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Dee

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Alberta, Canada
OK I need some opinions here. This is our 6-year-old maiden mare (334 days if bred) that we have been told my many "mini people" that yes she looks for sure bred. Well we thought that in the past week she was getting relaxed and getting close. I posted many photos on the forum of her.

I had the vet out today and she said that she is almost 100% sure that she is not bred. Yes, she is producing a bit of milk, but out vet believes that it is only because she is around our other mare who just had a filly.

Our vet was going to palpitate her, but forgot her gloves so is coming back to do it this week.

By looking at these pictures what do you think? Our vet is an amazing horse vet, but not totally familiar with minis and I would like some opinions to be safe.

Thanks

Dee

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She wouldnt be doing it to just make more money would she? She looks preggo to me but I have NO idea about bred mares so I cant say for sure!!

-Gage-
 
I had a mare do that last year to me...She was big, and giving milk even.. The thing that clued me in was that my Stallions were getting excited every time she approached the fence line, so I suspected she was comming into season. The vet checked her and said she wasent in foal, so we did breed her at that time. You can tell if they are overweight- by checking the sholders, neck and butt to see how much excess padding they have there. If it is alot she could just be overweight.
 
What a beautiful mare.....gorgeous head! Sure looks like she has wax on her teats, based on the photos. Are the muscles in her croup getting very relaxed? Never heard of a mare having "sympathy milk" before....hmmmm. Keep us posted!
 
[SIZE=14pt]I think she is just fat. My Image looked the same way and she wasnt bred.She also had fluid in her bag. Lyn[/SIZE]
 
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Thanks for all the help guys.

No, Our vet is wonderful! They are family friends. I have show jumped with him and his daughters since I was just a wee little thing. The vet is coming out this week (no charge at all) to palpitate and check on her just to make sure.

She is not waxing, but the vet did get a bit of milk from her. However no milk is actually coming out on its own. A helpful person on this forum told me that it was her plugs coming out in their opinion.

She has put on a ton of weight! But of course we had been increasing her feed because we thought that she was in foal. She is has always had a rather tight tummy before. As you can see in the photo below. She is always running and rough housing with our 2-year-olds! She loves to play!

The dates are totally 100% accurate.

As for that bum of hers...now I know this sounds funny, but this morning the right side felt a bit more relaxed then the left . I have been comparing her to all the other horses, but besides that they are still a bit firm.

I have noticed that if you look at her from above she has really filled out in the flanks. She really doesn't have from what I can tell any extra padding on her neck, shoulders or butt.

Hope all this info helps. I will still be on mare stare all night just to be safe.

THANKS!!!!!!!!!

This was taken a week before she left to be bred.

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This was taken today.

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Dee
 
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I'm sorry Dee but my opinion is that she is not pregnant. At 334 days she should look ready to pop and have more of a bag than that.

This is based on text book and there is always an exception to that as we all know that mares cant read. LOL But I do not think she is. I hope my opinion is incorrect. Let us know.
 
Don't worry. I asked because I wanted to know. If she is then great...if she isn't then we will be cutting back on the "Mare in Foal" diet she has been on..and done very well on if I do say so myself! LOL
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I don't know if this helps, but might as well post it anyways of my little porker!

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DEE
 
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Fat fat fat is my call...if she was that late in breeding dates she should have the pointed v belly. If you look at her sides it looks like "saddlebags" of fat??

Kim
 
By looking at the last picture I would say she is bred. I'm going by the slanted crevice look... I don't see why a non pregnant maiden mares belly would sag like that unless pulled down by a foal. Of course I guess if you feed a horse enough it could make the intestines sag also... I don't know if a false pregnancy would go as far as including the crevice.
 
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Well --- all I can say is that I have an OPEN mare that has a HUGE bag and looks a whole lot like that! She is only 30" and I had her palped.. no way the vet could miss a 300 day foal through palping her!.... so I say it could be either way.. I would trust your vet at this point.. unless you SEE a baby MOVING.

