gvpalominominis
Well-Known Member
Like many others, I'm always looking at ways to cut back on expenses. I wanted 9 mares to be checked to verify they were in foal and to have a vet come and ultrasound them all would have been in the price range of $550 or so. Blood tests would have been a less... at about $510. The WeeFoal urine tests for 10 tests cost me $325.
I tried 1 test out last year and I easily collected the urine sample with a cup. Mare tested not in foal and was correct. This year however, the mares were not so cooperative and the barn help had a great time teasing me for standing around the stall corner with a cup. Now, most often, as soon as you bring a mare into her stall with fresh shavings... the first thing she does is pee.... right? Well, I still found this to be true, but they can indeed shut that off like a facet when you're racing to the rear of them with a cup.
Now remember, I have 9 mares to collect from. Someone suggested putting a feminine napkin on the end of a stick. Another said lay plastic down in the stall.... and a few other ideas were also suggested. After not being very successful over a couple days time.... I thought about the feminine napkin thing a little more and decided to try a light day feminine pad. A package of those only costs about $1... I thought if I taped it across their vulva as I brought them in to put them in their stall would do the trick and thinking I was being gentle by using a cloth tape. Well the cloth tape didn't stick well enough... so this is what I discovered and it worked WONDERFULLY....
You take the light day feminine pad, leaving the paper stuck to the back adhesive intact (so it doesn't stick to tail hair), long ways bend it into kind of a cradle, attach a piece of duct tape to each end (using about 4") and mold and position the duct tape to have the cradle looking pad shaped so it cradles forward just below the vulva attaching the duct tape ends to the mare on either side of the vulva to her hair... and simply put her away. Come back and check periodically to see if she has relieved herself and squeeze the sample into a cup for testing per the instructions. Worked like a charm, every time. It was non evasive, I didn't have to hang around and watch or wait with a cup and I got all the samples collected easily and swiftly. It even worked on a couple mares that were not stalled and shared a paddock with a couple other mares.
I'm glad I checked... 2 mares tested negative - that looked pregnant... a yearling mare that may have been inadvertently put out with yearling colts last spring by the help while I was gone.... was negative....phewwww .... and so, 6 mares tested positive AND I saved about $200!
I did discover that if its kinda cold out (room temperature is suggested) - and I was testing in a heated tack room but it must not have been warm enough and several tests took awhile to absorb out to read.... but they did. Also, if you wait too long after the mare relieves her self... the pad will dry out a little unless it is totally saturated.
I'm sure there are other ways... but this worked great!
I tried 1 test out last year and I easily collected the urine sample with a cup. Mare tested not in foal and was correct. This year however, the mares were not so cooperative and the barn help had a great time teasing me for standing around the stall corner with a cup. Now, most often, as soon as you bring a mare into her stall with fresh shavings... the first thing she does is pee.... right? Well, I still found this to be true, but they can indeed shut that off like a facet when you're racing to the rear of them with a cup.
Now remember, I have 9 mares to collect from. Someone suggested putting a feminine napkin on the end of a stick. Another said lay plastic down in the stall.... and a few other ideas were also suggested. After not being very successful over a couple days time.... I thought about the feminine napkin thing a little more and decided to try a light day feminine pad. A package of those only costs about $1... I thought if I taped it across their vulva as I brought them in to put them in their stall would do the trick and thinking I was being gentle by using a cloth tape. Well the cloth tape didn't stick well enough... so this is what I discovered and it worked WONDERFULLY....
You take the light day feminine pad, leaving the paper stuck to the back adhesive intact (so it doesn't stick to tail hair), long ways bend it into kind of a cradle, attach a piece of duct tape to each end (using about 4") and mold and position the duct tape to have the cradle looking pad shaped so it cradles forward just below the vulva attaching the duct tape ends to the mare on either side of the vulva to her hair... and simply put her away. Come back and check periodically to see if she has relieved herself and squeeze the sample into a cup for testing per the instructions. Worked like a charm, every time. It was non evasive, I didn't have to hang around and watch or wait with a cup and I got all the samples collected easily and swiftly. It even worked on a couple mares that were not stalled and shared a paddock with a couple other mares.
I'm glad I checked... 2 mares tested negative - that looked pregnant... a yearling mare that may have been inadvertently put out with yearling colts last spring by the help while I was gone.... was negative....phewwww .... and so, 6 mares tested positive AND I saved about $200!
I did discover that if its kinda cold out (room temperature is suggested) - and I was testing in a heated tack room but it must not have been warm enough and several tests took awhile to absorb out to read.... but they did. Also, if you wait too long after the mare relieves her self... the pad will dry out a little unless it is totally saturated.
I'm sure there are other ways... but this worked great!
