Late Term Pregnant Mare Care

[Raine Ranch Minis]

I have a mare due in Jan-Feb. and I have a few questions.

To start let me say that this is my first foal EVER.

So kinda nervous.

What do you feed you late term mares? Right now my mare is being fed 2 lbs of Strategy and 1 1/3 cup of BOSS a day. Is that okay? Is it enough? It says on the bag that it can be fed to pregnant and lactating mares.

What is in your foaling kit? What shots should she have before baby is born? Any? What shots should She/baby have when I do spring shots for the other horses in March?

Can I go ahead and have the farrier trim her with her being so close? She does get a little stressed when she has her feet done.

And any other tips for a safe and healthy foaling?

Thank You!!

Here are some pictures I took tonight.

Sorry that the pictures aren't that good. I was by myself and she was being a little fussy.

 

[txminipinto]

How big is your mare? 2lbs of Stragedy a day is quite a bit for a mini. My 44" shetland mares get 2lbs of grain a day.

My best piece of advice is to read Blessed are the Broodmares. Its my mare/foaling bible.

This is what we do for our mares and our clients' mares:

1) ensure they are at a good weight but not too fat. Fat mares have a higher risk of dystocias.

2) 30 days from their estimated due date, booster their vaccines. This helps provide a passive immunity to the foals when they take their first drink.

3) Check their bags daily or twice daily.

4) Start watching their behavior patterns

5) Have the farrier do her feet if they haven't been done in the last 8 weeks. They have to carry a lot of weight around and its easier to do on trimmed hooves

6) Stock your foaling kit: pH/Calcium testing strips, Banamine, Ivermectin, Navel solution (diluted iodine or nolvason), bed sheets, towels, baby wipes, vasoline, enema, probios, kayro syrup, scissors, tongue depressors, baling twine, trash bag.

7) If she's a maiden (even if she's not, its good practice), handle her bag daily. When you are able to express colostrum, start testing the pH and Calcium

8) Foal shouldn't have any shots until 4 months of age when the passive immunity begins to wear off.

Kit:

pH/Calcium testing - the lower the pH and the higher the calcium, the closer to foaling.

Banamine - given orally after foaling to ease any soft tissue pains of the mare

Ivermectin - give to mare within 12 hours of foaling. Is said to help prevent/lessen foal scours

Navel solution - dip immediately, and then daily for several days. Make sure to check the navel for any warmth or wetness as this is a strong indicator of an ill foal

Bed sheets - we assist our mares. We try to foal the foals out on a bed sheet as its generally cleaner and we can dip the navel before it gets contaminated with bedding.

Towels - to dry foal off

Enema - we give this to the foal as soon as they stand. Helps move the GI, pass the meconium, and prevent constipation

Probios - given to the foal immediately after birth to start stimulating good bacteria in the GI

Kayro - kept on hand for slow and weak foals to boost their blood sugar

Scissors/tongue depressors - kept on hand for red bags

Baling twine - used to tie up the placental membranes so the mare doesn't step on them and tear them (its very important that they detach on their own)

Trash bag - for the placental membranes after they have been passed and inspected.

Rule of thumb for standing, nursing, and pooping is 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours.

 

[Raine Ranch Minis]

How big is your mare? 2lbs of Stragedy a day is quite a bit for a mini. My 44" shetland mares get 2lbs of grain a day.

She is approximately 33in. I will see about cutting back some. It is really hard to tell her Body condition! She has about 3 to 4 in. of hair! Literally!! I may see about doing a small clip job to check her weight. We don't get very cold here in South Mississippi.

Thank you for all the info.

 

[lucky lodge]

i think txminipinto has said it all,,,very well

but you must go on mare stare forum you will learn lots...

oh and we love pictures...do you have her on camera and a foaling alarm on her

oh i feed my mares

2 cups of good pellets

2 litre ice cream container of oaten chaff

tspoon of calcium

tspoon of vitiams

and top there feed bucket up with hay

and thay did fine

hope that helps

 

[txminipinto]

Ok, on my soap box. You MUST put your hands on your horses. Not just preggo mares, but ALL of them. You can not tell a horse's condition from across the fence. Rub your hands over their point of shoulder, ribs, and hips. Nothing should "stick" out. Point of shoulder and hips should have a nice rounded feel to them. Ribs you should be able to feel with some slight pressure. If you can feel ribs when you immediately touch the horse, they're too thin. If you have to push in hard, too fat.

So many people see these fuzzy minis and think they are at a good weight when they are really not. 2lbs is way too much to feed most 33" minis. If she honestly needs that amount of grain, her teeth need to be checked and a vet needs to do blood work to make sure there is not a metabolic issue going on.

Ok, off my soap box.

 

[Mini Paradise]

How long have you had this mare? Did you buy her already in foal or bred her yourself? I ask because I wondered why you asked about what shots she should have. In my opinion, she should already have yearly shots (as well as any shots that require 6 months boosters). If you bought her in foal and don't know about her history I would contact the previous owner or have the vet give her whichever shots he/she recommends. Also, I would recommend if you breed in the future to give a shot at 5, 7, and 9 months that protects mares against abortion caused by rhino. I ALWAYS vaccinate at those months as well as yearly shots in the Spring followed by boosters if needed. If it were me, Since she is due in either Jan or Feb I would have a vet come out and give her a shot for the 9th month. Better safe than sorry. That's what I would do. Also, foals usually don't require first shots until atleast 4 months of age but like I said if you don't know her vaccination history or if she hasn't been vaccinated at all this year than the vet may recommend some form of a shot for the foal before its 4 months old. I have purchased mares in foal that weren't vaccinated by previous owners so I just left it to the vet. Also, do get your vet out just for a check up (if you haven't already) to make sure eveerything is going nicely with her pregnancy. Your vet is your best friend when it comes to these things. In the mean time, read as much as you can about foaling, mare care, and raising, handling a foal. Also, make sure she is kept on a reqular deworming schedule (check wormers to be sure they are safe for pregnant mares, not all are safe) and worm her atleast 30 days prior to foaling.

