Mini Maiden Mare due to foal.....hopefully soon??

[Tiz Minis Fan]

no camera.....darn thing having technical difficulties.....gerrr....then had to go to work so I will fix it when I get off today....arrgggghhh!!!

 

[AnnaC]

Vicki, would love to see some new pictures of Tilly when you can (taken as Diane says above, particularly the side on one with you kneeling beside her to get the right angle).

Dont worry too much about dates, I have already had two mares who foaled early, but the rest are now fast approaching their due dates with no signs of getting udders - they all have milk glands but then they are also very fat. LOL!! With 4 of them we are still guessing whether they are in foal or not (some days we say yes and some days we say no!) but the 5th little mare is certainly in foal, looking huge, getting very grumpy and playing the prima donna, but she still has no udder!! So, like you, we wait!!

Mares, dont you just love them!

 

[Wings]

So assumign she was bred on the very last possible day you're hitting day 340 around now, she can still safely carry for longer.

Have to say though, that is a very undeveloped udder.

 

[Tiz Minis Fan]

well, a good storm is brewing and hanging around this week. I raced home before the rain made too much of an appearance to take pictures.

But, it is hard to take pictures when you have a very 'uncooperative' horse.....she thinks her face looks prettier than anything to do with her back end.....I have to agree!....lol

These were taken last night with my phone. Thank goodness the phone has a 'flash' on it (surprise to me when I got the phone a year ago!). It is about 7pm but plenty of cloud cover to need a flash.

The udder development has not changed. I tried to get a 'between the legs' shot but she's a good girl and didnt want me to get another pic of her milk bar. When I did look in that direction, her nipples are still touching and pointing 'inward' toward each other. and the only 'adema' is in front of her nipples where the previous pic shows.

I tried to get 'defining' shots of the belly because I know it's hard to tell if there is any 'unsmoothness' to the belly view on many horses from a side shot.

What medicine (shot) would help her produce milk?

Every time I 'check' her, no milk to obtain. No waxing, nothing.

They get coastal hay in the pen that they are in. The pastures have Bahai grass.

I had an AG Center person come out last fall and go over what things the land has/needs/doesnt need.

I told myself that if she does not pop by 4 July, I will take her to a different vet for another opinion......should I still do such?

I consulted my mentors and they said it is not uncommon for a mini to go a year. So in some sense, I am not too concerned but still worried...lol.....(on the fence for the vet)!!!

 

[AnnaC]

Sorry to be such a pain, especially as you have obviously gone to a lot of trouble to get us the pictures (unco-operative mare LOL!!), but we do need a pic of her sideways on with you kneeling on the ground so we can see how much her tummy has 'dropped'. The side view that you have posted is taken from too high up so the underline of her tummy isn't visible. (your camera/phone should be in line with the lower line of her tummy not on a level with her spine).

Please could you try again - sorry and thank you!

Oh and I wouldn't be worrying about rushing her to a vet for the moment, as long as she is eating happily and acting normally for a late pregnant mare, then all is probably progressing quite normally.

 

[cassie]

I agree with Anna, side pics are really the best way to tell whats happening, here is an example of one of my girl when she was preggers... hope that helps.



your girl is gorgeous however and I hope she will give you that lovely little baby very soon!

 

[Tiz Minis Fan]

So.....the weather here for the week is NOT fun.....supposed to rain/thunder/lightening all week. Which means NO computer on and NO video during the day....

I am NOT about to risk the computer getting lightening fried.

The lights flickered and went out a few times but came back on after a few seconds.....I guess one benefit of living in the country!

It was downpouring rain today. I had to drive 35-45mph in zones of 55mph because the rain was coming down by bucketloads!

Will try to get a pic of her at a better angle tomorrow AM before work!....

That gal is making me go crazy!!!!!

It was sprinkling and had just rained a good bit before I took thoes pics...so she is a tad dirty.

My gelding.....well, he could use a pressure wash treatment!...he NEVER stays clean (but then again he is WHITE).

 

[AnnaC]

Good luck with those storms - stay safe. No rush for that special picture, when you are ready will be ok!

Forgot to say this before, but you dont want to do any shots to bring in her milk until after she foals - she may produce it herself as she actually foals.

 

[Tiz Minis Fan]

Here a picture from my phone...taken this AM.

The camera is off because of storms (although it is not storming 45 miles away!)

