Have any of you had yor mares do this?

[Riverdance]

I came out this AM to feed the horses and in one paddock area I have mares getting ready to foal, not ready to have them, but close up by the barn so that I can check their bags twice a day. Next to that paddock area is a smaller paddock area , where I have my mares and foals up by the barn, then some stallion runs.

Well I go out to let the mares in waiting out to a small pasture area and notice one of my favorite (of course) mares with her butt up in the air, down on her front knees, with her head and neck on the ground. I first thought she was in that position to get any dropped grain from the stallion run next to her from last night. So I got the other mares out to pasture then came back and this mare was still in that position. Now I am thinking that it is strange so I go into that paddock area and she looks at me from that position and does not try and get up. So I grab her head and neck and help her to her feet. She is kind of wobbly at first, then stands normal. I then go inside to grab a halter and bring her inside, and she walks just fine into a stall. I have had her under a camera, since. I fed her some grain and alfalfa hay, which she proceeded to eat all of it. I have been watching her for a few hours now and she has been just fine, eating and wondering around the stall.

I had called the vet right away. She did not know what it could be either. She has plenty of water, her bag is normal and the foal seems to be having no problems getting milk. She ate everything I gave her, so she is not sick. Both the vet and I think it is weird, but I am just watching her and the vet says not to worry too much. (now I have to tell you we have fantastic vets out here. The clinic I use has 5 vets, but there is one in general who is my vet, Ann. She was off today, but still called me back within minutes of me calling. This clinic has saved many a Mini for me) She had me give her some minerals and electrolites and I put a mineral block in the stall with her too.

Anyone have this happen to you? I am wondering if she got into that position to get the grain and hay from the other side and after being down there for a while, just could not get back up.. WEIRD!!!!!!!!!

 

[albahurst]

Maybe in that position she could nurse the baby and rest all at the same time

Smart girl!

Good luck and I hope she continues to do well.

Peggy

 

[RainSong]

Actually, it reminds me of what Sheep do when they have hoof rot and stuff- they'll get down on their knees in front, but leave their butt up in the air. Their feet hurt, so they kneel instead of stand on them...

 

[Riverdance]

Actually, it reminds me of what Sheep do when they have hoof rot and stuff- they'll get down on their knees in front, but leave their butt up in the air. Their feet hurt, so they kneel instead of stand on them...

The vet and I talked about that, but there is no reason for her feet to hurt. She has not been out in pasture, no extra feed, her feet look fine. So far, she is acting perfectly normal in her stall.

 

[muffntuf]

She isn't throwing any heat from her frog area on her hoof? Also another thought - have you cleaned her feet out lately and checked for thrush? Would be white powdery stuff I belive.

 

[Miniv]

If her feet hurt, you should be able to feel heat just above the hoof line.

I was wondering if she was positioning her baby inside her?

 

[Riverdance]

There is nothing wrong with her feet, frogs are clean, no stones or pebbles, no heat in the hoof, no thrush.

As I mentioned before, she has a 1 month old foal by her side, so she is not positioning a foal. She was bred in her foal heat and it was a late foal heat. Perhaps when the embryo implanted it caused her some pain. I am not sure we will ever know.

So far she has not tried to do it again. I had her inside for hours watching her on camera and just recently put her and her foal outside again alongside the barn area with the other mares and foals.

Hopefully she will not ever do it again.

 

[Keri]

Maybe she was trying to reach grain under the fence and then got stuck in that position. Happens to the best of us sometimes. We're not always graceful!!!

And maybe she was there a while, so she was a bit wobbly just becuase her legs were tired.