As for feeding, make sure she gets plenty of good quality hay. Strategy is a good choice for pregnant mares so you are okay there. Oh and make sure she has access to a mineral block.

 

[Raine Ranch Minis]

Ok, on my soap box. You MUST put your hands on your horses. Not just preggo mares, but ALL of them. You can not tell a horse's condition from across the fence. Rub your hands over their point of shoulder, ribs, and hips. Nothing should "stick" out. Point of shoulder and hips should have a nice rounded feel to them. Ribs you should be able to feel with some slight pressure. If you can feel ribs when you immediately touch the horse, they're too thin. If you have to push in hard, too fat.

So many people see these fuzzy minis and think they are at a good weight when they are really not. 2lbs is way too much to feed most 33" minis. If she honestly needs that amount of grain, her teeth need to be checked and a vet needs to do blood work to make sure there is not a metabolic issue going on.

Ok, off my soap box.

I do rub her down daily and all my horses weekly if not daily also. She just has SO much hair! You would not believe it!

I do believe that she may be slightly over weight. I just did not want her to get thin while being Pregnant. And I said before this is my first foal.

I just had all my horses teeth done last month. I may check into having that blood work done, as she has always had a sort of thick neck.

How long have you had this mare? Did you buy her already in foal or bred her yourself? I ask because I wondered why you asked about what shots she should have. In my opinion, she should already have yearly shots (as well as any shots that require 6 months boosters). If you bought her in foal and don't know about her history I would contact the previous owner or have the vet give her whichever shots he/she recommends. Also, I would recommend if you breed in the future to give a shot at 5, 7, and 9 months that protects mares against abortion caused by rhino. I ALWAYS vaccinate at those months as well as yearly shots in the Spring followed by boosters if needed. If it were me, Since she is due in either Jan or Feb I would have a vet come out and give her a shot for the 9th month. Better safe than sorry. That's what I would do. Also, foals usually don't require first shots until atleast 4 months of age but like I said if you don't know her vaccination history or if she hasn't been vaccinated at all this year than the vet may recommend some form of a shot for the foal before its 4 months old. I have purchased mares in foal that weren't vaccinated by previous owners so I just left it to the vet. Also, do get your vet out just for a check up (if you haven't already) to make sure eveerything is going nicely with her pregnancy. Your vet is your best friend when it comes to these things. In the mean time, read as much as you can about foaling, mare care, and raising, handling a foal. Also, make sure she is kept on a reqular deworming schedule (check wormers to be sure they are safe for pregnant mares, not all are safe) and worm her atleast 30 days prior to foaling.

As for feeding, make sure she gets plenty of good quality hay. Strategy is a good choice for pregnant mares so you are okay there. Oh and make sure she has access to a mineral block.

I will have had her 2 years Jan 1. I was just wanting to know if their was anything extra that a pregnant mare would need apposed to a non pregnant mare. I didn't do the rhino because we bred her in august of 2010 and thought she took then. I forgot about the rhino shots then. Then this spring we teased her and she had come back into heat. So we rebred her and gelded the stallion a month later. We had no way to tease her then, and it looked as if she did not take. She hides her heats so I can not visibly tale when she is in heat. It was not until about a month ago did I feel the baby kick and realized that she was indeed pregnant. I have just not gotten around to the rhino shot since.

I will have the vet out as soon as possible though!

Sorry this was so long. I do appreciate your concern/help though.

 

[txminipinto]

They all have lots of hair this time of year, which is why its so important to put your hands on them. At this point, I would booster with pneumabort (rhino), VEWT-WNV, and Flu. Always use killed vaccines.

Some mares are tricky to pinpoint heat cycles. Some mares show heat even when heavy in foal. Keep a very close eye on her. Minis have a high risk for dystocias and red bags due to their size.

 

[ohmt]

I would call your vet and see what they recommend for vaccinating pregnant mares in your area. Some areas are different-i only give the basics. I do not give pneumabort or WNV, but I have had bad experiences with them so it is my preference. I do not have horses coming to and from the farm and I live in ND-there's not much up here! But, I always call my vet to make sure there isn't something going around that I haven't heard about.

I feed my mares free choice alfalfa/grass hay along with strategy-until the last month when I switch them over to omelene 300. I keep a close eye on them-i like a 6-7 body score. I have few problems that way and when they foal I don't have hippy mares that I struggle keeping weight on all summer. I cringe when I see people post pictures of their mares with poor toplines and hip bones sticking out. I can not tell what your mare is at because I can't feel-but to me she looks like she is at a great weight.

Good luck and happy foaling!

 

[Raine Ranch Minis]

I would call your vet and see what they recommend for vaccinating pregnant mares in your area. Some areas are different-i only give the basics. I do not give pneumabort or WNV, but I have had bad experiences with them so it is my preference. I do not have horses coming to and from the farm and I live in ND-there's not much up here! But, I always call my vet to make sure there isn't something going around that I haven't heard about.

I feed my mares free choice alfalfa/grass hay along with strategy-until the last month when I switch them over to omelene 300. I keep a close eye on them-i like a 6-7 body score. I have few problems that way and when they foal I don't have hippy mares that I struggle keeping weight on all summer. I cringe when I see people post pictures of their mares with poor toplines and hip bones sticking out. I can not tell what your mare is at because I can't feel-but to me she looks like she is at a great weight.

Good luck and happy foaling!

I know I will have to give her the WNV, because I live in South Mississippi and we have tons of mosquitoes!

Thank you for the feed advice.