Please help! Pregnant Mare? (First time)

[DoraTheMiniWarrior]

Hello, let me explain my situation. I recently adopted a 34" 9yr mini mare from a rescue about 4 months ( right after Christmas). I have been working with her....ground manners, voice commands, lounging, jumping, and plan to start ground driving once I've got the tack. We showed in our first 4h show 2 weeks ago. Did pretty good! 3 3rds and a fourth.

Anyway, so the lady from the rescue went to the show to watch Dora's progress. While there, she had decided to mention that there is a possibility that Dora could be pregnant. She does not know much about her history. She was told she was kept in a large paddock with lots of other minis (including stallions) for about 6 months before Dora arrived at the rescue on May 4 2012.

Let me just say now, that I have 0 experience with horse pregnancy ( I am educating myself slowly) and this is my first mini I have ever had. I'm a hunter/jumper not a breeder, so this is totally new to me.

Now, that I have been told of the possibility of her being in foal, I have noticed that she does have strange looking "fat pockets" that protrude slightly out at her sides towards her rear. They also feel a bit firm. This is what confuses me, if she was pregnant, i would assume that at the latest, she would foal any time now, but she doest seem THAT pregnant. Her udders appear normal, no bagging or swollenness that I can see. (Again, not really sure what to look for)

But... When I sit and feel her sides, I can feel movement separate from her breathing, it feels like shifting. Also sometimes it feels lumpy and will move. I have actually had a few friends feel her sides as well and can feel the strange movement too. I have also read that mini mares in their first pregnancy can have a longer term than normal. ( again, I don't know Dora's history, so I don't know if she's foaled before)

I do not know what else to look for. At this point, I would like to get some kind of input as to what I should do. Until more signs point towards Dora actaully being in foal, I would rather not have the vet out. So, any and all advice, info, tips, etc would be extremely appreciated

oh and, I can provide pictures tonight when I get home, but don't know exactly what to take photos of.

 

[SummerTime]

Hello and welcome to the "Nutty Nursery"! First off I would like to say kudos to you for rescuing this precious mini!! she sounds like a real sweety! We will need side pictures, pictures from behind, udder pictures and as the aunties call it her "hooha" pictures. Just gently pull her tail to the side to take a picture of that part. If you pull her tail straight up, she will tighten up and we won't get the real "look" of it. Please take all these pictures at her level. The Aunties will let you know if I missed any! Pictures will tell us a lot about her and if she is pregnant!

It is possible that she did not take until right before they took her out of her current situation, so that may put her at only 6 months or so and if she is a maiden she wouldn't really be bagging up to much, but you could feel movement of the foal. So exciting to have you here! And you have come to the right place, everyone here is so knowledgeable and helpful!! Feel free to ask any questions!!

Oh and at this point and time I do not see any need to have the vet out, they usually won't palpate them because of the small size of minis. I would just look at clues of her being pregnant and then act accordingly!

Again, Welcome!! And I must say if your mini is pregnant get ready to fall in love with this baby!! They are the cutest thing you have ever seen!!!

Oops, just did the math on the time period of when she would have been exposed and how far along she would be if she lptook at the very last possible time and that would put her at 11 months... So hmmmm. We will just have to see pictures!! Lol!

Mindy

 

[Eagle]

Hi and Welcome

to the Nutty Nursery and to the wonderful world of minis, look out cos they are like potato chips (you can never have just 1)

So am I right in thinking that Dora was removed from the stallion in May 2012? If so and she IS preggo then she will be due very soon.

The pics we need are as Mindy described, all down at her level so get on your knees

1) Full body profile shot (make sure you are straight on and not at an angle)

2) Shot from behind (so we can see how wide her tummy is)

3) udder shot (from under her tummy and from in between her back legs)

4) Hooha shot (move her tail to the side)

Is she in a stall at night or outside and how far from the house is she? Can we know where abouts in the world you are and what your name is?

Looking forward to seeing her

Renee

Italy

 

[DoraTheMiniWarrior]

Thank you both. I will get pictures later today ( on iPhone right now). That's why I'm coimg here for answers, because she doesn't seem like she is 11 months pregnant. And I don't really know exactly what to look for, so it could just be my imagination that I am seeing and feeling things!

She is stalled at night. She lives with my 18yr 15hh tenn walker (she's the boss!). They live out in a small paddock, too small for grass and the paddock encloses completely around the barn. So during the day, we lock the stalls shut and use the barn isle as a tunnel run in shed type thing so they have the ability to roam in and out. The barn is right on the side of the house, about 75 feet away and the paddock comes as close as about 8 feet. I'm in New Jersey. Pics coming soon....

Thanks, Melissa

 

[Gone_Riding]

Looking forward to seeing them!