My mare is lopsided too... big bag.. (never lost it all from last year's pregnancy).. and of course is fat (because we were feeding for 2 also why she kept her bag).

So... could easily be either way.

JJ
 
If you cant detect the excess fat, cresty neck, pads on shoulders, ect. the I would tend to guess pregnant. Maiden mares tend to hide it better. Have you ever felt movement?
 
I am going to say not pregnant. We had a mare this year that got big, udder developed, then got smaller. had her checked and she was not pregnant. ALL symptoms and signs tho. the vet thought she reabsorbed and went into a false pregnancy. had us fooled up to the end! jennifer
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willowoodstables said:
Fat fat fat is my call...if she was that late in breeding dates she should have the pointed v belly.  If you look at her sides it looks like "saddlebags" of fat??
Kim

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OUCH......that reply hurts and it isn't my mare!

Here is an individual asking for advice, help....obviously stressed out by trying to do the best she can for this beautiful mare. I applaud her stepping up and asking for advice from experienced members of this group.

 


....then there are those who just breed their broodmares, leave them out in the pasture "because horses have been foaling for thousands of years without the help of humans". For people who incorporate this mindset in their breeding program, I'd understand a vitriolic reply such as this would be in order. Then again, such "breeders" wouldn't choose to EDUCATE THEMSELVES by participating in this WONDERFUL FORUM.


 


Please come back, Dee......I want to hear what the vet has to say!

 


Cindy


 

 

 

 
 
If he can easily express fluid out of her i am going to say pregnant. Most broodmares have fluid year round open or not but i have NEVER heard of a maiden that is like this.

Most maidens that I have had didnt look to be bred until a week or so before they foaled

so my guess is yes there is a baby in there
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and if it makes you feel any better i had an experienced broodmare do the same thing to me my vet cant palpate he is to big but even other experienced breeders that saw her in person we were like hmm she might be bred but looks to be 6 months not heavy in foal if anything.. and she was i had her dates right she foaled and the baby was small not tiny but small she foaled with NO BAG or anything
 
DunPainted said:
willowoodstables said:
Fat fat fat is my call...if she was that late in breeding dates she should have the pointed v belly.  If you look at her sides it looks like "saddlebags" of fat??
Kim

418225[/snapback]


OUCH......that reply hurts and it isn't my mare!

Here is an individual asking for advice, help....obviously stressed out by trying to do the best she can for this beautiful mare. I applaud her stepping up and asking for advice from experienced members of this group.

....then there are those who just breed their broodmares, leave them out in the pasture "because horses have been foaling for thousands of years without the help of humans". For people who incorporate this mindset in their breeding program, I'd understand a vitriolic reply such as this would be in order. Then again, such "breeders" wouldn't choose to EDUCATE THEMSELVES by participating in this WONDERFUL FORUM.

Please come back, Dee......I want to hear what the vet has to say!

Cindy

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HUH?? What the..... ???
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I did not see that as a "vitriolic" reply in any way... we have several brood mares here that look Just. Like. That. And yes - they sort of have "saddlebags" of fat where their flanks are filled out etc. That is why they are in the diet pen. If this mare was being fed for 2 - then of course she would get a bit portly. No need to snap at people here in that manner... yikes.

Last year one of our regular broodmares had me fooled. She went throuigh her regular phases (we cannot palpate or U/S her without causing her undue stress - even sedated - she is getting better but is an explosive type worrier... ) the same as always. I have never been wrong in "knowing" this mare was in foal before... she reached 300 days and I waited and watched... at 330 I was doubting it - despite a bit of a bag with some milk and her being restless at night. She did not have the belly drop she should have. Blood tests were inconclusive. Finally - I knew she wasn't - turned her out - eased back on the feed - and she slimmed down (a bit) and went into heat to the stallion's delight... visitors still ask me when she is due. NEXT year... if she caught.... but she put on a heck of a false pregnancy - give that girl an Oscar!

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