Temperature Drop in Due Mares

[wiccanz]

Does anybody moniter temperature drop in due mares? I know it's a sure indicator in bitches, and also know that some use it in horses, but would like to hear some first hand experiences.

My mare that I was worried would go too early is now at day 301 (foaled at 302 last year), she is alarmed so I'm not relying solely on temperature readings, just doing a little 'research' :bgrin .

Her temp on Monday was 37.5 C (that's 99.5 F), Tuesday dropped to 37.2 C (99 F) am and pm, today (Wednesday morning) it's 36.8 C (98.2). Her udder is full but the teats are still pointing slightly inwards.

Last year, the day she surprised us she looked no more ready in the morning than she had for the previous week or so.

This waiting part is the worst! :lol: :bgrin

 

[HGFarm]

LOL, I know many dog breeders who use that- never tried it on horses. One thing I do check is the color inside the vulva. Near foaling it turns color to a very deep red- that is usually within the last day or so...

 

[Magic]

I've used the temperature method with a few different mares. It doesn't take them long to tuck their tails when they see me coming with the thermometer. :new_shocked:

It worked really well for me, I generally used it on maiden mares when I had no idea what to expect of them. I haven't used it for the last couple of years, but I would again if I had a mare I needed extra "help" with. I do have several maiden mares due to foal next year...

I can't even remember now, is it a full degree (more or less) that they tend to drop when about to foal? I do know that the temperatures ranged quite a bit on a regular basis so I was always waiting for the "big" drop.

Good luck with your mare!

:

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I never even thought of using it on mares not sure why I did try it on my dog although I will say she had a temp drop for over 48 hours but then again I had another dog that never not even once panted not one pant for her entire labor in fact she just sat there contracting and then went and got a bite of food and went back on the chair and out popped a puppy

: and mine ALWAYS eat minutes before whelping.... leave it to mine to never follow or book heck or even read it and be close...

 

[Miniv]

As I recall from reading about it, it is a full degree, as Magic posted. We personally have never done it, but was given a report on it by Joanne Ross of Scott Creek Farm who was doing it. You might try contact her as she always does intense research on things like that. She and her husband, Larry, may have even posted some information about it on their website in their "health pages".

The one thing that stood out for me was that you have to remember to take the mare's temp at the same time every day to get an accurate reading.

MA

 

[Little Wee Horse Farm]

We did it religiously one year. Twice a day (same times everyday, like Maryann said)...........got to be very tedius & the mares hated it after a short while.

So.......results? Didn't work in any case. Never saw any real difference in temperatures for the mares who foaled..........didn't see any difference before, and took a few temps after they foaled, just for comparison's sake, & never saw any difference there either.