Need Advice from the Experienced Mare Stare’ers

[thehorsegirl]

A little back ground: This is the third foal for my 11 year old mare that I bought last year. The previous owner did not attend any of the foalings and let the mares run with his stallion 24/7 365 days a year. (so I have no way of knowing her patterns from previous foals) I hand breed her last year and calculating from the last date bred she is at 316 days today. I have been on high alert and watching her like a hawk for the past several weeks; I was sure she was going to foal before the 310 mark. My concern is that she has been going into what looks just like stage one at 4am every morning for the past five days. She is up/down, pacing, rolling, staring at her sides etc. She continues like this for between forty minutes and an hour and a half. Then she just quits, goes back to eating and nothing again until the next morning. Have you ever had a mare do something like this? Should I be concerned that there is a problem with the foal? This may be nothing more than sleep deprived anxiety, but I would appreciate any advice you guys may have.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Sarah

 

[Kelsey - Vandy's Farm]

A little back ground: This is the third foal for my 11 year old mare that I bought last year. The previous owner did not attend any of the foalings and let the mares run with his stallion 24/7 365 days a year. (so I have no way of knowing her patterns from previous foals) I hand breed her last year and calculating from the last date bred she is at 316 days today. I have been on high alert and watching her like a hawk for the past several weeks; I was sure she was going to foal before the 310 mark. My concern is that she has been going into what looks just like stage one at 4am every morning for the past five days. She is up/down, pacing, rolling, staring at her sides etc. She continues like this for between forty minutes and an hour and a half. Then she just quits, goes back to eating and nothing again until the next morning. Have you ever had a mare do something like this? Should I be concerned that there is a problem with the foal? This may be nothing more than sleep deprived anxiety, but I would appreciate any advice you guys may have.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Sarah

This is fairly common for our girls. Once they get close (within a month), they usually start getting more uncomfortable. The baby is running out of room and the mares are huge. A lot of mares lay down, look at there sides, breathe hard...it's all part of getting the foal in the right position. There are many times when we will think they are really in labor and then they pop up and look at us like "what are you looking at?!" They go back to eating or playing with the hay like nothing happened. This can go on for a few weeks before they foal. Check her bag, if you can get milk see how thick and sticky it is, see how loose and mushy her butt is, look at her vulva and see if it is starting to get longer and droopy....all those things should help you indicate when she is getting super close. However, there are always surprises

 

[Joanne]

I would LOVE to tell you there is always a pattern to a mare's foaling, but I cannot. So, while it would have been helpful to know what you mare has done in the past, that is no guarantee she will repeat this time.

We had a mare foal this week: Her first foal was at 317 days, second 301 days, this one 326 days

Most mares give me impeding birthing signs like full bags and colostrum, rarely they even wax for me

Some (which we call cheaters) have little to no bags before they foal and bag up after.

All the options available to us; halter alarms, cameras, and Mare Stare, all are tools to help us through the challenge of foaling mares.

Best of luck to you with your upcoming foaling.

 

[txminipinto]

My best success at predicting foaling within 24 hours is pH of the colostrum milk and the color of the vulva. A pH of 7.5 or less (preferably less, but I had one mare test at 7.5 "not ready" and foal that night) AND a vulva that is BRIGHT RED for 12 hours or more. Its been very accurate on the last 2 mares.

I haven't had much success just looking at the bag, tail head, or the length or droopiness of the vulva.

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

I am not a big expert on this but I have learned there are many times they act very odd thinking they are going to have their baby and they don't. I have 2 girls that are doing that now. One a maiden and the other has had foals before so I have no clue on either.. Good luck and hope for a very healthy foal and easy delivery. cant wait to see your baby