Pictures of a mini

[erinspaintedacres]

I took some more pictures of my mare tonite that was bred last year. As this wasn't a planned pregnacy (it was an accident as we wanted it later in the year) we don't know any dates when she was bred. She has lengthened some in the back end but still hasn't loosened up enough to foal (IMO) because she still sucks herself back up when I move her tail. It has been my experience (only full sized horse though) that they don't have enough muscle tone to suck back up or fight you so you can't look there. Sassy doesn't fight me for looking, she just pulls everything back up so she doesn't look as elongated.

Her is her on February 27th 07

And March 17 07

And her pictures from tonite as well. She is carrying the baby quite lopsided now. She still doesn't have much a bag, but now her nipples are pointing down, not together like they have been. (I couldn't get pictures of her bag cause the camera only holds so many pictures. Don't mind the hair missing on her chest (her blanket has rubbed some of the hair off, so it just looks bald, but really isn't)

I am updating pictures as much as possible since I want to have picture to kind of keep track of her for future reference. I though since I had the pictures anyway, I would post them to see what people think!!

 

[love_casper]

wow! i think she could go any time now!!

:

don't rely on the vulva or tail for a good indicator. Last year, my mare foaled with a lot of tail resistance, short itty-bitty vulva, not very impressive bag, hard as a rock croup

: but every mare is different.

your mare seems elongated in the back end to me, but i guess the "anatomy" of each mare is different too.

this is Ghost's hind shot right before she foaled....just for comparison

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ale...talSigns006.jpg

well can't wait to see your baby!! come on Sassy!!

:

 

[erinspaintedacres]

She is up and down alot at night, and she kicks at her belly, swishs her tail. I am watching her at night, but not every hour (like 3 or 4 times in the night) and I am am home during the days so I can watch her.

I am unsure whether she is a maiden or not, but last spring (right after we bought her) she had a small bag developed (less that what she has now) and we milked her a little bit (not very much) and she had milk in there. I don't want to try her for milk yet, but I may see today how things go. She is very tender under there, and her milk veins are quite enlarged so I am thinking that she will drop it all into her bag at once just before or after she foals. Like I said, I don't know if she a maiden but she is turning 6 this year and we got her october 05 when she was 4 so I doubt she had a ffoal on her (it is possible though) By the way her bag looked when we got her, she was a maiden (it was sucked up and nipples pointing in)

Thank you for the reponse so far!

Any more comments?

 

[erinspaintedacres]

Anybody else want to comment?!?

 

[love_casper]

Anybody else want to comment?!?

well, i'm nobody else, lol, but.......

my reaction: SHE STILL HASN'T FOALED!!!!! :new_shocked:

:bgrin best wishes to you and your mare, hopefully you'll have a little one to play with soon.

:

 

[Pretty_Mini]

Any baby yet? :lol:

I wish my stinkin mares looked like that! I got mares at 323, 311 and 301 under camra and NONE look like they are going to foal soon, i also have 3 more that are 288, 286 and 239, and my 239 mare looks more ready then my stinkin other mares!

Sorry, im just jealous

: *humf* i want my babys!

But i want to see thoes new born baby pics

:

:

GOOOD LUCK!

 

[Devon]

Shes really dropped in the belly and her vulva is relaxed looks SOON to me!

 

[erinspaintedacres]

Anybody else want to comment?!?

well, i'm nobody else, lol, but.......

my reaction: SHE STILL HASN'T FOALED!!!!! :new_shocked:

:bgrin best wishes to you and your mare, hopefully you'll have a little one to play with soon.

:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Any baby yet? :lol:

I wish my stinkin mares looked like that! I got mares at 323, 311 and 301 under camra and NONE look like they are going to foal soon, i also have 3 more that are 288, 286 and 239, and my 239 mare looks more ready then my stinkin other mares!

Sorry, im just jealous

: *humf* i want my babys!

But i want to see thoes new born baby pics

:

:

GOOOD LUCK!

