Do You Have Your Mares Confirmed In Foal?

[alphahorses]

We have always used blood tests but we only had 6 mares at our largest numbers and are down to 3 now

We did have our 2009 foaling year where 3 out of 4 blood tests were wrong?

although we have not bred any mares for 2011

so we will have to enjoy all of yours

I had false negatives on mares with blood tests as well - even when they are well into their 2nd trimester. Then a vet who knows more about minis told me that their had found found blood tests to be unreliable on minis and didn't do them until the owner insisted. The hormone levels they test for are based on stats for large equine. A mini mare's system is just enough different to throw the test off.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

Joanne, I bet the cost of living overall in Oklahoma is much lower than California!

 

[walkermini]

So far I have only used the "wait and see" method, with minis anyway. My vet does not ultrasound, they have said they can palpate but I am leery of having a mini palpated. I have also heard blood tests with minis werent very accurate. I've considered the weefoal tests, but have not tried them yet. I guess if I were really wanting to know for sure, I would try that but for the most part I just wait and watch. I always write down when mares are in season and when I see them get bred, so far that has worked pretty well for me to determine if they are bred and when they were bred.

 

[lilnickers]

No. I would rather drive myself crazy

Gives me something to do to get through the winter

 

[joyenes]

We ultra sound our mares, actually just had them done today! I have an amazing vet and love her to pieces She charges a 35.00 farm call and the ultra sounds are 25.00. It's amazing to see the little guys. Just wish I could tell if they has spots LOL One year we didn't ultra sound a particular mare as she was in heat through Sept. so figures she was open.We even hand bred her through August. Come to find in the spring she was in foal, had a foal May 15th, explains why the exercise and weight loss program wasn't working LOL