiable now. She always thinks everything is pregnant until is proves other wise if its been anywhere near a stallion. She says its better to err on the side of caution. Personally I think shes certifiable at times as well for her belief in that.

However she has been right to err on the side of caution but DONT TELL HER THAT. Ill never be able to live with her if you do.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

hahahahaha, whats it worth to you to keep my mouth shut

I seem to be unable to decide which route to take, so I'm always 'on the fence'. Truth is I just hate to be wrong so I try to cover both sides lol.

 

[blueprintminis]

Have you seen her in heat this Spring? She would have been in heat by now if she weren't carrying a foal. I had one, just this Spring, 3 prior foals, who I called the vet for and scheduled a US because she just didn't look pregnant and a youth wanted to take a pregnant mare into 4-H production. She did not look pregnant at all! Well, the vet came out about 9 days later to do US (and other various vet things with other horses) and did not need to US this mare because she had started to develop an udder. We all decided that she had not caught when hand bred last May, rather she must have been bred when stallion was out in pasture end of July/early Aug. Well, lo and behold, within the next couple days she just got HUGE! I had her under the camera and she had a healthy, term foal the 1st of May. She is a taller/longer bodied mare and I guess the filly was just positioned in there so that the mare didn't stick out anywhere until the very last couple weeks when the fetus really grew. Good Luck and keep an eye on her. Let us all know what she has!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Let us all know what she has!

LOL, confidant aren't you.

She hasn't shown any obvious signs of heat yet this spring but then only one mare has and she is 25 this year and retired. I've been bringing a stallion near their fenceline every other day or so to see who was cycling (won't breed before June tho since we have late springs) and they are just not that interested in the guys yet it seems. I'll be sure to let you all know the minute I do (well maybe slightly later ) I'd sure like a filly from this pairing anybody got an 'in' with the filly fairy just in case?