 

[AnnaC]

Thanks for the new picture. Now I'm going to be really honest here!! She actually doesn't look any further along in her pregnancy to me than she did in the first pics you posted of her in your first post here - just scrolled back to compare. For a maiden mare she does look pregnant, but taking her lack of any sort of 'dropping' tummy together with her lack of udder so far, I would have to question her actual covering dates.

Of course she could be foaling late, as many mares seem to be doing this year, so another 3 or 4 weeks would give her the time to increase in size and to develop a good milk bar. But as you purchased her already in foal, I would still question her covering dates - mistakes can be made quite innocently. A couple of years ago we had a maiden mare running out with our stallion, she was covered and we never saw her in season/covered again 3 weeks later. The following year she had 3/4 bagged up to her covering date and we watched expectantly for the birth. 4 weeks later she gave birth to a normal term foal, quite slender, even skinny and certainly not a month overdue! We had obviously missed her being covered the second time and after checking between our two diaries we found that the one that we were following actually had (mistakenly) the wrong date for the stallion being removed from the field. So mistakes can happen to any of us!

 

[Wings]

Have to agree with Anna, compared to my girls who aren't due until August she's just not showing much at all. I know they all show differently but by day 340 I'd be expecting a much more obvious foal bump as well as some udder development.

She might still be hiding something in there but if she was in my paddocks I'd be having some serious doubts.

 

[Tiz Minis Fan]

I understand your questionings. Today, I did go out to her paddock and she is 'acting' a bit more 'bossy' and 'moody' than she ever has been. The gelding in her pen is 'above' her in the heirarchy but does not display it very often at all. She was very much not herself but of course I was trying to figure out why she would not let me touch one of her ears.....even still, before and after the ear touching attemts, she was not her usual self.

In regards to the cover date, I know for sure she was removed from the pen of the Stallion either the 3rd or 4th of August because we went up there and arrived on one of thoes two days.

Our stay duration was only 3-4 days and then left WITH her and the other 3 minis back to North Carolina (brought 2 minis up, then brought 4 back).

One of my co-workers stated that perhaps she is waiting for Friday the 13th.......or a full moon?....lol

 

[cassie]

hey, she is looking good

I agree that she still has to drop some more yet... but hopefully she won't take to long to do that ...

I was finally able to pull your camera up today (sorry I haven't been able to watch before now) and then I just checked your post and noticed your having those bad storms and the camera is turned off

stay safe please... hope to see your gorgeous girl camera soon

 

[Tiz Minis Fan]

Camera is up today!

Going to check on her to get a 'milk bar' update!

If She decides to go today, let it be a colt........I am not superstitious but it would be nice!......now off to work.....

 

[cassie]

Hi Vicki,

how is your precious girls today?

just tried to get your cam up but its not working... hope all is well... I'll keep it up and check with I can hopefully it won't be too much longer now

 

[Tiz Minis Fan]

The brood is doing well!

I KNOW there is a baby in there!......there HAS to be! Last night, I was out there in the pen for a while just spending time with them 'beautifying' their manes and tails. I took note of how she looked when I was viewing her from her back end. The baby must have repositioned itself a few times because I really noticed a 'difference' in how her belly (below the ribcage) was bulging from the sides. She has NOT dropped....yet.....no changes in her.....so far......lol

Yesterday, another storm which made the electricity flicker.....and the computer turn off.

Cam is up today!

arrrrgh......she is driving me insane!!!

 

[Tiz Minis Fan]

pics update......no baby of course....but critique.....is there? or isnt there?.......

all were taken last night.....

Some show prominent lopsidedness of belly......and then the baby repositions itself to make the view more 'even'.....lol.....thats my take....lets hope it's right!

Any thoughts?

 

[AnnaC]

I'm afraid that I too am having doubts. I really feel that as we are more of less right on top of her due dates, she should be showing more signs of being in foal. Yes, maiden mares can 'hide' things exceedingly well, but to me she looks more like a mare a couple of months away from foaling.

I really hope she will prove me wrong!

 

[Tiz Minis Fan]

Castle Rock.....I'm not familiar with the 'slat-sided' terminology. Can you explain that?

Definitely on the hopes of a baby!........

then I got to thinking.....I hope that the baby is not a 'repeat' of Einstein. Could this be the reason her belly is not showing much? (smaller than averag foal?)

or she could be one of thoes that doesnt show anything but suddenly drops to the ground and starts to push!......(goodness I hope not!)

 

[Wings]

Can't remember from previosu pages, has she ever been scanned/blood tested/wee tested in foal? Can't help but ask as she has a much earlier due date then my girls and yet mine aren't being sneaky about it.