Maiden mare in foal sitting like a dog when she get up?

[RJRMINIS]

I have seen one of my mares sit like a dog 3 times today when she lays down and then rest for awhile, she will go to get up and just sit like a dog, once she was rubbing back and forth with her belly on the ground then sat on her rear like a dog before finally getting up......She is a maiden, and at the most 340 days along.....from the first date I saw her bred. Is she just trying to counter-act pressure from the foal??? This is a new one for me!

:

Edited to add........I have seen them stand with the rears up against the barn to counter pressure but never this doggie sitting.

 

[hhpminis]

HAHA

Yup perfectly normal, wait until she starts groaning while she is rubbing her belly on the ground. It is quite a shock the first time you see it though. Quite funny!

I had a mare that would do this for long lengths of time and the groaning sounded like an Herbal Essence commercial! LOL

 

[kaykay]

bailey is doing this too and it is really funny looking!

Just keep in mind though if you see a horse dog sitting that isnt late in foal it could be ulcers. We had a yearling filly do that and found out later it was a bad ulcer.

 

[Gena]

We had a mare that did this too, always gave us a good laugh and thought it was pretty smart :bgrin

 

[minijoyj]

April did this a couple of days before she had her baby & she had him Sat. night. None of mine had done this before either.

 

[Irish Hills Farm]

I had a mare do that last year, sit like a dog and rock back and forth. Within 12 hours she foaled.

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[RJRMINIS]

I had a mare do that last year, sit like a dog and rock back and forth. Within 12 hours she foaled.

:

I was just going to ask if it could mean we are really close, I am watchin her on cam right now and she just did it again!!!!!!

: And she is also kicking her belly, but lord she has been doing that on and off forever......Today is the first time she has done the belly rubbing and rocking and dog sitting......hmmmmmm Gonna be another long night!

 

[MyBarakah]

Hi!

Well.......I have 2 that will do this and the one is due at the end of April.... and she "may" go a week or so early to that? Who knows with these guys.... I've been watching her with one eye open at night! Shes' been doing the switching of the tail, kicking at the belly and bitting her sides....... baby is REALLY starting to irritate her! loL!

My other mare who does this, my cute bay mare, Mia..... she does this a couple months before she ever foals........

So I really don't think there's a time frame in which they are going to foal by rubbing thier belly on the ground......

Just keep your eyes wide open and keep close tabs on them!

:

 

[backwoodsnanny]

We also had a mare who would do this but she would position her foot to scratch her own belly and yes it is funny to watch but I was told when my vet saw her that many mares do this to help get baby into position for birth.

 

[wendymac]

We had a small, old Morgan mare, who absolutely went nuts when you scratched her belly. She'd even hike up her back leg when scratching her, so you had easier access. She was never bred (at least here, although she had some foals way before we got her). She would always roll, and then sit like that and scratch her belly. She'd rock back and forth for a long time, then stand up and go graze. I always thought it was very smart of her to have figured out how to scratch her own belly when nobody was around to do it for her. I used to turn her out in the yard...she would walk around one of my rose-of-sharon bushes, scratching herself. I thought that was cute, too, until she broke most of the branches off. Then it wasn't so funny.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I agree with all the others... But want to add... check between her udder/nipple to make sure she is clean there. If not, it really itches and annoys some mares. Good luck!

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Yup, mom's getting the baby ready it's debut!

 

[Rachel]

How is your mare today Michele? Do you have any pics of her? On my thread on the photo forum, you had said she is really huge. I'd love to see her.

 

[RJRMINIS]

How is your mare today Michele? Do you have any pics of her? On my thread on the photo forum, you had said she is really huge. I'd love to see her.

Hi Rachel,

Wrong mare!! haha The one that is HUGE is not maiden, It is so muddy here and suppose to be thunderstorms tonight again with a flood watch for tonight into tomorrow. :no: SO I'll try to get pics of Echo's HUGE Baby belly soon......Nugget is one of my maidens I am waiting on that is doing the dog sitting!haha Nothing new.....Maybe she is waiting for the storm tonight.

:

 

[Rachel]

Oops! I wasn't sure which mare you were talking about. I know exactly what you mean about mud and flooding. We're going through the same thing up here. I just so happened to get those pics of my mare the day before it got really sloppy. Good luck with Nugget! My last Paint gelding had the same name :bgrin