Concerned about my mini mare

[Crystalbank]

I have a little fewspot mare who is infoal and looked huge a couple of months ago, but now doesn't look big at all

The confusing thing is that I felt her udder and she's bagging up.

Generally my mares have always been big towards the end and never looked big one minute and then not in the next few weeks. Here's a pic of Nibbles (the fewspot).

Have any of you had mares that hardly looked like they were in foal at the last minute?

 

[nnadams]

My mare who just foaled a silver bay colt Sunday morning looked huge, too, a few months ago but then seemed much smaller the last month. I worried something had happened, like maybe the foal had died, but here he is alive and well. All I can think is besides the fact he turned out really tiny, her shedding her winter coat and then the foal changing positions before birth made her look much smaller.

Hopefully all is well!

 

[nnadams]

By the way, who is she in foal to? I hope the foal is fine and I can't wait to see it!

 

[kaykay]

A lot of times when the foal starts moving into position mares suddenly look "not pregnant" We always know that means the mare is getting close. I know a few years ago I posted a pic of a mare with the caption "whered the foal go?" LOL> she foaled the next day. Sending good thoughts!

Kay

 

[Crystalbank]

Thanks for the advice guys - you've made me feel better.

Nibbles is in foal to a fewspot called Saddlers Half a Mo and although I haven't met him (she was in foal when I bought her) I've been told he's a good sort. I always worry about breeding fewspot to fewspot, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[nnadams]

Thanks for the advice guys - you've made me feel better.
Nibbles is in foal to a fewspot called Sheilinghale Bop. He's 35" and although I haven't met him (she was in foal when I bought her) I've been told he's a good sort. I always worry about breeding fewspot to fewspot, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Okay, I need to know what the concern is in breeding a few spot to a few spot? Is there a problem with this?

 

[midnight star stables]

Thanks for the advice guys - you've made me feel better.
Nibbles is in foal to a fewspot called Sheilinghale Bop. He's 35" and although I haven't met him (she was in foal when I bought her) I've been told he's a good sort. I always worry about breeding fewspot to fewspot, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Okay, I need to know what the concern is in breeding a few spot to a few spot? Is there a problem with this?

Ditto!

 

[Crystalbank]

Fewspot to Fewspot can cause dwaft and mutation so I'm told and this is why I worry. However Nibbles had a filly fewspot at foot when she came to me and although the filly had a slightly odd outline she wasn't a dwarf.

I'm not sure if the above is correct or not, but I've been told this a few times now.

 

[Crystalbank]

Sat in the sun with Nibbles this morning and I still cannot convince myself there is a foal in there. I guess it's because my other two mares are huge and so I expect to see her the same way.

Nibbles is very quiet today and I've notice her poops are very loose and she's standing with her tail up slightly or sometimes to one side.

 

[fuzzball]

Hi, How is your mare looking now? Usually signs of her becoming loose and lacking muscles in her back end are imminent signs of foaling.....

You need not worry too much about breeding a few spot to few spot, it will not cause any birth defects like dwarfism. The only risks that could happen is the gene similar to the lethal white gene would cause the embryo to die in very early stages of development.

You are most likely to get a few spot though!!!

I am also intrigued to know how she is in foal to Bop?

Best wishes x

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Still in there...

 

[Crystalbank]

Hi, How is your mare looking now? Usually signs of her becoming loose and lacking muscles in her back end are imminent signs of foaling.....
You need not worry too much about breeding a few spot to few spot, it will not cause any birth defects like dwarfism. The only risks that could happen is the gene similar to the lethal white gene would cause the embryo to die in very early stages of development.

You are most likely to get a few spot though!!!

I am also intrigued to know how she is in foal to Bop?

Best wishes x

It's my mare Fashion who's in foal to Bop and Nibbles is in foal to Saddlers Half a Mo, a fewspot.

 

[ohmt]

I wouldn't worry about few spot to few spot..the only way the foal could be dwarf is if both parents have at least one dwarf gene and the dwarf genes come with every color. Your odds are increased or decreased depending on color.

I've never heard of few spot to few spot resulting in genetic mutations either. If you think about it, a few spot is just an appaloosa with 2 appy genes instead of just one. The resulting foal will of course end up with 2 appy genes because each parent has to pass on one, so you'll end up with a few spot/snow cap foal. I have a friend that has bred her few spot mares to her snowcap stallion and has never had any problems. Hope that helps take a little worry off your mind

p.s.-about half of our mares do the SAME thing that your mare is doing (look big and then don't look pregs at all). We do of course get some that just trick us, but i wouldn't worry too much right now. When is your girl due by the way??

 

[Crystalbank]

Thanks OMHT, it really is such a helpful place on here and I gain so much.

The covering cert for Nibbles says she ran with Saddlers Half a Mo in May and June 08, so I guess anytime in April/May. My two others Strudle and Fashion look HUGE and Fashion has that big V belly on her although not bagging up yet.

Poor Strudle looked like her foal was trying to gallop it's way out this morning.

I'm so excited as this will my first year in breeding minis, although my little girl in the Avatar was born last year and is only 37" so far.