miniature mare fat or pregant

[vanessa101]

i bought a miniature mare named bella she was with the stud for a year september 2010 -october 2011 and we dont know if shes bred or over wieght because all the other miniatures she was with where over weight and we have 2 horse barns with 6 stalls in each that she can go in for foaling she dosent have a bag and is there anything i should look out for miniature horses for breeding?here is a picture of bella:

 

[K.C. Lunde]

Best is to do a ultrasound.. Phone around and find a good vet that can do the minis. Ive heard there is a pregnancy blood test you can do also. But have not read or seen more about it.

 

Though we had someone up here confirm 2 miniature mares 'heavy in foal' thru ultrasound a few months before due and the mares turned up open.

 

[spindleberry]

There is a blood test that can be done and its really not that expensive either. Look up biotracking to get information on it. I have used them for pregnancy testing of the goats and one horse. Great people to work with. Super nice and very helpful.

 

[vickie gee]

If she was bred in the spring she would now be close enough to far enough along that you may be able to "feel" movement. Usually you can feel it at around 200 days. You can place your palm on her tummy just in front of her udder while she is eating or just after. If you feel a "flutter" you know she is carrying. Or get an ultrasound. My last ones cost me the office visit plus about $40. I only did it because I had one mare I hoped was in foal finally (she wasn't) and one that I did not want to be in foal because of previous birthing problems (she wasn't). With my other two mares that I intentionally bred I just watch to see if they do not cycle and if weight gain happens. No need to ultrasound these two mares. They are both obviously in foal so I would rather spend the money making sure they get good nutrition!

 

[AnnaC]

From the pictures I wouldn't call your new mare overweight, especially going into the winter. If she has not bred before then I would also say she is pregnant. All you need to do for now is to keep an eye in her udder, any changes will give you a rough idea that she is approx 4 weeks away from foaling.

I noticed your little girl trying to get the grass through the fence - has she been on pasture with her previous owners? If she has and you are now keeping her on a dry lot, you need to make sure she is getting plenty of 'moist' food as it is not good to be altering the 'type' of basic food too quickly, especially with pregnant mares.

Pretty mare, by the way!

 

[Royal Crescent]

I noticed the halter on. Do you leave it on? With her reaching through the fencing she may get caught at some time and that can be tragic.

 

[vanessa101]

she was on pasture were we got her from we have her in a stall during the night and we have a small paddock to let her eat grass for a few hours i puther in the round pen so i could take a few good pictures of her side there and thanks for all the help she still dosent have a bag so will keep an eye out for her and thank is there anything else i should look out for?

 

[vanessa101]

I noticed the halter on. Do you leave it on? With her reaching through the fencing she may get caught at some time and that can be tragic.

no i put the halter on her and left her in the round pen so i could take pictures of her i usually take it off when i leave her in a pasture

 

[vanessa101]

From the pictures I wouldn't call your new mare overweight, especially going into the winter. If she has not bred before then I would also say she is pregnant. All you need to do for now is to keep an eye in her udder, any changes will give you a rough idea that she is approx 4 weeks away from foaling.

I noticed your little girl trying to get the grass through the fence - has she been on pasture with her previous owners? If she has and you are now keeping her on a dry lot, you need to make sure she is getting plenty of 'moist' food as it is not good to be altering the 'type' of basic food too quickly, especially with pregnant mares.

Pretty mare, by the way!

ok thank you she still dosent have a bag and it looks like her stomache has been dropping since we got her..... she was in the round pen so i could take pictures of her (the pasture is really tiny but has lots of grass so she sometimes goes in the round pen and runs around) she usally goes in a small pasture for at least a few hours a day and then she goes in the barn at night

 

[targetsmom]

If you can't find a vet to do an ultrasound, you can buy a WeeFoal 120 urine test and at least find out if she is pregnant and more than 120 days along. They cost around $40. Google WeeFoal for a dealer.

 

[vanessa101]

still no bag today any ideas of if she looks bred?

 

[Sandee]

Don't know if it's true all over but in Wisconsin my vet said the blood test was around $100.

 

[vanessa101]

Don't know if it's true all over but in Wisconsin my vet said the blood test was around $100.

thanks i will ask my vet

 

[vanessa101]

she still has no bag but it looks like she dropped in the stomache

 

[Eagle]

I don't bother with US any more cos it costs €60 here and they are often wrong, the most reliable way I have found is to sit with my hand just in front of the mares udder whilst she is eating and wait to feel movement. Sometimes you have to try at different times during the day as the foal may be sleeping.

She does look suspicious

 

[vanessa101]

the last time i checked her she looked about heavyer in foal but im not sure......see we also breed quarter horses and paint and going into minature horses so we dont know if its different or the same with minatures ... thanks for giving some ideas on her

 

[vanessa101]

here are some updated pictures of her they were taken today

october 31

does she look bred? and what colour is she?

 

[minifreishorsefarm]

She looks silver bay to me. ANd if she is due any time soon, I'd guess no she doesnt look bred to me unless the baby has dropped into position to make her look slim. JMO.

Marsha

 

[vanessa101]

She looks silver bay to me. ANd if she is due any time soon, I'd guess no she doesnt look bred to me unless the baby has dropped into position to make her look slim. JMO.

Marsha

ok soo i looked up on google silver bay miniatures and they mostly have white manes and tales how come she dosent? could she be a chestnut?

 

[AnnaC]

With colours, I'm useless so sorry cant help, but she is such a pretty mare anyway!

I still think she could be in foal - let's face it, if she was running with a stud for all that time, it's pretty much guarenteed that she will be pregnant. BUT she could be expecting her foal in the New Year, the Spring or later in the summer (I would vote for the Spring!)

Do you actually need to know right now if she's pregnant or not? Do you have something that you want to do with her that might 'damage' her ability to carry the foal to term? If not then why worry! She's looking good, dont let her lose weight, keep her properly wormed etc and just follow the waiting game.

As I said before, around 4 weeks before she foals, you will start to notice a change in her udder, so you will have plenty of time once that happens to get any foaling facilities ready for her. Meanwhile just enjoy having her and look forward to a new baby next year!