SparklingJewel Acres: Sparkles Maybe in Foal

[crisco41]

oh she is a beauty. I reallllly like her.Want to ship her here? LOL had to try. I hope you get another baby...will be so much fun to see the 2 together.

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Well.... it doesnt appear that Sparkles is pregnant. At least.. by now I think we should start to see some belly movement. She has lost weight. I feel badly that she had gotten so big but I really tho't she was pregnant until I felt fat rolls on her sides. She is slimming down now and loves to run in her new open pen.

The last pictures is of Sparkles in January of this year before she shed her winter coat. She looks so different.

 

[AnnaC]

OK, just been reading your thread from the beginning - according to your info Sparkles would only be approx 9 months in foal mid June, plus she was running with the stallion more or less until you got her in October? So what makes you feel that she is not in foal - that 2nd pic looks very suspicious to me!

A lot of my girls dont show foal 'movement' of any sort, apart from maybe a foal foot up near their hip area a week or so before they actually foal, plus you will not be seeing an udder starting to form until approx 4/5 weeks before foaling. So ..................................... what other signs are you going by?

I still say (hoping!) that she is pregnant. She's such a pretty girl by the way!

Will be interested to hear what the other Aunties have to say.

 

[Eagle]

I totally agree Anna

I usually start to feel foal movements from 9 months onwards. Try putting your hand in front of her udder and hold it there whilst she eats her dinner, I bet you will feel the butterfly movements sooner or later

Can you take a pic from behind ? (make sure her head is straight on and get down at her level) Thanks

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Well. I am not 100% sure that she isnt. Yes, we did get her in October and she had been with a stallion up until that time when we got her so at the earliest she would be approx. 8 months along. I have felt underneath her belly in front of her udder for movement and am not feeling anything yet but .. true.. it doesnt mean that she isnt. I did need to really watch her weight as I had been giving her too much. I have been very careful that she looses the weight in a slow progressive way. Its never good for any creature to loose weight too quickly especially in a pregnancy. I am hoping she is still but I am starting to really have my doubts. I will put up some more pictures of her back end soon.

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

So.. wow.. I didnt realize that some don't feel movements until 9 months in their mares. Hmmmm... well there is a chance that she is still. This would be her 3rd I think. I also have the knowledge of the stallion -at least his name. The owners did tell me that.

 

[Eagle]

I usually start to feel foal movement around Feb and I see movement around March, all my girls foal May/June.

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Well if she is pregnant I would think she would have to be in the same cycle as most mares are in and would be over 9 months along. I suppose it is possible we could have a later foal in July or August. Oh.. poor Sparkles to have to deal with the heat.. so very hot/dry here at our home and she came from a cooler Oregon climate. Here are a few I just now took of her today but they won't tell much.

 

[AnnaC]

Oh she is such a gorgeous colour!!

First pic and she does look on track for around 8-9 months pregnant, but as she has had foals before this could simply be a 'brood mare' tummy. However, second picture, even allowing for the fact that her right back leg is slightly ahead of the left one, she looks as though there is a 'bulge' to the left side of her tummy - foal?

Keeping my fingers crossed - guess time will give us an answer!

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Well hmmmmm. Yes..I suppose she could be and apparently she is still running very early morning in her pen for fun when my husband leaves for work at 6 and with her diet she is on, I would think she would be loosing the belly more. I still can not feel her ribs at all. She is stout and her hair has gotten so shiney.

 

Well, from this old lady, I have almost NEVER felt a baby move until almost foaling time. Never had the luck! I've seen them move in that last trimester, but never had any luck "catching" baby with my hand on momma.

I agree with Anna, but time will tell us for sure!

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Well. Hmmmm... it is so very hard to tell. The other mare, Jewel.. she really showed but then.. she still looks kinda pregnant with her belly hanging down after foaling. Both horses have slowly lost the weight. Sparkles is almost near the good weight she should be at and to me is looking better but her belly is hanging lower and it wasnt hanging like this in October when she came to us. She has a fatty area in front of her teats but it has been there for a while. It seems it is getting larger tho. I will post pictures again in a week.

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

I did try to feel for movement. I thot I felt something but so hard to know. With the other horse, Jewel, she gave me no doubt at all. Her baby kicked and moved in obvious ways.