 

[DoraTheMiniWarrior]

Ok here goes the pictures! Please let me know if i need to retake anything. Today, there seems to be more "mass" protruding from her right sideverses the left. And when I went to feel for movement, she wasnt too happy with me touching her sides. Thanks, Melissa

 

[ratzo155]

Melissa,

You have found a great group of "aunties" here to help you. I have been waiting on my mare a long time and they are so knowledgeable and supportive you are in great hands.

I am going threw this my first time too so I am no expert but that wooha picture looks suspicious to me, looks really long and relaxed.

The experts will let you know more.

Welcome

Jennifer

Illinois

She sure is a cutie!!

 

[countrymini]

Well Melissa, she certainly is a cutie! You have taken all the right photos for the ''Aunties"" to poke and prod. I think he looks like she could be pregnant but then I'm still learning myself so don''t hold me to it lol

Welcome to the nursery!

 

Can't wait to see the pictures so we can really assess.

If you hadn't said 11 months -- then I'd say she's probably pregnant since she looks pretty lop-sided, and that hooha also looks relaxed. If she is a maiden, then all of it would fit into place -- because the maidens hold their babies up high and often don't get the dropped bellies that brodmares do. Not much udder to speak of, but if she's maiden that's also pretty normal!

So can't wait for the pictures!

Welcome to our Nutty Nursery, and we are here to answer ANY questions you may have -- nothing too silly to ask! The pictures will really help us see what "signs" might be showing themselves!

WELCOME again!!

 

[Eagle]

Melissa those pics are just perfect

Obviously we cannot say for 100% either way if she is or isn't preggo from just one set of pics but if I was to make a guess I would say no. The best thing to do is take exactly the same shots in about 4 days so we can compare them. If she is preggo she would be due very soon so we should see changes. Lets see what the other Aunties think.

 

[AnnaC]

Hi Melissa and welcome to the Nutty Nursery! Very pretty girl you have there too - and from the look of the pictures she could be pregnant. That said, looking at her udder it is possible that she has had a foal/foals before - the side 'flaps' look a little more 'flappy' (!!) than with an udder of a maiden mare.

Also, she does look a little overweight (I love the well covered ones - you should see mine LOL!!) and this, if she has foaled before, could give her that 'in foal' tummy look. However in the two pictures taken from the rear, she does look as though her tummy is a bit lopsided. All in all I would have to say that she does look pregnant, but the one thing that bothers me is that date of May 4th, which means that she is approx 10 days from a year's pregnancy. Quite a few mares do carry to around the year, but mostly they will have more of a udder by that time.

Could you take us some more udder pictures over the weekend - it might show any increase in size that would not necessarily show if you tke pictures every day!

Will be interested to see what the other 'Aunties' here have to say? But you have come to the right place and we will try to solve this little mystery for you and if she is in foal we will help you get this little baby safely born and into your life.

 

I think we'll know more when we see a second set of pictures in a couple of days! As you said Renee, we'll be able to see any changes that are occuring. I just love it when we think two different things -- but maidens can be so confusing!

 

[Eagle]

Are we going to bet on this little girl too? No one won the last box of chocolates

 

You know it! I WANT THOSE CHOCOLATES!!!!!!!

 

[Eagle]

The bet is on!

 

[DoraTheMiniWarrior]

Thank you very much everyone that replied back!!! I am extremely happy and relieved to be part of this forum. everyone is so nice and considerate and patient about my newness to the mini world and babys! lol. I will do another round of pictures over the weekend. I am really looking forward to if Dora foals

and in the mean time, I will post if anything unusual or out of the ordinary occurs. If she turns out to not be in foal, than we get to start working on ground driving! Yay

Again, I really really appreciate every's input

Thanks, Melissa

 

[Vansplic]

The Aunties are the BEST! I rescued a mare in foal and they helped me through all the way to having the foal safely on the ground (once I found them) and now are helping in the exciting first days of life. You have come to the right place. These ladies are the BEST!

 

[Evelynk2000]

Another newbie chiming in here. I got a mare from an auction of seized horses (170+ of them!) that were run in a herd. We weren't sure Katya was pregnant until I took her to a vet for an ultrasound and saw baby ribs! Don't know when she's due. Loving the whole process, thanks to the knowledge of the angel aunties, and HATING the waiting! Just be patient, take pictures, and love your lovely lady.

 

[AnnaC]

You are all so kind - us 'oldies' on here just want to help you successfully get those precious little babies safely on the ground, and to try to keep you amused with our trivia as you struggle through the (often) long wait for the little ones to appear.

So thank YOU for putting up with our sometimes (often!) nutty ways!

Sorry Renee, at the moment I'm sitting on the fence - will wait for the next set pf pictures!

Off now to do my chips - have a good day everyone (or night as the case may be!)

 

[cilla]

Another new comer here. You sure are in the right place. I have learned so much on here and everyone is so helpful. Best of luck with your mare. Welcome to a lot of watching and waiting..