Confirming mares in Foal

[wildhorses]

I am looking for some options to confirm my mares in foal. It seems no one wants to buy a mare anymore as "exposed" and want to have a definate answer if the mare is in foal or not. Even though I never charge anything extra for my breedings when I sell a mare that has been bred, people want more bang for their buck I guess.

My vet is not able to ultrasound or palpate simple due to the size of the mares and the size of his arms! We have tried to use the external ultrasound but get mixed results as the abdominal wall is just too thick for the ultrasound to get an accurate reading. So not a reliable option.

I know there is a blood test that my vet can do which I have done in the past but got some "iffy" results with that too. I am wondering what everyone else uses. I know there are some home based tests that can be done. Wondering how effective and accurate they are and if they are worth spending the money on. Would like to know what others use, how they like it, etc. so I can consider my options. Thanks!

 

[LAminiatures]

I have heard the weefoal test kits are reliable. There are plenty of people on this forum that have used them and will offer advice. I will be trying one myself in a couple weeks.

 

[ssshowhorses]

Weefoal is definelty the way to go and as far as I know it is pretty much the most accurate out there. I am waiting for mine to come in to test my girls!

 

[Becky]

If you can't ultrasound or palpate, my vote is WeeFoal. Very accurate and simple to do.

 

[targetsmom]

I use the WeeFoal 38 to confirm pregnancy and then I like to follow up over the winter with the later term WeeFoal which tests for something in the fetus itself and won't give a false positive if the mare is having a false pregnancy.

Do a forum search on WeeFoal and you should find lots of comments and suggestions on how to collect urine.

 

[Timeless]

Where do you live?

I have also used Wee Foal and it has been correct with both bred and open mares.

 

[supaspot]

Ive been chatting via email with the biology dept of the National University of Ireland about this problem , they are starting research into developing a simple test done at home by the owner , a tiny prick on the nose or ear to get a spot of blood on a pipette and used in just the same way as a human home urine test

 

[targetsmom]

There is already a blood test like that - Pregnamare- but I would rather collect urine than prick a nose! Also the blood test takes longer to run and I like to see the results right away - not wait an hour. I think it is just as accurate as the Wee Foal though.