Could my mare be expecting?

[thehappypixi]

Hello all, I was very worried about my 12 year old spotted mare on Tuesday - she seemed uncomfortable, bloated and displaying colicky symptoms. She arrived here middle of August last year and had been a broodmare, possibly still running with stallions until the day she came to our yard. I was not her purchaser, but when the original owner lost interest I took her on as my gelding had fallen in love with her!

I had the vet out on Tuesday who gave a diagnosis of colic and guessed she probably wasn't pregnant but couldn't tell as too small to examine internally.

She's alway been quite small and although I knew her history, I was certain she was past the point where we would know either way.

So, if she were mated in the last week before she left she would be coming up 10 months pregnant. I have tried feeling for movement and am not sure if I'm feeling g gassy bubbles and normal gut things or something more leggy?! At ten months surely it would be obvious, right??

What I'm really thinking at this stage is - is it just wishful thinking on my part. If there is a possibility then only an ultrasound can tell, but if I'm being daft then I don't want to waste my money on a silly niggle. She has liquid in her teats but I've since read that can happen even to mares who have never been pregnant - common? I don't know. Her colicky symptoms have gone and she's her normal self again.

Puzzled. Now will try and get some photos on.

 

[thehappypixi]

 

[Debby - LB]

Welcome to our forums! We are so glad to have you here. Looking at your photos (your mare is gorgeous by the way) I think some would say she´s probably not pregnant, she's just not heavy enough in the belly for one over 10 months along. However I have had one mare and personally seen several who carried just like her and all looked like her in your from above photo. To answer your question, this is only my opinion from my own experience, but yes at over 10 months you should be able to feel enough movement by now to be reasonably sure one way or the other. You are right about expressing the fluid, some definitely not pg mares will have that. Have you noticed any change in her udder?

 

[thehappypixi]

Thank you for the reply and welcome

I can't say I have, although it isn't an area I tend to check very often, I only thought to check for milk when her timmy seemed to have grown, but it does not look like photos I've looked at if expecting mares. I feel she probably ly isn't, but after the colicky thing on Tuesday, I'm just concerned for her health more than anything - incase she were and was having problems or if she were and it died and the rolling and stretching was trying to get it out. My imagination is my worst enemy! The vet didn't think she was but said he couldn't rule it out which isn't helpful! I thought in hindsight they might offer to run a blood test.

 

[thehappypixi]

 

[Debby - LB]

I don't see the beginning of a bag here yet. I think I'd at least continue trying to feel for movement, it may help ease your mind especially since she recently had colic symptoms. Here is a good way to try...copying this from another thread by Magic Marker Minis ----- ' 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. '

 

[Mona]

I don;t think she's pregnant. or of she is, certainly nowhere near that far along. She does not look pregnant at all, especially for a seasoned broodmare. Pretty girl! How tall is she? When I raised minis, my vet rectally palpated them as small as about 31". I have also had them palpated late in pregnancy, with no ill effects. There are urine tests that can be done. They are quite accurate.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

What a lovely mare you have. I agree with everyone else, for a seasoned broodmare it should be a little more obvious to the eye.

When your out taking pics next , could you take one from behind her and down at her level. You can get a good idea of the pic angle in one of the threads in the marestare section on here.

Glad to hear the colicky symptoms have dissapeared.

 

[thehappypixi]

Thanks all I will try what you suggest today, I am glad she doesn't look pregnant to everyone! My children ride her and I'd hate for her to have cargo inside and on top, I wouldn't have liked that when I was expecting!

She is 10hh, she's an absolute love. And thank you for the compliments, we think she is gorgeous too!

 

[Mona]

10hh should DEFINITELY be fine with a rectal palpation.

 

[chandab]

10hh should DEFINITELY be fine with a rectal palpation.

Depends on the vet, my former vet, he retired, was a large guy with large hands, I don't think he would have even considered a rectal on a 40" pony. My current vets are both smaller women, so should be able to help me with all my mini needs.

 

[paintponylvr]

In the late 90s when we moved from MT to NC, I had a woman vet who did do palpations and US on our Shetland ponies. The smallest mare was 37" at the withers. She now has a full service vet hospital w/ multiple vets employed and they no longer do palpations or US on ponies smaller than 12 hh. I was told that it is due to things that can go wrong/insurance issues...

Our current vet since 2009, will only do external US - no palpations or internal "wand" US on our Shetlands - two of whom are TINY and petite (36 & 38" at the withers). At this time, I don't have any larger pony mares (over 47"), so I've never gotten it clarified what size a mare needs to be in order to be US or palpated. For what ever reason, I've just not found the external USs to be as accurate or easy to read as the internal ones and I'm glad that I didn't invest in my own external machine when I was thinking about it.

I do have another vet practice that I'm dealing with out of Southern Pines. I've not asked what they do or whether they can/will do US or palpations because so many of their procedures are quite a bit more expensive than others. Instead, I've waited for the mare to "tell" me she is in foal. I've yet to use one of the urine test kits, but I am looking at doing that later this fall with some mares that are currently running with a stallion that I'm not sure about. He is going to be gelded and right now that is scheduled in November.

If a vet refuses to do an internal US or palpation - how do you then flush the mare to clean her up if necessary OR do a biopsy to find out if she's able to safely/reliably carry a foal to term? All the vets that I've worked with in the past used palpation - either rectally or vaginally to guide the "tools" needed for these two procedures. It stands to reason that these procedures can't be performed if they don't do the exams part... (to me - again - haven't discussed it with current vets)...

 

[AJ]

"Tiny and petite(36-38")" . My tiny and petite are 28-30". While I don't US or palpate anymore, foal movement 5-6 months is adequate for me, my vet both palpated and wand us'd all mares 30-34" with no problem.(male vet). Stallions tell me if they are settled. Must be getting old, use the vet very little as compared to my early days with mini's, and find all horses do well, get pregnant, have babies and lose some( vet wouldn't have helped), and a much smaller vet bill. I have probably saved more foals by trying to be there at the onset of every birth (camera/baby monitor) than depending on vets. Do use them when needed though.

 

[Miniv]

I agree with others......She doesn't look pregnant. One side of her belly would be bigger than the other......even with the longer back she has. And at 10 months along you would have SEEN movement, not just felt.

Also, her bag would be at least developing edema by now....especially with her having foaled out before.

 

[thehappypixi]

Thanks all, feeling less stressed about it now! I think she has just grown fat!! Time for more exercise I think, get her jumping again. Chubby little minx getting me all fretful.

She broke out of the track and into the field full of lush grass last night, so although she was looking less bloated, now she has a big grass tum!

 

[thehappypixi]

Wrong photo! That's an old one.

This is Dolly with her husband (gelded!) Harvey ;D

 

[paintponylvr]

Lovely photos and I love the one of her saddled w/ (?) your daughter (?) in the pic!!