Udder development

[Jodie]

Hi everyone! I know this forum is full of very experienced and knowledgeable people, so I’m hoping someone will be able to help me out.
As some of you may know, I have a mini maiden mare that I picked up at auction last September, and she was confirmed in foal last month. As the vet didn’t have much of an idea how far along she is, we’re having to just keep an eye on her and watch for signs.
My question is, what should a maiden mare’s udder look like and what does it look like when it starts to bag up?
I’ve tried looking through older posts on this forum but the pictures don’t always show.
I don’t think Rosie is looking like she has any udder development yet, but this is also my first foal. I’ve attached some pics from today (yes she is extremely fluffy and will be getting clipped soon!)
Thank you in advance!

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

Just to warn you about Maidens..... It's a 50/50 chance she will drop her bag for you before foaling. Plus, her stomach muscles are firm, so she may not carry her foal the same as an experienced broodmare. However, by the last month of gestation, you will probably be able to feel the foal kicks -- especially while you mare is eating grain.

 

[Jodie]

Thank you for your reply Maryann. I’ve been keeping an eye on her back end too given that udder development isn’t always a given in maidens. I just wish we had a better idea how far along she is! So far she’s still good and firm around her tail and there doesn’t seem to be any elongation of her vulva. I was feeling her belly last night through her fluff and there’s a definite bulge on one side just below her rib cage that wasn’t really there before.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Jodie, looking at the top picture, you will notice her nipples are slightly pointed towards each other. This is really prominent in maiden mares. As a mare starts to produce an udder, her nipples will start to swell. As her udder continues to grow, her nipples will separate further until eventually they are pointing down. As Maryann said above, she may or may not produce much of an udder till foaling. That's the great thing about Maidens, they like to keep you guessing