shaving mare before foaling

[kristi@berrett-ranch]

My mares are very furry and ready to foal soon and I know they should be shaved. The problem is that both of them will barely let me brush them under the belly. How did you accomplish it? Has anyone not shaved their bellies and had no problems?

Thanks

 

[vickie gee]

I got my mare's underneath shaved yesterday at 320 days. She is sooo furry and shedding like crazy. Would have done it earlier but needed to purchase a new blade. Since she is such a foodie I just hung a food bucket on the fence and put her some food in it. She was very cooperative. To get her to be still enough while I take milk sample I put some carrot pieces in her food bin in the stall and she munches while I milk.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I have been breeding Minis for 30 years + now and I have never clipped a mares belly. Before that I bred Welsh and Arabs and I never clipped them, either.

I never had (and I am obviously touching wood as I say this) any problems whatsoever of any kind. Ever.

One thing I would say though is that you do need to get the bellies handled and quickly. If the mares are nervous of you touching there they will not allow you to assist a foal nursing. They may well be happy to have the foal nurse, but if it needs help you may need to wear a helmet (I am being serious, now) or have a spare head ready (OK that was not serious!)

I would employ my magic arm- stuffed glove on a stick- it beats getting kicked in the head every time.......

 

[supaspot]

Ive never shaved mine either , the hairy shetlands living out on the islands of scotland have managed perfectly well without being shaved so I dont think my minis who are warm and well fed and with alot less hair need to be shaved either

I agree with RF though you do need to get them used to being touched around the udder , you could be very glad you did

 

[ruffian]

Add me to those who never shaved a mare's belly. Knock wood never had any problems with foals choking on hair or any other problems like that.

 

[Miniv]

We don't shave either. We do brush and also gently wash the udder.

I agree that it's important to have the mare used to your hand down there. We've had a few mares who threaten to kick. I use a long-handled mini rake to scratch their backs, butts, and tummies (which also gets rid of loose fur). Once they're used to the mini rake scratching their bellies I slowly work closer to their udder. That leads to my being able to scratch their tummies with my hand and working back to the teats. It's a gradual process.

 

[kristi@berrett-ranch]

We don't shave either. We do brush and also gently wash the udder.

I agree that it's important to have the mare used to your hand down there. We've had a few mares who threaten to kick. I use a long-handled mini rake to scratch their backs, butts, and tummies (which also gets rid of loose fur). Once they're used to the mini rake scratching their bellies I slowly work closer to their udder. That leads to my being able to scratch their tummies with my hand and working back to the teats. It's a gradual process.

We were able to get some area around the udder and flanks shaved.

She did suprisingly well, now I don't know what the other two will do

. I have mixed thoughts about the need of it. I could see where as much hair as was coming off of my Mama Julie it could pose a problem but I am sure many have been born without shaving as well.

 

[Bonny]

I shaved, I can see much better whats going on under there

My mare was also shedding like crazy so I felt it would be better.

 

[Becky]

I never did a pre-foaling clip until last year.

Having a January foal born to a hairy mare with a small udder, I actually clipped the mare after the foal was born. It made all the difference in the world on the foal being able to find the udder. All of my other mares foaled last year while still in winter coats, so I also did a pre-foaling clip on those as well. I've been foaling miniature mares for years and was amazed at how much faster the foals located the udders. So, for that reason, I will continue to clip hairy mares before foaling.

 

[REO]

When mares are shedding, I've had foals get wads of hair in their eyes from nursing and also have wads of mare fur stuck to the sticky milk on their mouths. So I try to get the fur off the mares around there. Foals can get hair balls or get it in their eyes.

 

[ionafarm]

May years ago we lost a month old foal to an impaction colic. When they opened him up, the impaction was a hairball! His dam had been shedding heavily. Since the we have tried to clip bellies whenever possible. Wouldn't want that experience a second time.

 

[bannerminis]

One of my reasons for clipping around the belly and udder is so I can see. Slaney is quite big now and carrying very low and I am not a contortionist (sp?)

By getting rid of the hair in that area helps me check her udder a little easier and I also shave a bit of the hair between her back legs so when I lift her tail I also have a good view.

I clipped Slaney last yr as she was going mad with itch and did a bit more then I would normally do but she was so delighted to have all that hair gone. As it turned out she had some kind of phantom pregnancyn (scanned in foal at 4 mths and went through all the motions) so maybe a waste of time although probably not according to the mare as she was itch free on her belly

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I think it also matters if you stall the horses, or not.

I do not, so clipping mine in a very heat sensitive area would not be a good idea, we are still getting hard frosts at night and if a mare lies down she could, quite literally, freeze.

I do not check by eye, either, I use my hands as I can tell a lot more that way about udder development etc than I ever could by looking....sort of like the colts and the crown jewels- looking does not quite do it