I have NOOOOOO idea how many days she is along. My guess is somewhere between 310 and 330) This was an accidental breeding. I came home from school (I was still in high school) and I found my stud out with the mares. I had noticed a few days before that day that she was in heat, but my stud normally doesn't be an idiot like that. I teased her a few weeks later and she wasn't in heat, so I assumed she was bred. (I don't do blood or urine tests since i have never had one come back correctly and my vet won't palpate and i can't afford to get an exterior ultrasounding in from where ever since i live in the boonies of Alberta)

Anywho, I wrote it down, but the files were in my tack shed which burnt down and I had nothing left of my records :no: I know it very early as i didn't want to breed her til end of May, so i am thinking it was sometime in april or maybe the first week in May that she was bred. (I have a very bad memory) so from that episode, I now do everythign electronically and also have printouts of everything. SHe is very uncomfortable and restless, but still no baby. I am watching closly because this is my first mini baby for my and for my stud within the last like 3 years. I have heard about all the problems and have been reading a studying so i have an idea of how to try and fix a problem. I have raised welsh ponys and QHs for years, but have never had a birthing problem but they were always pasture bred and foaled through the years. I invested in a cam, and am watching her closely and recording everything !!!!

Shes really dropped in the belly and her vulva is relaxed looks SOON to me!

I hope so!!!!! I need some sleep and something to bring my blood pressure down!!

 

[Miniv]

She sure does look like she is close!

Can you get any liquid from her teats? If so, you might want to get some Milk Test Strips (ie, hot spa or pool water test strips for Ph and/or water hardness). This would help narrow down your sleepless nights a bit.

MA

 

[erinspaintedacres]

I haven't actually tryed yet. I forgot to do it today, I will try and remember for morning.

 

[Pretty_Mini]

I take it you didnt have your baby last night!!! :new_shocked: I really thought you were going to have a new baby!! Any changes on your mare?

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Well I take it your gal is still holding out like mine! Ours succeeded in keeping me up on hourly checks over my Spring Break and has yet to pop.. I was sure she'd foal last night since I left and back on campus lololol :bgrin :bgrin but no news from my mom and sister.. Is it sad that now I'm hoping she holds out until this weekend, either Friday or Saturday night, when I'm back home?? LOLOL

 

[erinspaintedacres]

No baby yet, but she is more miserable then usual this morning. I turned her out for an hour this morning, and will for another hour this afternoon so i can watch her closely. She is standing with her bum against her pen right now. I didn't try to see if I could get anything out of her yet, but will this afternoon. Busy Busy Busy!!!!

 

[erinspaintedacres]

Just out with sassy about 1/2 an hour ago and she wouldn't let me get the halter on her, and when I did, I couldn't touch her belly or bag (she booted me a good one in the arm) so I am going to leave her be and just watch her instead of making her more miserable. I couldn't get a chance to see if she had liquid in her teats. Will keep everyone updated If she doesn't go soon, she is going to POP!!!

 

[Pretty_Mini]

Do you have a baby yet?!

 

[Kynedi's Mom]

She sure does look like she is close!

Can you get any liquid from her teats? If so, you might want to get some Milk Test Strips (ie, hot spa or pool water test strips for Ph and/or water hardness). This would help narrow down your sleepless nights a bit.

MA

Really Pool strips?, just curious how they work ? I have my first mini as well & she was exposed March to May( before we bought her) & we have been watching her close for over a month now since we don't have dates.... Please tell me more on the pool strip thing! Thanks

 

[Miniv]

She sure does look like she is close!

Can you get any liquid from her teats? If so, you might want to get some Milk Test Strips (ie, hot spa or pool water test strips for Ph and/or water hardness). This would help narrow down your sleepless nights a bit.

MA

Really Pool strips?, just curious how they work ? I have my first mini as well & she was exposed March to May( before we bought her) & we have been watching her close for over a month now since we don't have dates.... Please tell me more on the pool strip thing! Thanks

Here's what I cut and pasted from LB's Health Info Page ---

Milk Test Strips - In a study conducted by Dr. Cindy Corson in Michigan she discovered that you can get the same results by using a test strip for hard water. The name of the product is EM Quant® Total Hardness Test. This test strip is sold by: Nurnburg Science - 6310 SW Virginia Ave - Portland Oregon 97201 - 1 800-826-3470

To use mix 1 part mares milk to 6 parts distilled water ~~~ Place the strip in the liquid for 1 second ~~~ Shake off excess liquid from the strip ~~~ Read results in 1 minute. ~~~ There are 4 pink pads on the strip ~~~ 2 pads turn green non significant ~~~ 3 pads turn green the mare needs to be watched probably within 48 hours ~~~ 4 pads turn green the mare will foal within 24 hours. I have used these strips for the last 3 years (25-30 Mares) and have found them to be very accurate. I had 1 mare who went 32 hours after all 4 turned green but have never had a mare foal within 24 hours without all 4 pads turning green. Like everything nothing is 100% but it is the best thing I have found and for the difference in price of the commercial pregnancy test strips.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

You can also use the water hardness test and/or the ph test found on pool and spa water test strips. Walmart sells them or get them at a Hot Spa Store for a lot less money than the commercial brands. We use 1/2cc of mom's milk mixed with 3 cc's distilled water in a small clean container. Dip the strip, shake the excess off, count to 10 and then compare the color(s) on the chart found on the strip container.

