Please give me opinions on this mare

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Hay Marnie..I have 2 thatlook just like her too. Neither one is bred back, one just foaled this past June. My vet was out the other day, and took one look at Misty (we were sitting in the house having coffee and watching the mares in the pasture) when she said to me"PLEASE tell me that mare is bred" I said heck no--thats Misty..all she said after that is "we need to have a serious talk about my feeding program"..I said "nope, we dont, she gets fed like the rest of them, and theydont look like that..I just have 2 Miss Piggys! But at least there happy content Miss Piggys! ( I really do need Bob to make me that hot walker so some of these girls get more excersice, maybe i should try the hot walker too...haha) Corinne

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

She looks pregnant AND really chubby to me.

What a pretty girl! LOve her color!

 

[Karin - NaKar Miniatures]

Marnie - How tall is this mare? If she is 31" or more, even a male vet should be able to palpate her. I would have her palpated first. If they couldn't feel anything then do an ultrasound. Don't need a wand for that. For you, I hope she is bred!

 

[Ashley]

I say no.

Height of a mares doesnt determan if they can be palpated. I have a 34" mare that can not be, she is just to small for it(yes we have a lady vet).

There is a gal that comes up from madison to do our ultrasounds.

 

[Marnie]

I just came home from town and as I drove in, I saw this girl kicking at her belly and then laid down to roll. It makes me wonder. I also got ahold of the former owner and sure enough, she ran the stud with her all winter. I hate that, I think it's so stupid. At least here in the north, who wants a surprise winter baby. Now in the matter of ultrasounding, you have to go in thru the butt, don't you? My vet was just here the other day, I have a 37" mare and I asked him to palpate her as she's been open for 3 yrs and I was thinking about giving her to a pet home. He told me, that it is a very dangerous thing to do. All the mare has to do is squeeze her rectom and she can tear inside. It's easy for her to tear inside and start bleeding and there wouldn't be a thing he could do, she'd die. On this particular mare, we decided to do it as she's 23, has had it done before and is calm, he did find a baby in there. Now this mare in question, Lace is a pretty skitso mare, she'd be so scared. She's about 32-33 inches tall, my vet wouldn't go inside her. Now my question, don't you have to go inside to ultrasound, they did any time I've seen it done? Like I said earlier in this post, I don't know it all so if I'm missing something, just tell me. And I did try the exterior ultrasound with no luck.

 

[Marnie]

For her own sake, I hope she's bred, I don't know how to take the weight off of a mare like this. I hate letting them go hungry but I know if she isn't bred or even if she is, she should be put on a diet. After the foal is born or weaned if she is, I'd think. I do know a few people who feed there minis nothing and the bones are stuck out all over, I can't do that and can't see how anyone can. So how would I go about taking the wieght off of a fat little porker like this? One yr I had myself a "fat pen", it seemed that fat mares came out in the spring, just as fat as they went in.

 

[minisch]

Can your vet do a blood test? Geesh..... I suspect Thyroid....... second find a qualified vet.

 

[Marnie]

Hey, please don't pick on my vet. I've explained everything and I do think he is trying to learn and understand miniatures. I've worked closely with him for a few years now and at least he is trying. That's more than I can say for the other vets in the area. Not everyone lives in "mini country" and Mark is trying very hard, even reading articles on them. He looks at threads that I show him off of the forum and he's always there for me. It's not as easy as "finding a qualified vet". I am in the middle of nowhere here, farriers aren't plentiful either, a person has to work with what they have and be thankful.

 

[Danielle_E.]

Marnie, when you say that this mare ran with a stud all winter, what would be the last month she would have been with the stud? very early spring? Did this mare live deep in the south at the time? I don't think the mare would have conceived in the dead of winter (cooler climate) unless this is the type of mare that ovulates year round, I have a full size mare like that, but more than likely might have conceived very early spring? Also, how old is this mare and how many foals, if any, has she previously had?

My initial reaction to your pics was pretty mare, heavy and pregnant.

 

[justjinx]

Marnie, we have had really good luck with our vet palpating and ultra-sounding. They could also give the mare a MILD sedative so she would not fight. wish you were closer so you could use our vet--she is good at the palpating and ultra-sounding. (if i remember right it takes us 3 hours to get to your place). another of the female vets will not palpate at all. maybe its the years of experience.

i think it is great your vet is trying to learn. at least you can give him credit for that.

have you thought of leasing the mare to someone who is familiar with minis? a lease with option to buy?

jennifer

 

[CharmedMinis]

My vet is a big guy and hasn't had any trouble getting in even my smallest mare who is just barely 30 inches. I've only had one mare he couldn't get in who was a 4 year old maiden that was 32".

But again my vet is also a very experienced reproductive specialist so that helps.

One thing he always does before palpating is he syringes Lube that's been dosed with Lidocaine, into their rectum, like an enema. He waits 10 minutes and then palpates. The lidocaine numbs them and makes them relax their muscles.

You could also have her abdomen X-Rayed.

 

[Anne]

It is not always possible to palpate or internally ultrasound "any" mare. I have a good female vet who will do all of my mares but one. She's not the smallest, she's 33 inches. We know better than to do it because I had her examed because we were having trouble getting her to settle.

We cultured, which was difficult, her cervix was closed tight, palpated which was nearly impossible and carefully worked an ultrasound wand in enough to get a look at her ovaries and internally. It's the only time and my vet said "not again". It's to much of a risk for her she's just to small and tight inside.

This mare has foaled in the past.

Sometimes it's definitely best to let it be.

We call her my "wait and see" girl.

Though when I was pretty sure early I have used the pregnamare test successfully with her.

This is a wait and see year. Missed the "window" for that, and even my vet says the other bloodtests are unreliable. And tends to think of them as waste after a certain time.