I have a mare who might be in foal if so would be 350 days

[cassie]

Hi everyone,

I have a miniature horse mare, Penny she is 36" tall, is 10 years old and has two foals previously.

I bought her a year ago the 25th March, the mare I bought her with was in foal and had a colt 5 months ago this weekend

they were in quite poor condition when I bought them so I upped their feed.

Penny was after a while fatter then I would have liked so I put her on a diet... her tummy didn't seem to go down so I decreased the feed even more... still tummy didn't go down, so I started to wonder if she could have been pregnant. (the guy is quite strange and didn't take good care of his horses so it wouldn't surprise me if the stallion got in with her, that was after all how my other mare got pregnant.

so I asked you lovely people on here what you thought and some of you thought she could be in foal... so about a month ago I put her on marestare and waited to see if she started bagging up... she had an edema in front (owner said she bagged up 1-2 weeks before)

I have kept a close eye on her bag but nothing significant has happened... she would be at least 350 days today.

about a week ago I thought I would see if she had any milk to test... she did and I tested it at 7.2 (foal time testers) that means not near ready for foaling so I kept watching her .

Today and yesterday she seemed very strange to me... very depressed relaxed behind and staying away from my other mare and her foal. this afternoon she had mushy poops and given her attitude I decided to test her milk... she still has no udder to speak of.

I tested and milk came streaming out! it tested between 6.4 and 6.8

Green, 6.8– Foaling not likely (unless there is a sudden drop to a lower pH). Test mare twice a

day but also monitor her for other pre-foaling physical and behavioral changes.

Yellow-greenish, 6.4-FOAL-TIME for most mares. WATCH MARE CLOSELY!

this is a MAJOR drop from the 7.2 only a week ago!!

so my question is (some of the girls are doubting she is in foal and I myself have even been doubting)

Do you think she is in foal? or could there be some other reason for drop in her milk? I am just so confused with this mare, especially as this will be only my second foal... please help me.

I don't really know what to think or do.

Thank you in advance for any help you give.

 

[cassie]

also have any of you had any experience with mares not having an udder before foaling and bagging up after?

 

[minimomNC]

My maiden mare foaled last year at 356 days, she had almost no bag at all, suddenly waxed about 12 hours before she foaled but still not much of a bag. Colt was strong and healthy and while she never had much of a bag, he had plenty to eat and is now a very pretty, healthy yearling stallion. Minis sometimes read the book and then do things just to make you crazy. Good luck with your mare.

 

[Genie]

At 350 days you would think that there would be a lot of palpable foal action

 

[mini horse mania]

Do u have a new pic of her?

 

[Jill]

Do u have a new pic of her?

That's my question, too.

 

[cassie]

Will post one in the morning, she isn't very big... But is a taller mare... Sorry it's 1:15am here in australia lol she has sure done alot of poops in there already!!

 

[Callie]

If she is on Marestare can you please post the link? Good luck!

 

[Eagle]

the link is

http://www.marestare.com/fcam.php?alias=kingstonpark

 

[attwoode]

I've never had a mare that far along and not been able to feel the foal with my bare hand pushing up gently on the bottom of her belly in front of the udder. Mares can have edema for a number of reasons, but just check every time you feed for few minutes. There should be no doubt in your mind if you feel the foal move at 350 days.

 

[cassie]

Thanks everyone. I tested her milk again this morning and it has jumped back up to 7.2 again

I know it was at 6.4 last night but why the jumps I have NO CLUE! this is only my second foal and I am so over this supposed pregnancy LOL

Thanks Renee for posting the link to the camera...

This was a pic of her night before last...



then yesterday after she had a roll

more of a V shape (I thought anyway)

as you can see she isn't huge... but has a definite tummy, and given the fact she has been on a diet! I don't know lol

I think I have felt movement... I thought I felt some little kicks around her flanks this morning.

I'll try just under her tummy thanks. about a week ago I saw a kick and then felt two more and then felt a whole almost shifting of her tummy...

This is a pic of her from 2 months ago, so you can see what she actually looks like LOL without her head in a bucket.



any advice that you can give me is much appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[AnnaC]

Those are great pictures Cassie - you can even see the edema in front of her udder. I still dont know which way to vote with Penny - sometimes I'm sure she's pregnant and other times........................................

Judging by a couple of the replies you have had so far, it seems realistically possible that she could foal, plus the fact that the foal may be smaller due to the fact that you had Penny on a diet because you were thinking of showing her. Also she gets very 'het up' at nights, especially during the evenings when she is first shut in - bet if she has got a baby in there, it will be born running the 4 minute mile, but unless its Momma settles, calms down a bit and works on some milk production, it is going to be a hungry little person too!!

Quite honestly, I think we will all just have to wait and see - think she just likes to keep us all in a frustrated, guessing game state. LOL!!

 

[Joanne]

also have any of you had any experience with mares not having an udder before foaling and bagging up after?

Yes we have! We call them cheaters!

If that is her on your cam outside, biting at her belly, and swishing her tail I would be watching her too.

 

[cassie]

Thank you Anna and Joanne, yes she is the chestnut out there, the other mare is Suzie and her 5 mnth old colt Finn.

I am about to feed them and put Penny to bed for the night.

 

[cassie]

Sorry to keep on about this.

But this afternoon I saw Penny mount my non pregnant mare Suzie... I'm guessing Suzie is on heat... I have heard some people say that pregnant mares mount them due to hormones and others say that non pregnant mares mount mares on heat... so what do you all think? is it characteristic of a pregnant mare?

thanks

 

[Bonny]

I had a maiden mare mount another mare when that mare was in heat. My mare was pregnant, it is caused by changes in hormones, however its in the first 60-120 days. Some mares continue the behavior after the 120 days, however you would have seen it all along.

I wonder if you could post pictures of her udder?

 

[cassie]

Thank you. Well my other mare was preganant n her colt is 5 mnths old... N she has only been in with them for last two/3mnths n I have sen her do it twice already..,

Sure I'll put some of her lack of udder up in the morning lol meant to be asleep right now lol