Pregnant in December

[luvsminis]

I was always under the impression that a horse couldn't get pregnant in the winter months i.e. December. Has anyone had one of their little minis get pregnant in December? I thought my mini had her last cycle in October, so we allowed the little 29" stallion to run with the other horses today out in the large pasture, because he is always alone. When I looked out the window, the little stinker was nailing her. I immediately separated them, and checked her. Looks like he might not have made it, it was wet everywhere but where it should have been. This would be our first pregnancy if she is. Do you think it is possible that he got her prenant? I later checked her vaginal area, and it looked like she was "winking" like she does when she is in heat. I wanted to mate these two later on anyway, but just not yet. I would like for her to give birth in the summer, not the winter! Any thoughts or info that any of you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Matt73]

Anything's possible. If you don't want a mating to happen, don't put an open mare with a stallion...ever.

 

[Sue_C.]

Anything's possible. If you don't want a mating to happen, don't put an open mare with a stallion...ever.

DITTO!

Were I you, I would talk to my vet and have her given the shot just in case. No one wants a foal born in November; it is just too hard on them.

 

[targetsmom]

A long time ago I bought a mare (big horse) from a dealer and she foaled in late November... that should answer your question if you do the math.

 

[Songcatcher]

Absolutely. I once saw a horse that was born on Christmas Day. If you don't want them bred, don't put them together.

 

[chandab]

I have a friend with a November-born mini.

 

[Genie]

Yes it happens. We had a November baby once and this year we have an October birth.

I think the November baby was due to the barn lights being on 24/7 in December when we had sheep and were expecting lambs, so the lights had to be on, thus bringing the mare's cycle on.

 

[Reble]

Congratulations, here we have babies in April - May and sometimes still are having winter.

How is your weather in November in Arkansas, I do not think it will be too bad.

Good Luck.

 

[wwminis]

We have a few mare here that cycle year round and show to the stallions in the dead of winter! That's why all our stallions have their own little barns and lots!

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

MOST mares stop cycling in the winter months, but most certainly not all

As many as 10-20% of mares will continue to cycle year round. And stallions, while LESS fertile, are fertile year round. You should never expose a mare to a stallion if you don't want that mare pregnant.

Also, mares that aren't cycling may LOOK like they are cycling. Mares without a CL (the result of an ovulation) will not have progesterone, and progesterone keeps a mare out of heat. If there is no CL, there is no progesterone, and any little bit of estrogen has the potential of making the mare look like she's in full blown heat. Or, she may just "allow" stallions to breed her, even though she's not "in".

Regardless, the advice someone already mentioned (giving her a Lutalyse or Estramate shot) is the best method to prevent pregnancy. And definitely keep the studs out of the mare pens, year round, unless you want a baby

 

[luvsminis]

I talked to the vet, he wanted me to wait and check her later. He said that the shot is really hard on them, and if they don't need it, he doesn't like to give it. Have you ever had to give the shot to one of yours? Did they do okay with it? I have always kept them separated, but all the horses I've ever had stopped cycling in the fall just before winter. Now, I feel so stupid for allowing this to happen.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Ask for Estramate. Its hard on them, yes, but the side effects only last an hour or two and the risk is far outweighed by the benefit

Estramate is far easier on them then Lutalyse.

 

[luvsminis]

Thanks for all the info, you seem to know quite a bit about this subject. I will give the vet a call again, and talk with them about the shot. She would be 3 by the time she has the baby, is that to young? I don't know if I should be excited or scared. I read that there are blood tests they can do to see if a mare is pregnant. Have you heard of them?

 

[mmmorgans]

I had a Morgan mare get bred in January - she foaled the beginning of January the next year. The stallion jumped 3 fences and was only with her for about 10 minutes. So don't ever think that these sneaky mares follow our rules!!!!! Anything is possible with a mare and stallion!!!!!!!!

Oh - and that was awful having a foal in the middle of winter. She was stalled a lot due to severe weather and was turned out with her Mom everyday while I cleaned the stall. But I always worried about her slipping on ice and hurting herself. It was not fun having a foal in the winter!!!!!!!!

 

[luvsminis]

How old was your youngest horse that gave birth? This little girl will be 3 by the time she foals, do you think that is to young? The stallion is 29", and his sire and dame were both little, so hopefully this foal would be tiny too.

 

[LC Farm]

I like my mares to be 3 when bred so they will have their first foal at 4. A small boned mare I would wait even longer or not breed at all. I know some breed at two but IMO they are teenagers and I wonder if they are physically and mentally ready to be a parent. I would rather wait and have my mares be a really good mom to her foal.

 

[CCC]

We have been keeping an eye on our open mini mare (she is turned out with the stallion) - she shows her heat really well, and she hasn't went into heat. We will separate them come Feb. to be safe, if we don't see any signs before then.

But I had a Thoroughbred mare boarded with me once that went into heat ALL winter long and even though there was two fences separating her and our stallion, she would lean on it and turn her butt to the fence all day long while in heat yelling lol She was quite the hussy lol

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I'll say it again... if you don't intend to have a foal, do NOT pasture mares with stallions. Even if there is no sign of heat. It is more than possible that the stallion is satisfying her enough that she won't show to you, just with him at night.

Three years old is a little young for a mare... I've bred QH's that young, but I wouldn't attempt a mini, myself. Its the mare who determines the size of the foal, but there is already little enough space there for a miniature foal I wouldn't personally push it

But, my experience is with full sized horses, I don't have any mini foaling experience.

 

[stormy]

I know of MANY people who have had mares accidently bred in the winter...minis do not read the books, I had several in heat just a week ago here and it is COLD! Foaling in winter is not fun for anyone and really hard on mom and baby. I would NEVER run a stallion with the mares in the winter unless they were already settled, too risky!

(and by the way I bought a mare a few years ago who was obviously pregnant but the owner kept saying she was not as he had never seen them doing anything...I put her straight into the foaling stall and guess what, a few weeks later she delivered a colt, beginning of March...would have frozen to death had I not purchased this girl as the previous owner had no barn or shelter of any kind!)

 

[Becky]

I find that with miniature mares, at least in this part of the country, they tend to cycle later in the year and not come back in heat as early in the spring, than their full size counterparts.

You've already been given some excellent advice as to termination of an unwanted pregnancy if you so choose. It will be a personal decision for you to make. The mental and physical maturity of the filly will certainly come into play as well as the weather where you live, should you choose to allow the pregnancy to continue.

No one wants a foal born in November; it is just too hard on them.

I disagree with that statement. A lot depends on your location and weather that time of year as well as your facility and set up in case of inclement weather. I've had foals born in October and November and they did great. In fact, here in Oklahoma, that's a great time of year to have them. The weather is mild and no flies. This year, my foals were born in January - March. We had the worst winter ever and it was one snow storm after another. Ugh. Mares and foals were having to stay stalled way longer than I usually do.