A mare who is ready to foal within 24 hours will have a water hardness reading (calcium) as high as the chart shows. The ph reading will drop to the lowest.

As stated above, nothing is fool-proof, but these strips do offer yet another tool to assist you while you prop toothpicks in your eyelids! :bgrin

One other thing to add.........people who have test strips from last year have reported that it's important to get fresh ones every year. Older ones seem to give false readings.

MA

 

[Kynedi's Mom]

She sure does look like she is close!

Can you get any liquid from her teats? If so, you might want to get some Milk Test Strips (ie, hot spa or pool water test strips for Ph and/or water hardness). This would help narrow down your sleepless nights a bit.

MA

Really Pool strips?, just curious how they work ? I have my first mini as well & she was exposed March to May( before we bought her) & we have been watching her close for over a month now since we don't have dates.... Please tell me more on the pool strip thing! Thanks

Here's what I cut and pasted from LB's Health Info Page ---

Milk Test Strips - In a study conducted by Dr. Cindy Corson in Michigan she discovered that you can get the same results by using a test strip for hard water. The name of the product is EM Quant® Total Hardness Test. This test strip is sold by: Nurnburg Science - 6310 SW Virginia Ave - Portland Oregon 97201 - 1 800-826-3470

To use mix 1 part mares milk to 6 parts distilled water ~~~ Place the strip in the liquid for 1 second ~~~ Shake off excess liquid from the strip ~~~ Read results in 1 minute. ~~~ There are 4 pink pads on the strip ~~~ 2 pads turn green non significant ~~~ 3 pads turn green the mare needs to be watched probably within 48 hours ~~~ 4 pads turn green the mare will foal within 24 hours. I have used these strips for the last 3 years (25-30 Mares) and have found them to be very accurate. I had 1 mare who went 32 hours after all 4 turned green but have never had a mare foal within 24 hours without all 4 pads turning green. Like everything nothing is 100% but it is the best thing I have found and for the difference in price of the commercial pregnancy test strips.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

You can also use the water hardness test and/or the ph test found on pool and spa water test strips. Walmart sells them or get them at a Hot Spa Store for a lot less money than the commercial brands. We use 1/2cc of mom's milk mixed with 3 cc's distilled water in a small clean container. Dip the strip, shake the excess off, count to 10 and then compare the color(s) on the chart found on the strip container.

A mare who is ready to foal within 24 hours will have a water hardness reading (calcium) as high as the chart shows. The ph reading will drop to the lowest.

As stated above, nothing is fool-proof, but these strips do offer yet another tool to assist you while you prop toothpicks in your eyelids! :bgrin

One other thing to add.........people who have test strips from last year have reported that it's important to get fresh ones every year. Older ones seem to give false readings.

MA

Thanks for the info. after several nights of checking her ( she is at our new house w/ acreage about 5 miles from me) my husband & I decided that she was faking & sure enough she is still carrying after 3 weeks ! No recent changes & I feel that as soon as I turn my back she will foal, have the sis in law watching all the time too ! Keeping fingers crossed that she will shows some signs she is a maiden !Thanks Again !!

 

[erinspaintedacres]

Still no baby , More miserable then ever, won't let me get near her bag, belly, or her tail. Constantly rubbing her bum and pressing it against the panels. flicking her tail, and kicking at her belly, Biting her belly and not eating all that much. She almost went through her panels to get the other mini beside her (the other mare was apparently too close for her liking)

I am watching extra closely tonite and maybe I will have news in the morning (or maybe she knows that i almost out of fingernails to bite! She wants me working on my numbs, EVIL HORSE! Sorry she is drving me wacko!

:

I haven't been able to see if she has been laying down all that much the last few hours as we had 2 other additions this afternoon. We had our first 2 baby calves born around 530 and 7 YAY!!

: little ones!!

 

[Pretty_Mini]

Just woundering if you had a baby yet!?

: