jstarr78
Well-Known Member
Hello to all the "Aunties" here. (that's what I have heard you all are called) I had posted in the regular Miniature forum needing advice on my miniature mare who is ready to foal any day. I have received some great advice but the number one was to repost here so I can get more advice from those who are in the knowledge on this subject.
I bought Moonpie March 21 of this year. She was in really bad condition body weight, skin, and hoof wise. Basically a mess. I only bought her because the breeders I was purchasing my miniature stallion from brought her along when they delivered him hoping I would take her. They had gotten her in a herd dispersal and apparently in no hurry to keep her long. When I first saw her the only word that came to mind was homely, but rescuing and rehabilitating horses has been what I have done for 5 years now and I couldn't let her slip away.
With her care I immediately brought out my vet, we came up with a feeding schedule to put weight on her.At that time she was taped ad weighed 220#. She is 38 inches tall. I brought out farrier to start correcting her hooves, she had foundered the year before as well as being slightly club footed in the back. I ended up having to shave her between the infestation of horse lice with a fungal infection on parts of her skin.
It wasn't until last month that she started showing signs of putting weight on. Then all of a sudden in a matter of weeks she was twice as round and we had no idea why. So of course the vet was brought out and guess what pregnant. I will go ahead and add my vet isn't 100% knowledgeable on miniatures, but I have used her for 5 years and she is really dedicated. At that visit we taped her again, weight came in around 275# ( my vet rounds to nearest 5, not sure why but she does) and gestation was estimated to be around 310-320 days. She did not have a bag, and had begun displaying the first stage labor signs pacing, laying down frequently, passing bowels and urinating a lot. My vet has given a grim expectation of the foal surviving because of the lack of proper nourishment in the beginning of the pregnancy and that we had her on a fescue blend hay from March 21 when we got her until around the first week of June. We do not if she had fescue prior to us owning her. We have discussed using the medication to bring her milk in, but my vet advised it may be a waste of money as she does not see a good outcome.
This was all 2 weeks ago. I have been grateful we haven't had a foal yet so that we can get some more vitamins and more feed into her. She is currently being fed 2#s of an TM12 solution/Alfalfa pellet mixture twice a day( morning and evening), 3-4 hours of pasture time. Then in a dry lot for the remainder of the day with 2-3 flakes of bermuda hay. Also given 2-3 flakes bermuda in the evening when she is put in her stall. We are also adding a vitamin for pregnant mares into her feed. She has constant access to a mineral block, and fresh water.
Her bag has begun to develop although it is not waxing or dripping milk, her vulva appears to be stretched( what my sister told me, she breeds quarter horses, this is my first foal) and up until two days ago she was laying down and getting up frequently,having an increased amount of bowel movements,rubbing her head against her front legs, biting her sides, yawning a lot. The past two days have been increasingly boring,as now she has taken to not laying down at all and either standing in the same corner sleeping or staring at the wall or munching on hay. I haven't seen her lay down once in two days and I check on her once every hour and probably sit in the barn for a good 15-20 min just to make sure. I know some mares are shy about being watched so I observe her from the hay loft, which I usually am able to sneak up there without her noticing.
I am posting pictures of her from when I first got her to current pictures taken today, plus photos of her bag and vulva today.
I bought Moonpie March 21 of this year. She was in really bad condition body weight, skin, and hoof wise. Basically a mess. I only bought her because the breeders I was purchasing my miniature stallion from brought her along when they delivered him hoping I would take her. They had gotten her in a herd dispersal and apparently in no hurry to keep her long. When I first saw her the only word that came to mind was homely, but rescuing and rehabilitating horses has been what I have done for 5 years now and I couldn't let her slip away.
With her care I immediately brought out my vet, we came up with a feeding schedule to put weight on her.At that time she was taped ad weighed 220#. She is 38 inches tall. I brought out farrier to start correcting her hooves, she had foundered the year before as well as being slightly club footed in the back. I ended up having to shave her between the infestation of horse lice with a fungal infection on parts of her skin.
It wasn't until last month that she started showing signs of putting weight on. Then all of a sudden in a matter of weeks she was twice as round and we had no idea why. So of course the vet was brought out and guess what pregnant. I will go ahead and add my vet isn't 100% knowledgeable on miniatures, but I have used her for 5 years and she is really dedicated. At that visit we taped her again, weight came in around 275# ( my vet rounds to nearest 5, not sure why but she does) and gestation was estimated to be around 310-320 days. She did not have a bag, and had begun displaying the first stage labor signs pacing, laying down frequently, passing bowels and urinating a lot. My vet has given a grim expectation of the foal surviving because of the lack of proper nourishment in the beginning of the pregnancy and that we had her on a fescue blend hay from March 21 when we got her until around the first week of June. We do not if she had fescue prior to us owning her. We have discussed using the medication to bring her milk in, but my vet advised it may be a waste of money as she does not see a good outcome.
This was all 2 weeks ago. I have been grateful we haven't had a foal yet so that we can get some more vitamins and more feed into her. She is currently being fed 2#s of an TM12 solution/Alfalfa pellet mixture twice a day( morning and evening), 3-4 hours of pasture time. Then in a dry lot for the remainder of the day with 2-3 flakes of bermuda hay. Also given 2-3 flakes bermuda in the evening when she is put in her stall. We are also adding a vitamin for pregnant mares into her feed. She has constant access to a mineral block, and fresh water.
Her bag has begun to develop although it is not waxing or dripping milk, her vulva appears to be stretched( what my sister told me, she breeds quarter horses, this is my first foal) and up until two days ago she was laying down and getting up frequently,having an increased amount of bowel movements,rubbing her head against her front legs, biting her sides, yawning a lot. The past two days have been increasingly boring,as now she has taken to not laying down at all and either standing in the same corner sleeping or staring at the wall or munching on hay. I haven't seen her lay down once in two days and I check on her once every hour and probably sit in the barn for a good 15-20 min just to make sure. I know some mares are shy about being watched so I observe her from the hay loft, which I usually am able to sneak up there without her noticing.
I am posting pictures of her from when I first got her to current pictures taken today, plus photos of her bag and vulva today.
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